Blake turned 1 this past weekend, and with that celebration many other amazing milestones will continue to follow. It's hard when the baby is no longer a baby, especially knowing those days are just memories and will never be lived again. Neither with him, nor with another child since there will be more babies for us. This last year has been fleeting and bittersweet to say the least. There are so many things about my babies that I miss already, but I am so in love who they are today.
This baby boy has been such an extrordinary sleeper at night and at nap time, causing us to miss out on who he is on a daily basis, on top of missing his passing babyhood. Being with a sitter all day on top of his marathon sleep schedule doesn't afford us any time with him during the week except while rushing through dinner, then on to the bath and about 30 minutes of playtime. By then he's begging to be put to bed. I'm sad to be missing so much of who he is and what he's doing.
Milestones
Why do parents push their children to grow up then complain that they grow up too fast, as well as we underestimate their readiness to blossom into little people while leaving their infantcy behind.
I believe this is something we all do as parents without realizing it. I can tell you from my experience and that of others around me, it's so easy see signs that your baby/toddler is advanced or ahead for his age when really children develop at very different rates. The range of what's normal is so very broad. I agree that there is nothing that makes us more proud to announce our 2 month old is sleeping through the night, or that our 9 month old is walking, or that our 2 year old is potty trained, or that our kindergartner knows spanish. Children are sponges and are born eager to learn and develop. There aren't many children who won't hit their developmental milestones within an appropriate time frame, so there's no need to push. Once a mom gets caught up in all the amazing things her child is doing, she will suddenly and unknowingly set the tone of how quickly she will nudge her children to grow up. I've been a bit guilty of this and have had to remind myself to take a step back, which is the complete opposite of how I've also way underestimated my children's readiness for new things or their ability to adapt to growing up.
I'd been debating moving Lauren from her crib to her "big girl" bed for months but to me she was showing no signs of readiness or desire. This weekend I made my decision that I was ready for a change, regardless of what she was telling me. Jill and I picked apart this topic off and on and both concluded that Lauren's unwillingness to happily sleep in her crib was indeed her way of telling me something I was not hearing. Was she ready, but didn't know it? She was really fighting bedtime and had begun to fight naptime too. So I decided I had to transition her sometime really soon. Yesterday I picked her up from the sitters to find out she had napped for 3 solid hours! this is normal for her which is why I can't understand her inability to sleep well in her own bed. She's napped in a regular bed over there since she turned 2 and I remember how I had made a huge deal back then about how I didn't see how she would do it, blah, blah, blah. Well she's done it fine every day for over 6 months.
I underestimated her. She went to bed last night with a smile. I waited all night for the slightest whimper, for her to call my name, or to hear her hit the floor with a thud. Nothing.
Nothing?
She did it.
I believe this is something we all do as parents without realizing it. I can tell you from my experience and that of others around me, it's so easy see signs that your baby/toddler is advanced or ahead for his age when really children develop at very different rates. The range of what's normal is so very broad. I agree that there is nothing that makes us more proud to announce our 2 month old is sleeping through the night, or that our 9 month old is walking, or that our 2 year old is potty trained, or that our kindergartner knows spanish. Children are sponges and are born eager to learn and develop. There aren't many children who won't hit their developmental milestones within an appropriate time frame, so there's no need to push. Once a mom gets caught up in all the amazing things her child is doing, she will suddenly and unknowingly set the tone of how quickly she will nudge her children to grow up. I've been a bit guilty of this and have had to remind myself to take a step back, which is the complete opposite of how I've also way underestimated my children's readiness for new things or their ability to adapt to growing up.
I'd been debating moving Lauren from her crib to her "big girl" bed for months but to me she was showing no signs of readiness or desire. This weekend I made my decision that I was ready for a change, regardless of what she was telling me. Jill and I picked apart this topic off and on and both concluded that Lauren's unwillingness to happily sleep in her crib was indeed her way of telling me something I was not hearing. Was she ready, but didn't know it? She was really fighting bedtime and had begun to fight naptime too. So I decided I had to transition her sometime really soon. Yesterday I picked her up from the sitters to find out she had napped for 3 solid hours! this is normal for her which is why I can't understand her inability to sleep well in her own bed. She's napped in a regular bed over there since she turned 2 and I remember how I had made a huge deal back then about how I didn't see how she would do it, blah, blah, blah. Well she's done it fine every day for over 6 months.
