Fabulous Fourth

Our family had a pretty dang fun Fourth of July, if I do say so myself (albeit a low key one)!  Baby was very excited to don his patriotic apparel and head out for an afternoon on the town. 

First up, the chalk festival! 

There were some really awesome drawings.  We each got tokens to vote for our favorites.  Below are some of my selections. 

I love how you can see the drawing she is working from in the above photo.  Pretty cool huh?  I wish I could have seen the finished product. 

After looking at everyone else’s artwork, we grabbed some chalk and created our own:

(YES WE DO, YES WE DO!)

I actually started drawing this really great masterpiece of two penguins holding hands.  It would have been epic.  Sadly, I didn’t get to finish it.  Someone (who shall remain nameless) was asking for a bottle.  So we went and enjoyed a bottle in the shade while Daddy worked on his drawing. 

Then we headed home after making a quick pit stop for Icee’s.  We have been in great need of shaved ice!  Sadly, our favorite shack didn’t open this summer!  So we got Icee’s and pretended our hardest that it was shaved ice.

Then, we BBQ’d.  Spencer grilled the most amazing meal of steak, veggies, and corn on the cob.  Annnnd we had fresh pineapple.  We have been eating those like they are going out of style. 

That man of mine does love to cook outdoors.  Cutie.  I love these pictures of him and his wee little grill.  It was his father’s day present.  He shines it every night.   

 

And for the grand finale, we FEASTED! 

I am drooling all over the keyboard just remembering it.  YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!  We didn’t watch fireworks or anything.  I like fireworks and all, but I am not the biggest fan of sitting in traffic for three hours after the show ends.

And this little stinker-doodle-dandy was all tuckered out after a busy day. 

So we cuddled up, read some stories, and called it a night.

Three Months Old Today

I can’t believe how old he looks in these pictures!  Big boy!  He was VERY cooperative for his three month old shoot with his lambie (from his Natalie).  He had lots of fun hamming it up for the camera and sucking on lambie’s ear.   

This kid is too much fun, I tell you!  He is developing such a cute little personality.  He is a little social bug.  Smiling at anyone who will smile back.  He is always a very cheerful little soul.  And he is a mover!  There is a reason they call them bouncing baby boys.  He bounces.  And wiggles.  And kicks.  And dances.  And fist pumps… Everywhere!  Even though he can’t roll over yet, he moves ALL over his bassinet.  He is never in the same spot he went to sleep in when he wakes up.  And when we put him in his bouncer he kicks his legs like he is bound and determined to take off.  That child is always on the go. 

The funniest thing is when he kicks around after he has been wrapped in his swaddle for the night.  I don’t know why, but when he doesn’t have any visible appendages it is hilarious to see him squirming about.  We call it “mermanning” because he just has this little fin that he flips (though he doesn’t get too far… 10 points…). 

Speaking of swaddles… this little chunk has outgrown most of his.  And we were trying to decide if we should buy larger ones, which he really won’t be able to wear that long anyway.  One night he fell fast asleep before he was swaddled (ALL of his swaddles were in the dryer), so I laid him down in his bassinet for the night thinking that he probably wouldn’t need it.  WRONG.  That kiddo would wave and jerk his hands about so much that he would hit himself in the face and wake up.  I would no sooner get him settled down and asleep again, then I would see a little hand slowly rise above the side of the bassinet only to start waving around.  Then he would inevitably whack himself in the head.  Then he would inevitably wake up.  Decision Made.  I guess we will be buying more swaddles :).   

Mr. M is getting better at understanding games.  I have tried to play peek-a-boo with him before, but he used to just look at me like, “What on earth are you DOING mom?”  Eventually it got to the point that he would watch my facial expression and smile after I did.  Like, “Oh okay, so this is supposed to be fun.  I wasn’t sure what to think, but since you’re smiling I will too.”  But tonight, it finally clicked for him that we were playing.  He would smile and giggle and coo every time I would pull the blanket back.  He was giving me his biggest double chin grins, my favorite ones!

