Soaking It Up

We are coming off of a birthday month high, filled with sweet friends and family, new toys and clothes, and fun outings all in the name of turning TWO. 

Cousins watching Tangled

Wesley outnumbered by the girls

Playing her new piano

Loving her new "princess castle" (aka house)

Two is such a special age. Every day is completely different. She says new words and phrases each day, surprises us with her comprehension (and repetition), and does more and more independently, like climbing the ladder to her slide all by herself. We still have to keep a close eye on her all the time as she lacks fear. She will climb on anything, jump off of everything, and stand on top of a pile of toys she has carefully stacked into a personal platform.

The other day, I was on the phone with the pediatrician trying to schedule her two year old check up. As I verified our insurance and turned around to C echoing "Blue Cross," I found her in the middle of our table, eating a banana she had just gotten from the bowl and peeled.

She keeps me on my toes.

I'm still finding it difficult to believe C is actually two, but then she kindly reminds me with one of her epic tantrums. She is certainly stubborn (a trait she gets from both Mommy and Daddy) with a flare for the dramatic (a trait for which I will have to claim responsibility); and not getting her way often results in a show.

This past week in Kindermusik, everyone was sitting quietly in a circle for story time. C was spinning around in the middle of the circle saying, "weeee. It's fun." In her defense, the activity immediately preceding story time was dancing and playing sand blocks to music. Still, I grabbed her and tried to make her sit still in my lap.

She was not a fan.

When she started to do that toothpick/noodle trick that makes toddlers impossible to hold, I picked her up and took her in the hall to have a chat. We talked about the importance of listening and following directions. When she continued to pitch a fit, I sat her in a chair at the end of the hall, told her she was in "time out" and walked around the corner. 

She said, "bye!"

We went back in the room, got our things, and left.

I refuse to be the mom that lets her child disrupt an experience for others, whether it is a music class or a meal. I was so embarrassed, but I know it's just a part of being two. Plus, it's hard to be mad at her when she looks at me with arms outstretched and says, "Mommy hug."

Tantrums aside, two is pretty fun. Everything is a lesson. Everywhere is a classroom. C is a sponge, soaking up everything we say and do. Watching her learn really is gratifying. Knowing her personality is a direct result of your genetics and your actions rolled into one not only makes you feel pretty great about yourself (when she copies the good traits, of course), but also holds you accountable to the little things you do or say without realizing it. She is a tiny mirror, reflecting the good and the bad, and reminding me to touch up the imperfections on a daily basis.

Spring is finally trying to make its grand entrance and we are loving the weather! Our days are spent mostly outside, either in our back yard or at a park. She asks, "outside?" as soon as we come downstairs in the morning. 

I'm just so thankful for my little sunshine. I had the worst day a couple weeks ago trying to renew my car tag. It was ridiculous. I waited in line for 5 hours, had my info checked twice while in line, and, when I finally made it to the counter, was told (with attitude) I needed my car title, Husband's car title, and my marriage certificate (in addition to the huge file of paperwork I brought with me) in order to renew. I went home with nothing. I was so mad, I couldn't even write about it. I'm still mad. But then, I walked in the door and heard, "Yay, Mommy!" She ran and gave me the biggest hug; and suddenly, I didn't care about my wasted day or the incompetence of Jefferson County. I was just glad to be home.

That's the magic of parenthood. It is rewarding every day. Sure, there are days that are harder than others; but I cannot imagine our lives without C. After a day like that, I used to crave happy hour and a dirty martini. Now, I crave snuggles and Play-doh time. I crave peek-a-boo. I crave a fuzzy blanket and Finding Nemo with my girl. I crave a tiny, sassy, little girl brushing my hair, jumping on my bed, and asking me over and over again if I want to go outside. Her existence makes my days brighter. I just breathe and try to soak it all in, try to memorize her scent, try to commit her little speech imperfections to memory, to cherish how easily she still fits in my lap, my head resting perfectly on hers. 

Life is good.

A Few of My Favorite Things

One of the many benefits of staying home is that I get to witness Catherine's personality and language grow each day. She is doing and saying so many funny things lately, I have to share a few. She is talking so much now. She counts to three, she knows some of her colors, she can rock animal names and sounds, and has mastered "pease" (please); but, my favorite phrase right now is, "oh no!" 

