Babies Don't Keep

The best thing about becoming a mom for the second time is the little secret that you did not know the first time. You have the knowledge of just how fast time goes. You know that a baby does not stay a baby for long. You promise yourself that you will hold your baby as much as you want. You will sniff his tiny head and try to memorize the newborn smell. You will enjoy the moment and not focus on getting him to the next milestone. You can take comfort in knowing that you DID do those things. You truly savored every single moment of this year.

Yet time continues to move forward and before you know it you are just 18 days away from celebrating his first birthday. You swear that you were just complaining about heartburn and how uncomfortable you were. Wasn't it just yesterday that you were in the hospital giving birth?  You can still feel the weight of his little body all curled up on your chest as you rocked him to sleep. It wasn't that long ago when he first sat up, was it?  Or when he started to crawl? Yet as you type this you have had to stop at least 5 times to keep him from climbing up the stairs or shoving a drumstick down his throat. He is babbling right now behind you and every time you look at him he laughs.  Your baby is growing up.

You know that the days and months and years to follow are going to be amazing. You have lived through it with his older brother and each stage is beautiful and exciting and unique.. But that doesn't stop you from tearing up when you read his birth story or look at pictures from his birth. Or from crying as you rock him to sleep knowing soon he will not need you to.

In the time that it took to write those last 2 paragraphs he has played with the dog and rolled around growling on the floor. He has tried to shove his head into his brother's football helmet and he has played with the doorstop. He is ready to grow up. You smile as you watch him go from one thing to another and thank God that this time around that you had the knowledge that babies don't keep.

Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

 

A Letter to My 25-Year-Self

This is what I wish I would have known five years ago.

Dear 25-Year-Old Self,

I see how you look longingly at pregnant women. I know how every time another friend shares with you that they are expecting that you smile and choke out words of congratulations all while choking back tears. You wonder why after over a year of trying you are still not getting the chance to have a baby bump and announce that YOU are the one who is pregnant. Please know that all the heartbreak and months of waiting will be so very worth it. You actually might not even believe me if I tell you how blessed you will be.

Click over to Des Moines Moms Blog to read the rest...

Charlie at 11 Months

I can't believe we are less than a month away from our little Charlie turning 1. I've been so emotional these last few weeks thinking about him growing up so fast. I was a crying mess just looking at all the pictures from his birth thinking about what a special time that was. Anyways, Charlie is now 11 months old and still as sweet as pie.

This is what Charlie has been up to this month.

• He is such a good eater. Maybe even too good! I think if fed him food for 3 hours straight he would just keep eating, so needless to say we have to cut him off when he has had enough. Charlie has never met a food he doesn't like and eats with such enthusiasm  He is eating almost all table food now and just dropped his morning bottle so he is only taking one bottle right before bed. 


• Charlie is working on dropping his morning nap. He has never been a good napper and has always taken short (30 minute) naps in the morning so this has not taken much to adjust to. He has started taking better afternoon naps and usually sleeps for 1-2 hours then. He still goes to bed about 6:00 pm and gets up between 6-7 am. It is not unusual to hear him talking happily in his room for an hour or so before he cries for us to come and get him.


• He just had 2 top teeth break through last week so he now has 2 top teeth and 2 bottom teeth.


• Last week he started cruising around the furniture. He is getting pretty fast! I picked up a toy for him to walk behind last week and he has been going crazy pushing that thing all over. I'm betting that my 12 month update will contain news of a walker.


• He says Momma, Dada and I swear he says dog  :) He copies all the sounds we make and his new favorite sound is that of him clicking his tongue. He loves to clap but spends a good chunk of his day waving at whoever will look at him.


• His hair is getting really crazy. It is so thick and long in the back but still pretty wispy in the front. We are trying to avoid the mullet look so his first haircut is on the agenda for the weekend.


• I could go on and on about how sweet and happy this boy is but I think I've said that in every month post I have written about him. To sum it up he is just the sweetest little guy I have ever met!

An Interview with Drake

An interview with Drake at 3 year 6 months and 17 days old. Thanks to my friend Nicole for the idea and letting me steal your interview questions!



What is your name? Drake

Where were you born? When I was a baby

How old are you? 3

How old will you be at your birthday party? My birthday is on August 1st

Who is your mommy? You

What do you like to do with your mommy? Play bingo

Who is your daddy? Dada

What do you like to do with your daddy? Read books

What is your favorite color? red

What do you want to be when you grow- up? A storm trooper

What is your favorite food? Carrots

What is your favorite thing to drink? Water

Where is your favorite place to eat? MacDonald's (AKA McDonald's)

What is your favorite animal? Rhinocouras

What does your daddy say a lot? Drake go to nap and no no no

What does your mommy say a lot? Eat chocolate chips

What is your favorite song?  Mick like Jagger (AKA Moves Like Jagger)

Who is your favorite singer? Daddy

What is your favorite movie? Bolt

What is your favorite cartoon? The Muppets

Who is your best friend? You

What is your favorite book? Where the Wild Things Are

What is your favorite thing to do? Play with stickers

Where does Daddy work? At his work 

Where does Mommy work? At her work

How old is Mommy? 3

How old is Daddy? 2

How old is Charlie? 3

What do you think about your little brother? Good

What do you like to do with Charlie? Like to play

What makes you really happy? Playing with a turtle

What makes you really sad? When a friend hits me

What are you scared of? A monster

What makes you laugh? You

Who was the last person you kissed? You

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

In honor of Valentine's Day I'm sharing a post that I published a few years ago. I really can't think of any better love story....

There once lived a couple…

They were honest hardworking people.

