Posted on | October 31, 2011 | 43 Comments
Harper,
tonight, we kissed you goodnight on the last day you’ll ever be two years old. someday you will understand the bittersweet process of saying goodbye to a year of your child’s life, but for now you sleep and dream, just as it should be. this time of your life is like the magic hour – you’re old enough to have full conversations with us, giggle, laugh and cuddle and you’re still too young to be too “cool” for mom and dad or realize how lame we are. we know our days are numbered in that regard, so we hold these days close.
this past year has gone too fast, but i suppose this will be a recurring theme in your childhood. it seems to pass in a blink of an eye and it hurts while simultaneously making my heart burst with pride and love for the person you are becoming. you are so silly, so unique and surprise us every day. you are brilliant and beautiful inside and out. most days, i’m left in complete awe that i am lucky enough to be your mom.
i know i say this all the time (but i’ll never stop), but you are a complete and utter joy to know. your excitement about life in general is contagious and felt by every last person you come in contact with. i know you are going to grow to be an amazingly independent and incredible person, and your daddy and i could not be more proud of you, and to be your parents. thank you for all the happiness you bring to our lives – you are truly one of a kind and our favorite, most prized thing in life.
happy third birthday bub.
Posted on | September 9, 2011 | 31 Comments
today Harper starts preschool. in fact, when you’re reading this she’ll already be there, and i’ll already be in the parking lot crying into her hospital blanket eating my own hair.
part of me is all “this is gonna be AWESOME! she’s gonna have SO MUCH FUN and she’s gonna learn all kinds of NEW THINGS! and she’s gonna learn how to share and take turns and get even smarter and she’s gonna LOVE IT!” and then the other part is all “HOW is this even possible? i JUST thrust her from my nether regions! like, THREE DAYS AGO! what if she hits all the kids, has a poop blowout and says a bad word she has never used before but decides to when we hand her over to her teachers? WHAT HAVE WE DONE?!”.
you guys? all this over 7 total hours a week. seriously, two days, 3.5 hours each. my marbles, has you seen them?
i mean, this year it’s 2 days a week, next year it’s 3. pretty sure the next step after that is requesting her own line in her room, telling me she hates me and demanding the REAL keds NOT the ones from Payless MOM. huh. i guess those cliche’s have probably changed since i was a teen. BUT YOU GET WHAT I MEAN. she’s practically driving.
i really am stoked for her. earlier this week we dropped by to hand in some paperwork and she took off playing without so much as blinking an eye my way. when we had to leave she absolutely melted down. i know it’s going to be awesome for her. i know it’s going to be awesome for me – eventually. not today, probably not next week but maybe the one after that. this is going to be good for everyone, and i’m looking forward to this new chapter for her. but oh my god, does my heart ache.
7 hours a week or not, our lives are about to change. this is the first of many years we have ahead of gathering supplies, picking out first day clothes, taking a photo and dropping our little lady off. each year it will be “back to school”, but this is our first and only “off to school”.
i’m sure i may be overreacting (but i’d be willing to bet moms who’ve been here don’t think i am) and that’s ok. this is my first born, my only born, my best little buddy. i’m her mom and i’m allowed some dramatics, right? right.
be on the lookout for my upcoming “omg it was FINE! i don’t even know what i was freaking out about you guise!!1!!” facebook and twitter updates coming to a computer screen near you.
this post was sponsored by Mott’s – i was compensated for my time spent writing because i’m a Mott’s Mom, but all opinions and ideas are my own. head over to the Mott’s Facebook page and “like” it to connect with me and other moms!
Posted on | June 3, 2011 | 52 Comments
this kid.
it’s like i don’t even have words lately. i say this every time, but seriously this age is my favorite. sure, i miss the chub, the squish, the coo-ing and gurgling of a baby, but this little human is so. much. fun. yes – tantrums suck and most days by bedtime i am so sick to death of hearing my own voice saying the same things over and over that i could cut my own vocal cords out, but i wouldn’t trade it for anything. she’s just such a hoot.
the things she comes up with! i crack up daily at her little sayings. she says “THAT’s a problem!” and you know what? she says it when there really is a problem. sometimes when she has told me what she wants 46 times and i’m in the midst of getting it for her but she says it again, i say “and i want a million dollars” she will say “no, mommy, we don’t have a million dollars”. she’s so right. we sure don’t.
