I'm lucky to have these two. So lucky.
Little Things I Want to Remember
The kids are feeling well again, & nothing makes you appreciate "normal" life like having sick kids. Multiple times a day Ruby will wander off to her room & I'll hear her chattering away as she "reads" to herself. I wish I could somehow store these moments away so that I can replay them years from now. I so desperately want to remember my children at each stage they're in & all the little things that bring me so much joy. It makes me a little panicky to know that so much of this will slip away with my memory.
Noah is getting teeth like crazy! He has 4 on the bottom & 2 1/2 on top with one more on the way. That one little front tooth showing cracks me up & there is just something about him having so many teeth that makes him seem so grown up.
Ruby kills me with the things she says on a daily basis. I love toddlers! I straightened her hair the other day & once I was done she looked in the mirror & said so seriously, "Oh my gosh mama, I love it!" She's basically my dream girl.
I feel like every day Noah is changing & growing. He is busy, busy, busy & while it's an entirely different experience from how Ruby was at this age, I'm really loving it. He is fearless & loves new things. Today he said his first word - "mama"! I even got him to do it while I had Tyler on speaker phone. Those "firsts" are just the best.
Ruby lives & breathes for Frozen these days. The other day "Let It Go" came on the radio & she said, "Are you kidding me mommy?! Are you kidding me?!" She thinks she's Elsa & loves giving full recaps of different scenes from the movie to everyone she knows & even total strangers. If you're listening, this girl is talking.
I want to eat this little boy up he's so cute. Yesterday I went into his room to get him after naptime & he was sitting up in his crib. It's the first time he's been able to do it on his own & he had the proudest little look on his face. When I started praising him he flapped his arms wildly & squealed. He is so loud & fun. I was driving home from my mom's yesterday with the kids & he laughed the entire ride home. Like for 15 minutes he was nonstop laughing. Ruby & I have no idea at what, but we were all laughing by the end. That boy is a party.
The End.
Eleven
Today Tyler & I sat in an urgent care with our 2 sick kids. Between both children crying & the most unbelievable display of human strength from Ruby as she was given some medicine, the thought occurred to me that this was my most miserable parenting experience to date. I could feel the nagging pain of my oncoming sinus infection while Ruby gave those doctors & nurses a run for their money & then Noah threw up & proceeded to splash his hands in it. I was covered in mucous & saliva that didn't even belong to me & desperately wanted to bathe myself & my children in Purell. Just as all was cleaned up & both children were calming down, Tyler accidentally bumped into Ruby & knocked her down & the hysterics began all over again. And amidst the chaos of that room, my eyes met Tyler's & we both just started to laugh. "This is the worst", I said. "Yeah, this is miserable", he said. And it was. But there's no one else in the world I'd rather experience something like that with. Just having him by my side reminds me that everything is going to be okay. That boy is everything to me. The one I tell it all to, the one who knows all my quirks & faults, the one who loves me anyways, the one I never tire of, the one I'd choose over & over again, the one who makes life beautiful. And although spending our eleventh anniversary at home with sick kids wasn't what we had in mind, I don't think it's one we'll forget anytime soon. What do you say we do 11 more years, Tyler? Deal? Deal.
Mother's Day
"Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us & the mothers who bear with us."
-Sheri Dew
I love Mother's Day. Like really, really love it. It makes me awfully grateful to have my arms full with these two babies of mine. This Mother's Day I couldn't seem to shake the thoughts of the two beautiful women that brought these babies into my life. Who have given my children beautiful characteristics & features that make me love them all the more. The women who gave these two children the most beautiful beginnings & set aside their desires in hopes of giving them a life they felt was best. They are my heroes & have become my dear friends. Happy Mother's Day to all the women out there!
8 Months
Right before Noah turned 8 months he started crawling & he is one busy little boy. He sees something he wants & then scoots after it with a look of determination. He loves books & has learned to turn the pages which I think is about the cutest thing. He loves to be kissed, squeals & smiles whenever I dance with him, & loves to have "The Wheels on the Bus" sung to him. He has the most deliciously chubby thighs that one day I will be sad to see go. Oh, I love this little boy! Happy 8 months, sweet Noah.
Motherhood the Second Time Around
Lately Noah has loved standing & holding on to his crib & looking at this picture reminded me of when Ruby used to love to do the same thing.
It's been fun to notice little similarities & differences between these two as we watch Noah grow. And it's made me think about the ways that I've changed as a mother. I feel so much more calm the second time around & things come so much more naturally for me than they did the first time. I remember often feeling so flustered when I only had one baby, but with two, somehow it's gotten so much easier. Things like sleeping schedules, introducing solids, & grocery shopping with kids just don't induce the same level of stress they once did (thank heavens!). Each child has given me an entirely different experience & I wouldn't trade either for the world. I felt like with Ruby I was given a new set of eyes to see the world through. And now Noah has given me another set of eyes to see things in ways I never have before. I think that just may be one of the greatest gifts motherhood has to offer.
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