Adeline at 10 Months!

Where, oh where, has the time gone? It sounds trite, but I really feel like Adeline's (almost) first year of life has flown by. While I am enjoying watching her grow, I am also a little bit sad at this revelation. She may be my last baby and she is so sweet and cuddly and little right now- I just want time to slow down, just a little bit. Anyway, my incredibly loveable little one is now ten months old, and listed below are some of her more recent accomplishments and stats:

- Has four teeth on the top and two on the bottom
- Loves eating and feeding herself and favors berries and cottage cheese at the moment
- Still nursing and gets pumped bottles at daycare (2 7oz) and 2-3 oz formula (or BM, depending) bottle (soon to be sippy)
- Loves laughing, especially at her big brother, and will copy someone who is laughing
- Very cuddly, which is mostly good, although she prefers to be rocked and cuddled to sleep...
- Crawling EVERYWHERE and often crawls with her knees in the air like a primate
- Pulls up on things and walks with her walker - she is very proud of herself (and we are proud of her)
- Likes to be thrown (gently and minimally) in the air
- Says Ma Ma and Da Da
- Waves hello and bye bye with her full arm and hand
- Blows kisses and plays peek a boo
- Will give a full-on, open-mouthed kiss- mostly to mommy ;)
- Has a magnetic attraction to Finn, Finn's dog bowls, and cell phones
- Loves to be held, especially my Mommy and Daddy

I think A will be walking any day now. I have already witnessed her stand up unassisted for a second or two. And she is getting better and better at using her lion walker and pulling up on items. Her teachers at school told Andy that she follows the bigger kids around the play area throughout the day and tries to copy what they are doing. Since they are already walking, I am sure she is taking notes. Plus, my baby girl is a smart cookie! Maybe I'm biased- whatever!

To My Precious Wild One....

Sometimes, it is way too easy to get lost in the rush of the day. I  have routines and deadlines. Not to mention laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, and all the rest of my never-ending-to-dos. The days can be exhausting on every level- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Feelings can be complex and I can feel especially weary when you are in the midst of a meltdown or when you ask the same questions over and over and over again, hoping that the answer will change. You fight bedtime almost every night, often loathe getting dressed and leaving for school, and you can be a bit too physical with your baby sitter. And dinner time? Dinner time is a constant, draining negotiation (if you eat this, you can have fruit/a popsicle/more cheese, please sit down before you fall, don't eat with your hands, don't feed that to the baby...). Oh, and forget about picking up toys that you leave strewn throughout the house. Still, I desperately and regularly yearn for more time with you- all of you. I am amazed at how fast the years have flown by since you entered my world and how all encompassing my love for you is and always has been. Today, I picked you up from school and took you to lunch at sub-a-way. You were so excited to see me in the middle of the school day - your joy radiated while you ran down the hallway and out the door wearing your Batman cape. You found a big, wooden stick on our walk and immediately went to work finding bad guys and knocking them down. You asked me to hold your hand while you traversed rocky terrain (read: walked along the curb) and you excitedly pointed out the different colored buses that passed us by. And I felt so content to just be in the moment with you. During our lunch, we had the following exchange:

Me: You know what my favorite part of the day is? Spending time with you.
R: You know what my best part of the day is? Sharing my chips with you.
R: You know what my favorite part of the day is? You.

I am fully confident that, throughout life's ups and downs, my little family will be my favorite part of every day. What a gift.

A round of applause!

A quick update on my littles:

Adeline is still working on crawling, although she is very, very close to success. She can get in the crawl position and rock back and forth and will even move one leg forward before plopping flat on the ground. Also, she just started clapping (and loves showing off her skills) and one of her top front teeth is beginning to poke out. Her brother makes her laugh and smile like no one else, and she flaps her arms and squeals when she is really happy. Although she is still waking up at least once per night (usually around 4 a.m.) and will cry if she thinks she is alone (no human and no Finn to be seen), she is generally very happy and calm.

Reid is our little wilding, and he keeps us on his toes with his hilarious antics. Ever the typical boy, he will wrestle Mom, Dad, Apa, Grandma, Dylan, etc. at any opportunity. Getting him to sit and eat dinner is a monumental feat, and he regularly resists bed time and going to school (#FOMO). He loves to say "Really? Really?" as in "Really, mom, you are going to do that? Really?" and he also loves to say "See, See- I told you so" when somebody trips or drops something. He still loves reading (yay!) and singing and is so, so excited for Christmas.

Most days, Andy and I stumble to bed around 10:30, totally exhausted and often questioning whether we are living some sort of groundhog day scenario. Still, I am desperately aware that I will miss these chaotic days when they are gone. It fills me with joy to watch my children grow older, but it also makes my heart ache a little. When I stop to reflect, the raw and unyielding tick of time often feels like it bears down on me and gives me a terrifying sense of urgency to spend every minute with my babies. There is never enough time, right? Love, love, love my littles.