He also likes going for “pony rides” a.k.a. being gently bounced on my knees.  He still isn’t sure how he feels about getting raspberries on his tummy.  Daddy tries it about every day thinking that one of these days Mr. M will like it.  But usually it mostly just startles him a little bit.  I don’t blame him.  I wouldn’t find it funny if someone blew a raspberry on my tummy either. 

We are so smitten with our three month old little chub, from his wee curl on the top of his head to his pot belly to his fat little toes.  Love. Love. Love. 

Happy Friday!

Thanks so much for all of your nice comments on my last blog post!  I really hope I didn’t sound discouraged.  We’re doing great!  But I am glad that so many of you can relate with some of what I have been feeling.  And I loved your suggestions and feedback.  Thanks so much guys! 

We have lots of fun things going on this weekend.  And IIIIIIIIIIIIIII am going on a date with my cute boys tonight!  I’m so excited! 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

Enjoy a couple of my favorite adoption quotes a few pictures of the cutie pie.  

 

We didn’t give you the gift of life,
But in our hearts we know.
The love we feel is deep and real,
As if it had been so.
For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true.
No, we didn’t give you The gift of life,
Life gave us the gift of you.
- Author Unknown

Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone,
but still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
you didn’t grow under my heart, but in it.
- Author Unknown

Adjusting My Expectations

Sometimes I feel guilty.

Guilt isn’t a new emotion.  We all experience it at one time or another.  And lots of times it drives us to make necessary changes or correct problem areas in our lives.  So in that way, guilt can be a needed force for good. 

I think that sometimes I struggle with letting go of unnecessary guilt.  Particularly when it comes to parenting. 

I feel like I had to wait so long to finally invite a baby into our family, that I put a lot of pressure on myself to enjoy every moment.  I mean… I do!  I do enjoy every moment!  But I sometimes feel like I overthink my experience.  I can’t just… be, because that’s not enough.   

I feel sad that it is going by so quickly.  I waited so long for Baby Boy to join us.  And now that he’s here, time seems to rush by so fast.  I’m happy he’s healthy.  I want him to grow up big and strong.  But I have been surprised at how sad I feel watching him grow right before my eyes.  At night when I am sitting in the rocking chair and singing to my sleeping baby, I almost can’t bear to put him in his crib because I don’t want him to get one day older. 

I want to bottle up the times when he will just sit on my lap smiling and cooing at me like I’m his whole world.  When he WANTS to be cuddled and kissed.  When I am the only one who can make it better.

And as time goes by, I keep thinking to myself, “Did I make the most of it?”  I know I can’t have any of it back.

If I get frustrated because it’s four in the morning and Lizzy needs to go out to “go potty” but really ends up barking at the poodle next door, and I am trying to console a hungry baby, and I am running on scant sleep, and then I burst into tears because it’s late (or early as the case may be) and I’m tired…

then I feel guilty.

I feel horrified at myself for being frustrated when I have the world’s most perfect, beautiful, sweet, little boy and a cute puppy who was only trying to protect me from the foe next door and an amazing husband and a comfortable house…

I think of all my friends who are STILL waiting. And I think of how much they would love to have their little one in their arms.  How dare I get frustrated when they would give anything for what I have. 

And as I have been contemplating this, I have come to a realization.  I think that I am especially hard on myself because I KNOW the blessings I have been given.  I waited a long time, dang it!  So I am going to be good at this parenting thing!  And I will never get frustrated (ha!).  And I will never take one single millisecond for granted!  Because I KNOW how hard it was to wait for this!  I KNOW what I was missing!  You know what is WAAAY harder than being a mom?  NOT being a mom!  So now that it’s here I am pretty much going to be perfect at enjoying it!  Right!?   er… right…

I hope you realize that the point of this post is not to complain.  I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (I could fill this whole page up with “O”’s and it wouldn’t begin to cover the extent of my gratitude) grateful for my little boy and the blessings I have been given.  I am NOT complaining about crying babies or barking dogs.  I love my crying (well, actually right now he’s sleeping peacefully) baby and my barking dog (well actually she is sleeping peacefully too).   