She is very aware of how things should be. Everything has a place. So, when something is out of place, in even the tiniest way, she puts her tiny hands up to her mouth, gasps, and very seriously says, "oh no." She is genuinely concerned when a crayon breaks, her block tower falls, or she drops her corn cob on the floor.  She has the same reaction to something funny or exciting - those sweet little hands to her mouth.

She waves and says, "hi" to everyone and everything. She greets us each morning with a big "hi;" she says "hi" to Banks, to cars on the road, to ducks at the park, to cashiers at Walmart. Lately, she has been saying "hi" to people on tv. She waves her hand vigorously and repeatedly says, "hi" to any commercial featuring only one person, babies in particular. My mom thinks it's because she's confusing it with FaceTime. I just think it's adorable.

She loves animals more than anything. Any and all animals. She giggled and squealed with excitement as she was surrounded by ducks at the park yesterday; and while we waited to pick up Banks from the vet, she hugged every dog in the waiting room. That's another thing - she doesn't hug. She snuggles up against you and says, "awwww." She leans in and says, "muah" for kisses.

Banks is still her best friend.

She thinks the response to all smells is "pew" because of a silly game we play where we smell her feet and say that. Tonight, she brought me every single stuffed animal feet first so I could smell their feet and say it. 

She loves music- both to make it and dance to it. She plays her drum or shakes her Kindermusik egg shaker all day long. We keep a hand bell in the car for entertainment. We have family dance parties while Husband gets ready for work in the mornings. Some of her favorites are Lionel Richie, The Avett Brothers, and Lady Gaga. Like her parents, her taste is all over the place. 

She is a morning person. Besides her chipper, "hi," she also jumps on the bed and hops up and down on Husband until he wakes up. The other day, I got out of the shower to find she had covered his entire side with stickers while he slept. Also, she loves stickers.

She loves all things mobile - cars, trains, planes. We can hear a train from our house and she says, "choo choo" whenever she hears it. She says, "beep beep" and "vroom" when she sees cars. She loves school buses and can tell you it is a bus and that they are yellow.

She would rather play with a ball than anything else, but blocks are a close second.

She's very aware of boundaries and she tests them daily. She climbs up the stairs before I can catch her; she climbs onto her table to sit; she loves her bath, but avoids bedtime. As much as she tests me, I worry less each day because I know her abilities. 

She's long and lean and runs and jumps and climbs with ease, looking less and less like a baby each day. She's all toddler and growing all too fast while Husband and I hang back to admire our handiwork. Not to brag, but I'm pretty impressed with us so far.

Mommy and Me Time

Let's face it, most days are "Mommy and Me" days; but the past few days, we have gone into activity overdrive to make up for Monday stuck inside with a stomach bug. Mommy is pretty warn out today, but it was so worth it!

The weather has been perfect (making our inside sick day even harder to bear), so my goal for Tuesday was to spend as much time outside as possible.

We spent the morning running around the backyard, playing with balls, looking at birds, and laughing at Banks. We ate lunch outside and, after nap time and a snack, we painted outside! I cut the ends off of a celery stalk and a potato to use as stencils; I put her in an old t-shirt, gave her the stencils, brush, and a plate of paint; and I let her do her thing!

Wednesday, we headed to iJump to play with some friends. She had never been in any kind of bouncy house, so I wasn't sure how it would go. But, this girl loves to hop and jump around the house and jumping is pretty much her signature dance move, so I had high hopes. Well, she loved it! She was a bit apprehensive about some things (she will not, under any circumstances, crawl through a tunnel), but overall, she had a blast jumping and running around with Sara and Lyla. Her favorite thing there? The ball pit - just a bigger version of what we have in our living room!

Thursday, we started our day as usual with Kindermusik. I needed to run an errand afterward, so we made a lunch stop first at Edgar's. I got her the usual grilled cheese, but she actually ate most of my chicken instead (big day!); and no trip to Edgar's is complete without a treat. She picked a skeleton cookie. Yummmm!

We planned to go to the McWane Center that evening for an opening of their new Clifford, the Big Red Dog exhibit, so our friend Sara came over to play before we all headed that way.

Then, it was time for Clifford! The girls ran wild in the exhibit. It was a lot of fun and a nice change up to our usual low key evenings.

Whew. It's been a fun week! I'm so lucky to get to spend my days playing with this little angel.

I've Got the Musik in Me

The first day of Kindermusik was as nerve-racking as the first day of seventh grade. I found myself worrying about wearing the right outfit and dressing C in the right clothes. Would I like the other moms? More importantly, would they like me? I hadn't been doing this mom thing very long and I wanted new mommy friends so badly, I feared my desperation was palpable. I just wanted to be cool - except, you know, in mom form.