7 Month Update On My Little Lady

My little Addie-girl is growing up fast! While I can't remember the exact date her first tooth popped out, she has been working on her bottom two teeth for a month or so, and I think her top teeth are gearing up to pop out soon. She is also getting in the crawl position and rocking back and forth, so I know crawling is right around the corner (ready or not!). She is also babbling and saying mama and dada- I can't wait until she says both with clear intention. As has been the case for a while, she is totally amused by Reid (and he loves when she shrieks or smiles at him), interested in Finn, and she absolutely loves being held. For the most part, she is a pretty chill baby, although she can get hangry and will let you know with immediate and dramatic crying if you take away a toy before she is ready. Typically, she is asleep by 8 p.m., wakes up once in the night for a small snack (usually around 4 a.m.), and wakes up or is woken up for the day around 7 a.m.. So far, she has shown very little interest in eating solid foods, although we have tried sweet potatoes, mango (her favorite), peas, avocado, yogurt, apples, and carrots. She will eat teething biscuits, gum carrots and peppers, and shows a small amount of interest in drinking water from a sippy. So unlike Reid, getting A interested in solids has been a challenge. Andy and I mention all the time that she is the sweetiest, cuddliest little babe. Happy 7 months, Adeline Charlene!

Imagination overload

Reid is at such a fun age and stage right now. Much to my delight, his imagination has been running wild, and he is constantly entertaining us with his stories. Last night, he pretended that the chaise lounge was a boat and he was the captain (he called himself "the Capt"). After urging all of us to get on the boat with him, he told us he was sailing to America. Once there, he would say his prayers and waive the flag. Then he would eat dinner. I assume he learned all of this in school through lessons on Thanksgiving- regardless, it was an adorable voyage! He also loves dressing up like characters from PJ Mask, putting out fires around the house with and without a fireman costume, going on dinosaur rides with daddy, and singing made up songs about all sorts of things he comes across in his daily life. Tomorrow, I get to spend the day with him (yay for boss being out of town), and he has requested that we go to "the park with the big rock." Said park is actually Phelps Park- he enjoys jumping off the big rock there and playing superhero or whatever else he cares to be. I can't wait to find out!

Three Years!

So here we are. Reid is three years old, meaning I have been a mother for three years (or almost four if you count pregnancy). Sometimes, it seems like yesterday that I was taking long runs/walks around Gainesville and Lake Eola, leisurely sipping wine, watching Bravo and MTV for hours before bed, bouncing around bars downtown, and all sorts of activities that are better done solo or with other adults. Now, most of my non-work hours are spent with little humans or chasing after highly coveted sleep. Sometimes, it feels like I have lived a lifetime between the time when I was childless and now. And, to be honest, there have been plenty of moments when I am overflowing with love and contentment in my new role as mother, but there have been hard times, too. There is never a moment when I wish I did not have my children; on the contrary, my children have my heart, and I do not believe I would find life worth living if I had to go on without them. Still, there are days when I am so tired, so overtouched, so frustrated, and so anxious that one more book, one more cup of water, one more "Reid, please sit down" or "Reid, please eat your dinner" or "Reid, no jumping on the couch" seems like a monumental ask. But then Reid says something funny or gives me a hug or loves on his sister or does one of the many other things he does that brighten my day, and my heart melts all over again. In the last three years, my little boy has forced me to stretch and grow and learn and love in ways I never could have imagined in my childless life. He is a force to be reckoned with - a wild and wonderful little boy. I am so grateful that I have had the past 3+ years with him, and I hope and pray I have many, many, many more (at least 70? :) ) birthdays with him. I love you to the moon and back (and even more than that), my sweet boy.

Reid's current favorites, as of 8 a.m. on 10/17/2018:
Favorite song: Tayo
Favorite show: Bus Tayo
Favorite animal: Lion
Favorite food: Grapes
Favorite paw patrol: Skye

Edited on 10/29/18 to add:
Favorite color: blue
Another favorite show: PJ Mask
Favorite game at the moment: Hungry, Hungry Hippos
Favorite book at the moment: Richard Scary Things That Go (he likes to find Goldbug) and Wheres Waldo (likes to find Waldo)
Favorite movie: Lion King

And here we go again..

Another month, another blog post. It seems like the days/weeks/months are flying by way too quickly. Addie is almost 6 months, and Reid is almost 3 years old. As A becomes more and more responsive and smiley, R is putting lots of complex sentences together, learning and singing new songs, and showing us just how big his imagination can grow. One of the best developments is an increasing connection between both kids. R is smitten with A and will go up to her and hug her and kiss on her without any sort of coaxing from yours truly. He loves when she makes eye contact with him and smiles at him and even seems to enjoy when she pulls his hair. Yesterday, we spent the day in Tampa/Suncity Center celebrating Gage's 5th birthday. According to Andy, Gage told Reid he was so lucky that he gets to spend all day with Adeline. So Sweet and so true. Adeline is lucky to spend the day with Reid, too. Yay for siblings!