Until I Had A Toddler

These are some things that I have never done, and never imagined I could do...that is, until I had a toddler.

1. Picked up literally 500 things off the floor ever day.  And without ever being sure just HOW the socks got into the kitchen again, or the tupperware got under the crib.

2. Been completely amused, or rather doubled over in laughter, by one word or expression that comes out of a tiny little one year old.

3. Felt such extreme anger toward another child, when they cause intentional physical harm to my child.  Just as blown away I am by how much love Reilly has in her, I am just as blown away by how hateful children can be at the age of two.

4. Be able to fly out of bed at any hour by the sound of her cry.  Or her calling "Mommy! Mommy!", which she is undoubtedly realizing makes me melt, and is the quickest way to get me to run to her.

5. Been able to feel such intense pride for an accomplishment that isn't even mine.

6. Shared my favorite food, no matter how many times she says "More".  Just because she is so sweet (and says please).

7.  Had the stamina to sing the same song 65 times in one day (La La La La, Elmo's World!)

8.  Find the energy to dance around the house with her, while being 4 months pregnant and Reilly just wanting to nap.  If during my last pregnancy, you would have come up to me while I was laying on the couch, and told me "Next pregnancy, when you are this tired, you will get up and play chasing games around the house just to hear your baby giggle.", I would be shocked.  And wonder where I would find the energy.  And then probably go back to sleep.

9. Acquired a mother's instinct, at the age of 24, out of seemingly nowhere.  I know what it feels like now.  It's this tiny voice that says, "Hm.  That makes me nervous for some reason."  And then, your child gets hurt, and you wonder why you didn't listen immediately to that voice.  And you vow to always listen to that voice.  That's the mother's instinct. And when you see veteran mother's act on it, they seem like super heroes, and you wonder "Wow. How did they see that once coming? They just grabbed that choking hazard so fast, before I even saw it!"  That happens after years of the mother's instinct talking to you.  You hear it.  You get faster at acting on it.  But I realized it's not super-hero-esque...it's just knowing your child.  Each mother knows their own baby so well, that they are able to know what will make a child smile, laugh, cry, fall down, or get scared. In turn, we become their voice and protector when they are too young to be it for themselves.  The mother's instinct, is THEIR instinct, before they can listen to it themselves.  This realization is more and more fascinating to me as Reilly becomes more mobile and independent.


10.  Be so excited to hold such a tiny little hand, all day long.

The Cheese Face

 You might recall what we called "The Cheese Face".  When we said, "Cheeeeeese!", Reilly would make this face.  And we loved it.

 

 

Her mismatched outfit makes me laugh in this picture. Tee hee. 

But now, she is a bit older, and her Cheese Face has evolved a little.  Now they are precious little giggle faces.

I just love you snuggle munchkin!  Your giggle lights up my world!

Winter Fashion Preview

 Here we have Reilly, coming down the runway with her newest winter fashion staple, her puffy pink jacket.  Perfect for all weather, that chilly mountain air, or shopping days with Mama.  However, shoes are recommended before braving the outdoors.  Check out Reilly's serious model face - I think she's a natural.

Oh, and that hood!  Check out that detail.  The faux fur is not only environmentally friendly, but it brings out her eyes!  Beautiful Reilly, just beautiful.

Coming soon, her winter accessories!  We can't wait to see what she's wearing.  Because if Reilly's wearing it, it is IN for this winter...

Snack Time

 I've been noticing more and more that little lady like her snack times.  Rather than big meals, she likes to have smaller ones throughout the day.  I think this is a healthier way to eat anyway, and she's probably getting her habits from her grazing Mama.  The only tricky part means I am packing snacks constantly for us when we go out to the stores.  I'll pack anything healthy and portable - fruit, almond butter and banana sandwiches, raisins (her current obsession), crackers, soft Kashi granola bars, or little containers of edamame.

 

The other day, I was making oatmeal cookies, and snack time arrived.  So she had a little snack at my feet while I finished baking.  I think she felt very big.  Here she displays her "Big Sister in Charge" shirt. :)

 She apparently thought the container for the oatmeal would taste good.  I guess she saw me licking the batter, and wanted to get in on the action.

 Speaking of feeling big, I gave her some yogurt after her grapes, and she insisted on doing it herself.  She is not yet able to complete yogurt in mouth, whilst walking - but she tried!  There was only a little left, so I let her have fun - she looked so proud of herself!