They bickered every now and then but had such love for each other.

They made a life together and had a son and a daughter and 5 granddaughters.

They grew old.

The woman became ill.

Her husband had battled health problems of his own.

They did not want to go to a nursing home but could no longer live alone.

They went into the nursing home on a Tuesday.

That Saturday the woman went to heaven.

That Monday her husband joined her.

Married 60 years.

They could not live without each other.

A movie or a book could not do their story justice.

Their story is one of a kind .

And there is no better love story.

I’m proud and honored to say that amazing couple was my Grandparents.

This and That

• I know I am really late onto the Downton Abbey train but I started watching it a couple weeks ago on Netflix and I'm hooked! I'm almost done with season 2 and have the whole 3rd season waiting for my on my DVR. LOVE that show!


•  Drake- "Mom do you know any songs from Daniel the Tiger?" Me-"Yep!" Drake-"That's my girl!!"


• Charlie was a human slingshot for Drake's angry birds game last week. He coughed and an angry bird flew out of his mouth across the room. This resulted in a conversation with Drake about a safer place to keep his small toys.


• My blog crashed last week. I could not pull up the blog or my log in. Cue the panic and the frantic call to my web support people. They were able to get it to come back up but not without having to delete all my plug ins first.


• I have to go to preschool orientation tonight for Drake.  I can't believe he will be going to preschool in the fall! Also, doesn't February seem a little early for orientation considering he will not start until September?!?


• Party planning is in full swing at our house! Charlie will be having a Curious George 1st Birthday Party next month. Pinterest is so helpful when planning a party.


• I have the best husband. Saturday was his birthday and instead of doing anything fun he ended up taking care of a sick kid, having a disappointing birthday dinner and had a wife who fell asleep by 9:00 pm. He did not complain one time and told me the next day that his day was perfect. I'm so lucky to have him!

 

Kicking the Rash with Boudreaux's Butt Paste

This post is sponsored by Boudreaux's Butt Paste®, the effective diaper rash cream that treats and prevents diaper rash with every change. Let's kick some rash!

Last month our whole family came down with the stomach flu. Like dominoes we all fell one right after the other. Poor baby Charlie was the one who got it 1st and in quick succession the rest of the family followed. Charlie's stomach flu came in the form of some really awful diapers that left his poor little bottom sore and with a pretty nasty diaper rash.  I felt awful for him! His poor little tummy was bothering him and now he had a sore bottom to boot!

My First Baby-Part I

July 31, 2009

I just ate a whole row of brownies I think as I cut the last one free from the row.  Not many times in life you can eat that many brownies guilt free I think as I rub my 38 week pregnant belly.

As I lick the last bit of brownie off my fingers I decide to head upstairs for a nap. I'm not usually one to sleep during the day but the combination of a my swollen belly and the hot and humid weather make it the perfect day for a little snooze.

I pull the covers back, crawl into bed and easily drift off waking only 20 minutes later feeling refreshed. I lay in bed relaxing for a bit longer before deciding to head to the grocery store for my weekly shopping trip.

I awkwardly maneuver my body out of bed.

I hear the pop. I feel the gush.

"Oh shit." I say aloud

My water just broke.

This is just like the movies I think as I hurry the 20 steps to the bathroom. I sit on the toilet because I don't know what else to do.  I better call Ben.

Please pick up, please! He picks up after only a few rings "Ben? My water just broke."

Silence

"OK."

"You should come home"

"OK, I will be there in five minutes."

I hit the end button and immediately hit the "Home"  button on my phone.

"Mom, my water just broke"

"No, it didn't" she says with a laugh. I've already talked her at least 2 times that day and every time I call she picks up with an anxious tone in her voice.  "It's just that each time  you call I think  you are going to tell me that your water broke." She said just the last time we talked on the phone.

"No, really it did."

"Really?!?"

"Yes, I don't know what to do!! Ben is on his way home."

"Are you having contractions?

"No"

"OK, Let me call your dad and we will head to Des Moines right away. Love you honey"

"Love you."

I hang up and call my OB Office.

"OB Gyn and Associates can you hold?"

 Can I hold? No, I can't hold! I'm sitting on the toilet with massive amounts of fluid leaking out of me. NO! I can't hold. 

"Sure I can hold."

A few minutes pass and I'm starting to mentally make a list of everything I have left to pack and do before we head to the hospital throw in the phone charger and camera and remember to call somebody to watch Skinner....

"How can I help you?" My thoughts are interrupted by the voice on the other end.

"My water just broke"

"Ummmmm OK. You should go to the hospital"

"I know. I was just in yesterday and they told me to call if my water broke. So I thought I better call."

"Yeah. Go to the hospital." The voice on the other line says with very little interest.

I hang up and start digging underneath the bathroom sink for one of the  giant maxi pads I bought for after the baby. I'm going to need this I think as I change out of my soaking wet underwear and pants.

Just then I hear Ben running up the stairs with an excited and nervous look on his face. "This is it, huh?" He says as he gives me a hug and starts to quickly pack up our bag.

"This is it." I say with a smile and butterflies in my stomach.

Ben carefully helps me down the stairs. I can feel fluid pouring out of me with every step. I take one last look around the house before I leave.  We have waited so long for this moment. So much longer than the 9 months I've carried this baby. We have dreamed for over 2 years about what it would be like to walk into the house with a baby in our arms. And now, in just a few days, our dream will come true. I tear up as I shut the door behind me and wander into the garage. Ben puts a towel down on the seat and helps me into the car. As we are backing out of the driveway I think our life is about to change in the best possible way.

Stayed Tuned for Part II.....