I think sometimes all it takes is one moment to break your heart into a million tiny pieces and wash all the worry, doubt, and negativity out of your body.
Today, that moment was around 9:15pm when A, who is a bit under the weather and has been down since 6pm started making noise. It just took me a while to figure out how to realistically explain what she does when she wakes up like this at night, because she doesn't actually wake up. She just makes the littlest squeaking noise letting me know she has lost her passy (pacifier) or her pup, and needs to be resituated in her crib.
So this evening, as I was looking through Zulily before bed in our office, which is directly next to A's room, I heard her little squeak. Naturally, I headed in to see what I could do to situate her for the night, and of course I dive at the opportunity for any excuse to check on her. I don't know how I ever let my husband talk me out of getting video monitors, but believe me they will be my gift to myself when we decide to give A a sibling.
So, as I walked over to A's crib and let my eyes adjust to the darkness, I find A snuggled against the back bumper amidst her yellow, blue, and green stars. I lean in to locate her passy, which is across her crib, and gently give it back to her as she sighs and turns her head away from me. It always makes me smile when I see her so sweet and sleeping because she looks as though you could just pick her up and snuggle her for hours as she sleeps, which is ironic because A has never been a snuggler. Still smiling, I pull her blanket up to make sure she is warm enough and giver her head a kiss, my natural routine before bed, when she turns her head and looks at me, just for one second, with her big blue eyes before they close again and she is lost in sleep.
In that one moment A has been able to erase my worries about getting everything accomplished tomorrow, whether or not I should take her to the sick hour in the morning, what my lecture will be on for my class on Wednesday, how I am going to fit a vet visit into our schedule and budget this week, and what I am going to make for dinners this week. It just took one tiny look from a tiny one year old to make everything wash away, and for me to realize it doesn't matter if we get everything finished, because we have the most beautiful, sweet, funny little girl and are the luckiest parents.
As I tuck her in a bit tighter tonight, I am reminded of the little glances, gestures, laughs, and moments that can melt your heart right there on the spot.
xoxo
Daily Mom
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A Pizza Dinner
My sister and her two big kids were in NYC for the day so my husband, A, and I hung out with my brother-in-law and their youngest daughter, Cate, who is 2 1/2. You would have thought they were siblings with all the laughing, crying, hitting, pushing, and screaming they did today.
This morning was great. We all walked over to see the goats at their neighbor's house then came back to play with Cate's Little People Animals before lunch. Nothing too catastrophic happed during their morning playdate, except the fact A is not allowed to have any animal that Cate wanted...which was all of them. Then it was time for lunch where they passed a peanut butter sandwich and peaches back and forth, eventually resulting in two clean trays! I think Cate might have eaten most of the lunch today, but A held her own! Then it was time to take A home for a nap before meeting up for a pizza dinner at one of our favorite (and super kid friendly) places, Italian Gardens.
After nap time we agreed to meet at the fountain and have some pizza. Now, I assumed this would go just as the morning had...fairly well! The girls love each other and have so much fun playing and "talking". However, A decided all she wanted to tell Cate tonight was, "NO". I hear what you are thinking...how bad can a few no's be from a 1 year old. Well apparently pretty terrible! Maybe it had something to do with the fact that A would lean over in her booster, give Cate the stink eye, then yell NO very loudly right at her...while staring at her with the stink eye the entire time. This occurred about every 30 seconds for the first 10 minutes, before Cate started getting pretty ticked off. Hey, I don't blame her, it was starting to annoy me too :)
After about a half hour of this, with Cate now on the verge of tears, and yelling No back at A the whole time, I had to try to gently explain to Cate, that although she might not totally remember, A was pretty annoying to Cate as a little kid, pulling her hair, and not always cooperating when Cate wanted to play Mommy and A was her baby doll; and that she in fact was often the one telling A "NO" for the past year. It is pretty difficult to explain to a 2 1/2 year old that if they always say a word to someone, that person might just start repeating it back.
Well, without too many more no's we made it through a super fun pizza dinner and already have a sleeping little girl tucked soundly in her bed...all tired out from her night of "no".
xoxo
Daily Mom
This morning was great. We all walked over to see the goats at their neighbor's house then came back to play with Cate's Little People Animals before lunch. Nothing too catastrophic happed during their morning playdate, except the fact A is not allowed to have any animal that Cate wanted...which was all of them. Then it was time for lunch where they passed a peanut butter sandwich and peaches back and forth, eventually resulting in two clean trays! I think Cate might have eaten most of the lunch today, but A held her own! Then it was time to take A home for a nap before meeting up for a pizza dinner at one of our favorite (and super kid friendly) places, Italian Gardens.