 Her precious little profile, as she takes a break from watching the cookies bake to try and grab a bite of yogurt.  Such a munchkin.

So that is a little bit about our snacktime!  I'm just going to stare at her cheeks in the picture above for a while.  Ugh, I love them.

Naptime Hair

 The other day, we went to the park and nice and messy.  Then we came home, changed into comfy clothes, had lunch and a bath, and took a nap.  She went down for her nap with her hair still wet, this was before the chilly weather came. When she woke up, her hair looked like this!

 

And she was giggling, like she knew something was different but she wasn't sure what it was. 

I'm wondering if she has Mama's curls in her future?  Now we blow dry her hair after naps, but I'm tempted to let this happen again.  It was pretty much the best thing ever.

Recently...

Sickness has returned.  I knew as soon as I spoke of it, it would be back.  From now on, if you ask how I feel, I think I'll say "Terrible." so as not to jinx it.  Until my 8th month, then I'll be honest.

Yesterday, I had a migraine for most of the afternoon.  Hubby came home and made dinner and did the dishes, thank goodness for him!!  Dinner was meatloaf, so I showed him where the recipe was and he went to town.  Our meatloaf calls for a special sauce to be added in the last 10 minutes of cooking, so after it was shaped and cooked, I asked how it looked.  He said, "Great!" as he prepared the sauce.  I got off the couch to take a peek, and low and behold, in my oven, was a meatloaf...not shaped like a loaf.  Usually, I shape my meatloaf in a ring, so it cooks more evenly.  It was not shaped like a ring.  It was shaped...interestingly.  Let's just say that.  I gasped, and he laughed for about 2 straight minutes.  But wouldn't you know, that darn meatloaf tasted wonderfully!

I have no pictures today, my camera battery is charging. Funny ones are coming though!

Last night I checked on Reilly before I went to bed.  Like I said, I had a migraine, so it was 8 pm. I always go in her room, make sure the temperature is okay, and watch her for a little.  Sometimes she wakes up and looks at me and I run, hoping she'll think it was a dream.  It usually works.  But most times she stays asleep.  Except last night, when I opened the door, and a GIANT spider came running out of her room.  I screamed and cursed and grabbed a shoe.  I tried to kill and it, and it ran in to the linen closet.  So I took a towel, and shoved it under the closet crack, so it would be trapped until Hubby got home to kill it.  Then I heard Reilly crying.  She was standing in her crib, crying at my commotion.  So I picked her up and sat on the bed, where to laid her head down on my chest and I apologized for waking her.  Then she lifted her head, looked at me, sighed, and said "Hi."  So I said Hi, and she laid her head back down and requested an Elmo song.  It was kind of a comical scene. 

Warms My Heart

There are little tiny things, things that other people might not notice, that warm my heart when it comes to my girl. Here are some that come to my mind right away.

1. When she gets hurt, like a little stubbed toe, she immediately holds up the injured area to me and says "mmmmm" giving me a kissy face, which is how she asked for kisses. Even between tears, she will ask me to kiss the area that got hurt. She really thinks it fixes it.

2. Her smile when I pick her up from her nap.

3. When she is sleepy and lays her head down on any soft surface and says "night night".

4. When we get up in the morning and she asked for Daddy. And when we see a pick up truck and she asks for Daddy.  And especially her face when she sees his truck pull in the driveway in the afternoon.

5. The very few times that she actually says "Mama". She prefers saying "Daddy" 35 times a day, which is fine by me, but hearing my name from her mouth is glorious.

6. The moment that Elmo's World comes on, which is the most exciting moment for her, she turns and looks at me.  She looks at me with a giant smile until I realize that she is staring at me, and then have an explosion of excitement for her that Elmo's World is on.  It is not until she sees my excitement, that she then celebrates and dances in glee.  It reminds of children on amusement park rides, that the best part of the ride is waving to Mommy and Daddy.  Their happiness is confirmed and validated when they see that you are happy, too.  It really goes to show you how much children need and learn from every single thing that mommy and daddy do and say.

7.  Watching her sleep so peacefully.  It's enough to make your heart explode, and I don't really know why.

8. When we sit down to eat, or go in for her bedtime, and she claps her hands together and says, "a-MEN!"  She already recognizes Jesus in her life to some extent, and she's only 1.  No better feeling.