Moments of Life

Written March 17, 2009 And yes, I'm still doting on my baby girl!

I immensely enjoy nursing my toddler. I have watched it transform over these many months from her life source to a down time of snuggles, providing us both with comfort, bonding and grounding.

It's easy for both of us now to be distracted and less in tune and present in the moment of it. Our time together seems to be caught up in other things (dancing, talking, running) with so much less time spent snuggling together some moments seem to be lost on "quick, let's finish this and get stuff done." As just another routine moment in our day, some are lost.

I can't begin to express how nice it was today to just relax and be present in the moment. Letting go of the rambling in my head an just absorbing the world around us. Even though there were constantly people walking on the path in front of us they took a far background and this little grassy nook felt like the entire world.

The smell of salty florals filled the breeze which gave my shaded skin a slight chill. Slowly, as I relaxed a deep warmth overtook me as I lay my sleepy daughter on my chest. Amazed at how long she is becoming that her legs were hanging off the other side of me I snuggled her in close.

Hearing the muted Shamu trainers in the background brought my thoughts to my son and his Dad, sitting there just out of the soak zone I could picture the looks on their faces. I was glad they could have this moment just the two of them, sometimes I know things seem more special when he gets to tell Mommy what he got to do with Daddy. Even though I wished I could be both places at once, I was happy with my choice to experience this little grassy nook of earth at Sea World.

With each breath my lungs gently rocked my girl, slowly and relaxed as her own body gave in to the land of dreams. I could still smell cotton candy on her breath - a long cry from her baby milk breath.

The wispy pines made a splendid foreground to the perfect blue sky as I gazed upward watching seagulls tirelessly fly overhead. Occasionally a pair of butterflies would dart in and around a small tree with funky thin palm fronds that stuck out and up, disrupting a swarm of gnats. Surrounded by bright yellow and purple flowers, as if they were welcoming us, to stop for a bit and live.

So we did. The boys had a blast watching Shamu and the girls had our own amazing experience. The benefits of which are still being reaped. Colors seem a bit more alive, hearts are happier and renewed and minds are a bit more present.

It is great to be alive and even better to live.

Sometimes the shoe is on the other foot!!!

My wonderful son has done a great job of teaching his sister many things. How to give great big bear hugs, how to say many words, how to have a blast and very much how to be tough. Now, he might start to rethink this course of action! She actually climbs into him to roughhouse and she's only 18 months old.

Note:I wrote this back when she was 18 months but now another one has gone by and she's 19 months old in the blink of an eye.

Eighteen months old already! So much has changed, I'm starting to mourn for my baby girl while I rejoice for the toddler she is becoming. Oh, she is still my BABY but I've been around a few other tiny ones and I'm kinda jonesin' for a wee one. *****SMACK***** Yes, I am perfectly happy with the two I've got, I never (I know about saying never) want to be pregnant again but all the while I can't help but wonder if or when more kids will enter our family.

Back to my baby girl though, she's going through this verbal explosion at the moment. Everything used to be "mine-O" just a few months ago she put the words "mine and "no" together to make that wonderful phrase! Daddy thought it was the cutest little thing and she would say it at the drop of a hat. Now she's out of that phase and has moved on to saying, "owwwww" anytime anyone touches, tickles what ever - she's learned what gets a reaction.

She has a love for accessories, shoes especially. I have some pictures that I'll upload eventually. She loves getting my heels out of the boxes and puts them on her hands, but now she'll try to put them on her feet (not very successfully) but she's very determined.

A very, very busy girl she is becoming as she rarely sits still for long and loves to spin around while Adam plays the piano. Oh, and now (at 19mo) she will sing key words of songs with him like "me" and she'll do a lot of Hey Jude especially the "na, na, na" part. I do have to say that it is the sweetest thing to hear her little singing voice she actually changes pitch and everything, I'll have to upload the video one of these days.

Just like her Mommy, she loves to be outside, even on some of these rather cold spring days she begs at the back door signing and saying "play, play, play" until I oblige her. I will never, ever tire of her walking into the kitchen signing raisin and saying "ples" or saying "zezl, ples" (pretzel please.)

My heart is again out on my sleeve with her, words cannot describe the love that I have for her. And remember when I was pregnant with her I (for a fleeting moment) wondered how my heart would grow to love someone as much as my son. Certainly I know that the heart is just one of those things that can grow exponentially, DAILY!

My little Goose, I "la,la" you too! And I love your "ugs" and cuddles and everything about your soft, pudgy, smiley, charming, wonderful you! A true blessing!

Rotten Candy

You might be able to guess just what this is. It's pink and blue and sticky. We gave it to our kids for the first time in San Diego at Sea World. Sort of felt bad giving it to my 19 month old since we held off with my son until he was 4.5! LOL! It was so funny though when we got back to my Aunt's house and he told her he ate "rotten candy" possibly the funniest thing to happen on our 2000 mile adventure!

Life just keeps happening regardless of if it is recorded here or not. So far this month I've gotten another year older, got a preschooler beginning to recognize words, and my 19 mo old to sleep throughout the night. Well, really my husband did this last one but I'm certainly enjoying the benefits uninterrupted sleep for the first time since the middle of my 3rd trimester.

I really do miss writing about our silly happenings around here and I'm trying to figure out if there is time enough in the day to keep up with this place or not.

We leave in the morning for a marathon adventure to Las Vegas and then San Diego. It should be an exciting time driving - our drive time tomorrow I believe is about 11 hours so. The travel time will be up there pushing the "happy envelope" but I've got some stuff up my sleeve that will hopefully keep the kids occupied for much of the time.

Or so I pray.

I just loaded a Twitter app to my phone so I'll probably be twittering our doings when we have service. If you want to follow me, I'm heidibutterfly. Plus there's always facebook which sucks me in occasionally...

I have been writing drafts about all the rapid changes my baby girl is going through that I hope to complete before she changes too much more! It's hard to imagine her as tiny baby anymore, she walks, is starting to talk, and wants to do whatever her big brother is doing. Very fun!

Hope to twittter with you this week or see you on facebook -it's going to be a long car ride peeps :)