I nervously carried my six month old daughter in my arms as I walked through a giant baptist church, praying I wouldn't get lost within its halls. I entered a classroom and found a blanket spread on the floor and plastic egg shaped shakers in the middle. The teacher, Mrs. Jill, greeted me enthusiastically. She wore no shoes. What had I signed us up for?

I was early (a fluke that would never once be repeated) and I sat on the floor, legs crossed, shoes removed, with C perched in my lap, waiting for the other moms to arrive. She seemed as nervous as I was.

The other moms began to pour into the room, babies in tow. They all knew each other already. I was the new kid. (Seriously, it was seventh grade awkwardness all over again). But, they all greeted me and were genuinely nice. I secretly surveyed the group for my potential new mommy BFF. 

Everyone removed their shoes, took a place around the perimeter of the blanket, and gave their child an egg shaker. The children ranged from six months to sixteen months, C being one of the youngest. I helped C hold a shaker in her tiny little hand and gently bounced her up and down in my lap as we sang a "hello" song. The song greets each child by name and I watched C light up as this new circle of strangers addressed her. Maybe this was a good idea after all.

Mrs. Jill reminded us that in Kindermusik, we leave our dignity at the door. I wasn't sure what this entailed. Then, shortly after this announcement, we were singing and square dancing around the room, babies on hips, weaving in and out of one another in a do si do. It was ridiculous. It was silly. It was loud. And Catherine loved it. 

The rest of the class was filled with ringing bells, beating on drums, and even a few minutes of quiet time. I was amazed at how much stimulation (and physical exertion) was squeezed into the 45 minute class. We ended the class the same as we began, addressing each child by name. I had been pleasantly surprised by how much fun the class had been for both of us. But, I still needed to make friends. I was desperate to bond with other mothers. So, I started to join in the conversation as we all changed diapers, put shoes back on, and gathered our things.

Still painfully apprehensive about revealing C's hemangioma to new people, I adjusted her headband with a nervous frequency; but, once it revealed itself, and I regurgitated my usual spiel, I was met with nothing but positive and uplifting responses. Not a single person asked me what was wrong or if I had hit her head on something. No one even reacted much at all. It was at that moment that I realized we had found a new home. I may not have made an instant MBFF my very first class, but I had met a room full of genuine, accepting, and equally exhausted women, all carrying their own load of motherhood baggage. 

We eagerly came back the next week...and the week after that... and the week after that... until it became the one constant each week. It was the one activity we didn't dare miss. I watched C grow up in this class. She started only barely sitting up on her own and we ended this past semester with her running around the room. She began with no friends and finished the year with a room full of friendly faces. I watched her learn to clap and to go and to stop. I watched her beat on a drum and shake a bell for the first time. I watched her light up with pure joy from the moment we stepped into the room and they sang her name. And, yes, I even picked up a few friends along the way. We sadly break for summer, but we will eagerly return in the fall to a new class, with some familiar faces and some new.

This time, we'll go without reservation, kick off our shoes, and gladly check our dignity at the door.

Tango with Me

When you have a baby, you spend your days trying to make them laugh. The thing that made them laugh once might not ever amuse them again. And some things are always funny. So every day, I try to get Catherine to laugh at least once. 

Banks is almost always helpful. She finds him funniest when he is just in from the yard, frisky from the cold air, and jumping around the room. 

Daddy is usually funny. He dances and sings and makes funny faces and funny noises.

Tickling does the trick most of the time. C is the most ticklish under her left arm and on her belly, but is also ticklish on the bottom of her feet. If you get her just right, she'll throw her head back and giggle, mouth open wide, showing off her three (almost four) teeth.

I can usually get a laugh when I make any high pitched noise. This is probably why she finds it so funny to pull my hair, the ow I squeal is all she needs. Sneezes are hilarious.

But, this past week at Kindermusik, we learned a new trick that is funny every time: the tango. With her arm stretched out in front of us, leading the way, we tango around the room repeating with the music, "slow, slow, quick, quick, quick" as we step to the beat. She's learning word associations, but she's also learning the joy of dance.

We practice at home, taking turns dancing around the living room with Mommy then Daddy, laughing and smiling the whole time. Such a simple step, a dance that has been danced for generations, gets a laugh every time.