she has a “show” she puts on. one day out of nowhere she began her show. she pretends to clear her throat and then she performs her very calculated um, performance. “hi! it’s me Harper! i’m wearing a dress today! BOOOOOWWWW! (does a dance in a circle)” and then bows very grandly. she yells BOW whilst she dances. oh man, it’s too much. is she wearing a dress? sometimes. but most times not. doesn’t really matter, because her show states she is. every time.
she interviews us with microphones (a hairbrush, a spoon, a pen). “what did you do today?” she asks, then holds up the mic to our mouths. we tell her, then ask her what she did today. her answer? every time? “i pooped my diaper and had my diaper changed”. has she pooped yet that day? sometimes. but sometimes not. regardless, that is what she did today.
she is a cuddle nugget these days. it’s what i’ve always missed about the baby days, but she is bringing cuddles back. she wants to cuddle before bed in the chair, she wants to cuddle when she wakes up in our bed. she wants to cuddle and i stop anything i’m doing ever to oblige her. anything. if you have a toddler you know cuddles are akin to gold. you don’t ever deny the toddler cuddles. they may never return!
sometimes i see lots of complaints about toddlers out an about the internet and even in real life. i’ll be the first to admit it’s hard. it’s demanding and repetitive and frustrating and all that jazz. but it’s more special than it is any of those things. when faced with a hard toddler moment, you have to remember a good toddler moment is mere seconds away – you know, cause they’re all bi-polar and stuff like that. one day, sooner than we know it, they won’t be little. don’t wish away this time. it’s just too good. Harper still sleeps in a crib and wears diapers at 2 and a half. she carries a blankie, drinks from a sippy cup and needs her mama. someday she will sleep in a real bed, use a toliet and drink from a real cup. and she will forget for a while that she needs me. so for now, i cherish it all.
as of a few days ago, she’s 31 months old. i had to do math on my fingers to figure that out. i don’t keep track anymore because it’s hard. i know she’s 2 and half and i know she is magical.
p.s. her shirt is from Target (the boys section. yeah seriously) and her jeans are from GAP. i thrifted the shoes and they are the bomb.
p.p.s. ok long time readers? real talk: how friggin’ big does she look these days?! i mean i can’t even deal! it hurts the heart parts doesn’t it? it’s a deep burn.
Posted on | February 2, 2011 | 40 Comments
some days i look at this kid and have trouble understanding how we got here. motherhood is the craziest thing – i swear we just had her but at the same time it’s hard to even remember her being a bobble headed baby. she continues to blow my mind parts daily with her smarts. suddenly she has an opinion on what she wants to wear. she uses full sentences and we have conversations. it’s freaking me out, man.
she is finally, FINALLY in 24 month clothes. it’s actually pretty exciting because for a while there, we had no reason to buy her new clothes because she fit in 12-18 months for an entire year. so as a person who likes clothes and likes shopping, and is married to a person who could care less, this makes me happy. “but she grew out of all her pants! and tops! and dresses!”. and then the husband strains an eyeball from the side eye.
photo by jessica ho.
her hair is out of control. long gone are the days when i could just comb her swoopy bangs to the side. the back is crazy curly, the sides do some crazy wing thing, and the bangs are stick straight. should i get her a trim in hopes that taking the ends off make it all curly? or do i need some after-bath product to control the crazy? any help appreciated. pleaseandthankyou.
binkie free life is great. we no longer have to find one in the middle of the night, endure freak outs if she drops it while in the car and we can’t reach to give it back to her, and all the other things that made us a slave to the pacifier. the only down side is she isn’t stoked on naps anymore. where before she’d fall right asleep, she now plays in her crib for upwards of half an hour before sleeping – if she sleeps at all. this mama? is not ready for naptime to go away. off to target we go for a blackout curtain. i can’t complain about nighttime though – with the exception of a night or so, she has forgotten about the binkie and no longer asks for it. and she sleeps for upwards of 12 hours. before you go unsubscribing or sending hate mail, don’t worry. the next kid will probably be the worst sleeper alive. it’s like a law or something.
we are itching for spring. we want to get out! and go to the park! and stuff! i’m positive she is as tired of looking at the inside of these walls as i am. luckily it’s right around the corner. ::crosses fingers::
photo by jessica ho.
side note: the cute ribbon on my first photo is from the pugly pixel. be sure to check her out – absolutely darling design freebies, tutorials, templates and overall awesomeness.
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