I underestimated her. She went to bed last night with a smile. I waited all night for the slightest whimper, for her to call my name, or to hear her hit the floor with a thud. Nothing.
Nothing?
She did it.
Time keeps on ticking...ticking...ticking
Close to one year ago today we were impatiently waiting our scheduled induced delivery of the little one that would make our lives complete. Blake is about to turn one and I have no idea where this year has gone. All parents say that and I know for sure they all mean it. Time mysteriously slips away when you have children. Our life has been a complete whirlwind since August of last year. We have been blessed with the most docile and gentle boy one could ever ask for. My Blake is predictable, flexible, and so extremely easy going. So much that I worry I'm not givng him enough. He doesn't ask for much so we just don't have to focus on his nearly as much as his tantrum throwing older sister. He fits into our picture so perfectly and requires little more than food and sleep. Honestly. At one, he sill sleeps more than any baby I know. When he's awake he wants to eat. Alot. He is so ticklish and giggles the most adorable little sheepish giggle you have ever heard. He is quiet and independent, and content just to explore the house in his own world. I do find it odd that he doesn't get into anything. I mean, nothing! No drawers, no nothing.
Both of my children's baby books are jam packed full of every memory and tidbit that I didn't want to be forgotten. Things like what they ate, when they slept, when they did anything and everything, how I felt all during their first year, and (for Lauren) every milestone, event, and funny thing is still recorded. Sadly I am out of room in Lauren's book but Blakes is still going strong. I enjoy looking back at what they did and remembering how I felt at all those times. Our memories are strong but it's inevitable that we will lose certain bits and memories over time. I already have. Even now there are things I could not remember without opening those baby books. As my children get older their baby books will be a treasured place for me to run to when I want to remember who my babies were.
It saddens me that some of the things I feel and experience now will eventually be replaced by new feelings and memories. While I look forward to new memories, I do not want to forget one single solitary thing about these times right here and right now.
Both of my children's baby books are jam packed full of every memory and tidbit that I didn't want to be forgotten. Things like what they ate, when they slept, when they did anything and everything, how I felt all during their first year, and (for Lauren) every milestone, event, and funny thing is still recorded. Sadly I am out of room in Lauren's book but Blakes is still going strong. I enjoy looking back at what they did and remembering how I felt at all those times. Our memories are strong but it's inevitable that we will lose certain bits and memories over time. I already have. Even now there are things I could not remember without opening those baby books. As my children get older their baby books will be a treasured place for me to run to when I want to remember who my babies were.
It saddens me that some of the things I feel and experience now will eventually be replaced by new feelings and memories. While I look forward to new memories, I do not want to forget one single solitary thing about these times right here and right now.
Sleepy Eyed
Today we are all tired. For the past few nights Lauren has been crying out in the night, in what sounds like a dream state and carrying on for a good while. She calls for me over and over and sometimes falls back asleep. Lately she's been adimant about sleeping with her door open and now she wants the hall light on (which I won't do) so I think this could be the start of some of the normal childhood fears.
My heart aches for my babies when I am away from them, even if it is just sleeping in the next room. We've always put a little extra work into seeing that our children would be good sleepers, which I know is not always in our control but we've done something right with these two babies. Sometimes I secretly wish that they needed to be rocked or comforted to sleep, or just wanted to sleep in our bed because there just isn't enough time in my day to hold them as much as we'd all like. So last night, straight from a deep sleep, I fumbled up stairs with excitement that I would get a quiet visit with one of my babies for the first time in a very long time. At one point while snuggled face to face I whispered to her "I love you sugar" and in reply she said "I love you baby". She called me baby! Much to my delight (and a little concern)I could hear Blake occasionally coughing in the next room, reminding me how close I was to the ones I love most. If only he needed as much from me as his sister does.............
My heart aches for my babies when I am away from them, even if it is just sleeping in the next room. We've always put a little extra work into seeing that our children would be good sleepers, which I know is not always in our control but we've done something right with these two babies. Sometimes I secretly wish that they needed to be rocked or comforted to sleep, or just wanted to sleep in our bed because there just isn't enough time in my day to hold them as much as we'd all like. So last night, straight from a deep sleep, I fumbled up stairs with excitement that I would get a quiet visit with one of my babies for the first time in a very long time. At one point while snuggled face to face I whispered to her "I love you sugar" and in reply she said "I love you baby". She called me baby! Much to my delight (and a little concern)I could hear Blake occasionally coughing in the next room, reminding me how close I was to the ones I love most. If only he needed as much from me as his sister does.............