I am writing this post because I am going to recommit to not be so hard on myself (and you better believe that my husband is going to hold me to it, especially when he reads this). 

I CAN’T spend every single second looking adoringly into my babies eyes.  There are meals that need to be made, laundry that needs to be folded, and showers that need to be taken.  And just because I do some of those things does not mean that I didn’t take every advantage of holding and cuddling my sweet little son.  Even though I do my best to enjoy every moment, I can’t stop the clock from moving forward.  He will STILL get bigger and be one day older tomorrow.  That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy him today.  That doesn’t mean I took what I had for granted. 

And sometimes I WILL get frustrated.  As hard as I try not to, I will.  But I think I need to be more forgiving of my shortcomings and more willing to just let it go and try again.  Rather than getting frustrated at myself for getting frustrated in the first place (how counterproductive is that?).

I don’t need to voice those frustrations on Facebook or air them on this here blog.  There really isn’t any need to share them (at least with the public at large).  But that doesn’t mean that I am not allowed to have them.  I am human.  And I am doing my best. 

And that, my friends, is good enough. 

Big Plans

We had a busy week last week (Girl’s Camp) and are looking forward to some down time for a couple of days before things pick up again!  A little down time, but not a lot because we have LOTS of fun plans for this summer! 

Here’s a quick sneak peak of some of the things our family has to look forward to:

• Natalie!!!
• Utah!
• Our family sealing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\
• NATALIE!!!!!!!!!
• Califo! 
• Disneyland!
• The BEACH! 
• Surgery! (Well, not so excited for the actual being operated on part, but surgery does mean…)
• A visit from Grandma! (So glad to be able to see my Mom and so grateful that she can help with Baby while I recover.)
• Picnics! 
• Hiking!
• Swimming/Splashing/Toe Dipping! 
• Snow Coning! 

We love Summer!  I am seriously my happiest self when it’s sunny and lovely outside and the days are long.

Well, I’m off to spend some time with this cutie pie, who I didn’t get to see nearly enough of last week.  Just wanted to pop in and share some photos of the Chubster snuggling on a blanket from his birth grandma (it’s one of his faves!).  

All Tuckered Out

Today this cute little gnome:

• Had three wardrobe changes.
• Spit up all down Mommy’s back.
• Splashed around in his baby tub.
• Tooted loudly as a friendly Costco patron complimented him on his curly hair, then acted like it was no big thing.
• Helped Mommy make an oatmeal face mask for a nature spa for girl’s camp. 
• Took a nice long afternoon nap.
• Played with Daddy as soon as he came home from work.
• Assisted Mommy as she vacuumed the floor. 
• Looked at the toys above his bouncer.
• Gummed on his burp cloth. 
• Sucked his pacy. 
• Jabbered.
• Ate six hearty meals.
• Giggled in his sleep!  (I was SO excited about this one!  I think that was the first time I had heard him really laugh.  I can’t wait for him to do it while he’s awake.)
• Cuddled with Mommy. 
• Buttled with Daddy.
• Donned his favorite monkey pajamas and…
• Went night night.,  It was a busy day, and he was exhausted!  It’s hard work being so cute!  (Would that I should have lashes so long and lush!  Lucky, lucky boy!)

My Misters

I am so grateful for my sweethearts. 

It has been very special to watch my husband be a daddy.  I love that when he comes home from work, the first thing he wants to do is kiss his wife, then smooch his son. 

He has been so smitten with our little guy right from day one.  I love that Spencer enjoys being such an involved dad.  He often is the one to bathe Baby Boy and get him dressed for the day, while I get dressed for the day myself.  He is eager to help out with diaper changes and singing our little guy to sleep.  He loves to feed him and cuddle him and just talk to him. 

(Check out this cute little shoulder angel!) 

Even tonight, Spence stayed up way past his bedtime because he wouldn’t stop playing with the baby and go to sleep for pete’s sakes.

Thank you, my Spencer, for being such a great daddy!  We love you!