Times of Change

Did you ever just want to start over? I would love to get rid of everything here (except my family, I could never be without them!) and move to someplace far far away and raise my baby in a warm happy place. I know it sounds a little out there, but come on, let a girl dream!

On a serious note, I am just so sick of everything here that I really feel it is time for a change. Everything is so much money and it just so happens I don't have much to spend, so being thrifty is what I have to be! I am looking into reusing old shirts and making them into toys for Baby J. They wouldn't be too elaborate because my sewing skills are not up to par, but hey.... I can try and when he is older it can be something sentimental he can hand down to his kids saying "My mommy made this for me...". So maybe he won't say or do that but you never know.

Baby J is getting so big and I really don't know where all the time has gone! He is almost a year old and I have to start thinking about planning his Birthday party and possibly a Baptism. I was not raised Catholic but Baby J's father is so it's a big thing to him and his family. I think it's great to have something like that to celebrate.

I am sure there are so many new parents out there that are just as amazed as I am with their baby's bevelopment, and I really just can't get over it. I feel like Baby J is one of the coolest, most smartest kids out there. He can stand when he holds onto something, and has been trying to walk for a while now. He hasn't mastered crawling, but he seems so much more interested in walking that I think it's okay. He can sit and stare at his hands- turning them over and over to see how they move, and loves to look at his feet move when he walks. His eyes seem to follow everything! He already figured out what happens to sunshine when it hits a mirror, and will follow the reflection move across the ceiling (he's so smart!). Every day there are so many things that he does, that if I don't try to write them down, I may forget them. I know, it's terrible, but everything is amazing in a baby's development and I think it's almost impossible to remember EVERY little thing that happens. I know they are all equally important, but since everything happens so fast and frequently now, it is very easy to forget at least one thing at a given time.

Well I must be off now, but I hope I can get back and write more soon.

Peace and much love,
-J

moving and grooving

Sitting up is a big thing in the house right now. Baby J would love to sit up all the time if he could, but because he is still little, he gets tired. He has also been rolling over a lot and moving from one corner of the mat (or wherever he is) to the other with ease. It is very exciting watching these things happen as a new parent. So many people miss these moments when their babies are in day care and I feel very fortunate to be such a big part of my baby's life and development.

I went to a baby shower this weekend and there I realized that I have to let my baby go. He wants to move around so much and I realized that when he's ready to move by himself, I have to let him go. He was watching the other babies that were there and they were only a few months to a year older than he is. He was so happy to see people his size moving so fast! Even though these kids would run/walk and fall then get back up again, their mothers didn't seem phased. That made me think about me. I flinched every time they came to a table or stairs but these kids had learned the right ways to get where they need to go safely. So the reason I am saying this is that kids will learn how to do things by trial and error. You have to let them explore and figure out how to do things on their own(within reason). This is going to be hard for me to do.

Well, I have to go before the little ones wake up. Have a great day!

Much love,
-J

And they're off!

So when you are a stay at home mom/ babysitter, it is so hard to get lost in the fact that there are two babies to take care of and housework to be done. These are things I have to think about every day while Baby J's Daddy is working hard. It doesn't seem like much, but it really is when there are two lives you have to care for.

And they're off!!!!!!! These babies have been rolling and scooting like its their job! Thank goodness I had gotten this huge foam mat for the baby to play on because I can split it into two smaller mats and each child can roll freely on it without rolling into each other. I try to keep them apart because the other baby is ALWAYS drooling (he goes through four bibs a day!)!. When the drool dies down, then maybe I will think of putting them close so they can play. I worry about the germs as I know every parent would and should. One day I had them on the mats and they turned to face each other and were trying to go after each other! They had these huge smiles on their faces and drool coming out of their mouths, besides being so messy, it was cute. These are the times I am going to remember, the ones that are the firsts, the ones where they realize its more than just them and they recognize that other person looking at them.

Wow, sorry for getting so sentimental right there..... I felt myself welling up with tears as I was writing because I think of how far these little guys have come, especially Baby J.

I wonder if other parents get teary-eyed when they think about the obstacles (if any) they have gone through with their little ones.

Peace and Love,
-J