After nap time we agreed to meet at the fountain and have some pizza. Now, I assumed this would go just as the morning had...fairly well! The girls love each other and have so much fun playing and "talking". However, A decided all she wanted to tell Cate tonight was, "NO". I hear what you are thinking...how bad can a few no's be from a 1 year old. Well apparently pretty terrible! Maybe it had something to do with the fact that A would lean over in her booster, give Cate the stink eye, then yell NO very loudly right at her...while staring at her with the stink eye the entire time. This occurred about every 30 seconds for the first 10 minutes, before Cate started getting pretty ticked off. Hey, I don't blame her, it was starting to annoy me too :)
After about a half hour of this, with Cate now on the verge of tears, and yelling No back at A the whole time, I had to try to gently explain to Cate, that although she might not totally remember, A was pretty annoying to Cate as a little kid, pulling her hair, and not always cooperating when Cate wanted to play Mommy and A was her baby doll; and that she in fact was often the one telling A "NO" for the past year. It is pretty difficult to explain to a 2 1/2 year old that if they always say a word to someone, that person might just start repeating it back.
Well, without too many more no's we made it through a super fun pizza dinner and already have a sleeping little girl tucked soundly in her bed...all tired out from her night of "no".
xoxo
Daily Mom
Friday, April 1, 2011
Oh No!
Today started out great! I had a hard workout with my mom, then came home to a napping child, giving me a second to change before our day went into full swing. Friday is music class day, which is one of A's favorite activities! I am sure I have talked about music before and how much fun they have playing with the instruments. Yes, she can actually strum a guitar now!
So as A and I pull into the church parking lot where music class is held and hoped out of the car, looking adorable of course. No, not me silly...A looked adorable, a little Gap poster child. She didn't throw her sippy cup at me, or try to wiggle out of my arms on the walk inside, and we were actually a few minutes early, what a morning!
Then I saw it...Sharing Day is Today! NO! I knew about sharing day for the past few weeks and had even picked out A's favorite little blue elephant rattle to bring to class so she could have her first sharing time. But guess where that elephant was...at home. I check my watch, did I have time to run home and get it. If I made all the lights we would only be a few minutes late, but what if we missed the sharing time, since you know it has to be first thing. No kid can be expected to bring something to share and then not have the chance to share it right away.
After another calculation I knew we couldn't make it. I had failed as a parent! A's first sharing opportunity and I had forgotten her elephant rattle. So of course I over think it...am I going to be the parent who is coming into her school every morning with the forgotten lunch? Will my kid be the one who doesn't know it is a dress down day, or wear purple day, or crazy sock day!?!?
About 2 minutes into a good hyperventilating, I manage to calm myself down and chalk it up to our first time. And just in case you were wondering, that elephant is packed securely in my diaper bag, for share time next week!
xoxo
Daily Mom
So as A and I pull into the church parking lot where music class is held and hoped out of the car, looking adorable of course. No, not me silly...A looked adorable, a little Gap poster child. She didn't throw her sippy cup at me, or try to wiggle out of my arms on the walk inside, and we were actually a few minutes early, what a morning!
Then I saw it...Sharing Day is Today! NO! I knew about sharing day for the past few weeks and had even picked out A's favorite little blue elephant rattle to bring to class so she could have her first sharing time. But guess where that elephant was...at home. I check my watch, did I have time to run home and get it. If I made all the lights we would only be a few minutes late, but what if we missed the sharing time, since you know it has to be first thing. No kid can be expected to bring something to share and then not have the chance to share it right away.
After another calculation I knew we couldn't make it. I had failed as a parent! A's first sharing opportunity and I had forgotten her elephant rattle. So of course I over think it...am I going to be the parent who is coming into her school every morning with the forgotten lunch? Will my kid be the one who doesn't know it is a dress down day, or wear purple day, or crazy sock day!?!?
About 2 minutes into a good hyperventilating, I manage to calm myself down and chalk it up to our first time. And just in case you were wondering, that elephant is packed securely in my diaper bag, for share time next week!
xoxo
Daily Mom
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