Wiping my slate clean
I just deleted almost 100 blog posts from this blog in an attempt to start over.
My joy is pure and simple
Back to the blog. Seems I can’t stick with it mainly due to the large amounts of crap going on in my brain. I’ve never had a good outlet and tend to keep things in whether they’re good, bad or somewhere in between. I want to write, but most times I’m just blocked. My inspiration comes from my children these days and I could write novels about them, and I will. Starting with my angel girl.
This summer has been so rewarding with her. She is far beyond her mere 2 ½ years. She’s 2 going on 12 and to be honest, at times it doesn’t scare me. She has us rolling with laughter, watching with amazement, and speechless with adoration at her ability to comprehend the world around her. The most amazing thing to me is her speech. Let me refresh by saying she was an early talker. She babbled from the get-go. She blabbered, jibbered, and sang her little heart out before she could sit up. She sat in her crib for what seemed like hours letting her singsong voice carry over the baby monitor, sometimes pausing to cry or yell, then continuing on in bliss. Every car ride from the time she was 4 months old was filled with her hums, moans, and blabbering as she would fall asleep from the motion of the ride.
By the time she turned one her vocabulary was made up of words like uh-oh, nite-nite, goggy (doggy), ba-ba, da-da, ba-ba (by-bye) and up.
At 18 months when little man B was born she was saying all the neighbor kids names, naming animals, talking to her baby brother (calling him Gake), saying diaper, potty, pee-pee, shew, nasty, and all sorts of things that impressed the heck out of us.
Now at 2 ½ she is telling Daddy that Mommy is mean, that Caeser is bad, that little man B is cute, and shouts hello to the neighbors by name. She tells me when she gets a boo boo that we have to go the the hospital, and asks for a hairbrush to brush her hair. She knows all her baby dolls by name (names that she and I gave them together) and sings all her nursery rhymes with most of the right words.
As most parents do, we wonder what type of person we will have the joy of loving for the rest of our lives. I can tell you she is a fighter, an in-your-face kind of feisty arguer, a hands on do-it-myself-or-else kind of girl. She is a sassy little dancer and singer who knows how to get your attention to be seen and heard. I know she’s only 2, but we are dying to know who this little girl really is.
This summer has been so rewarding with her. She is far beyond her mere 2 ½ years. She’s 2 going on 12 and to be honest, at times it doesn’t scare me. She has us rolling with laughter, watching with amazement, and speechless with adoration at her ability to comprehend the world around her. The most amazing thing to me is her speech. Let me refresh by saying she was an early talker. She babbled from the get-go. She blabbered, jibbered, and sang her little heart out before she could sit up. She sat in her crib for what seemed like hours letting her singsong voice carry over the baby monitor, sometimes pausing to cry or yell, then continuing on in bliss. Every car ride from the time she was 4 months old was filled with her hums, moans, and blabbering as she would fall asleep from the motion of the ride.
By the time she turned one her vocabulary was made up of words like uh-oh, nite-nite, goggy (doggy), ba-ba, da-da, ba-ba (by-bye) and up.
At 18 months when little man B was born she was saying all the neighbor kids names, naming animals, talking to her baby brother (calling him Gake), saying diaper, potty, pee-pee, shew, nasty, and all sorts of things that impressed the heck out of us.
Now at 2 ½ she is telling Daddy that Mommy is mean, that Caeser is bad, that little man B is cute, and shouts hello to the neighbors by name. She tells me when she gets a boo boo that we have to go the the hospital, and asks for a hairbrush to brush her hair. She knows all her baby dolls by name (names that she and I gave them together) and sings all her nursery rhymes with most of the right words.
As most parents do, we wonder what type of person we will have the joy of loving for the rest of our lives. I can tell you she is a fighter, an in-your-face kind of feisty arguer, a hands on do-it-myself-or-else kind of girl. She is a sassy little dancer and singer who knows how to get your attention to be seen and heard. I know she’s only 2, but we are dying to know who this little girl really is.
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