The Boy Turns One

My sweet, special boy.

He gives open-mouthed, slobbery kisses.

He is constantly "singing."

He eats paper when he thinks I'm not looking.

He is a snuggler, despite being in near-constant motion.

He says a small number of key words, the most important, of course, being "Mama."

He blows kisses.

He giggles like a maniac when his sister does something silly.

He kisses the pages of his books.

He is very ticklish.

He slyly initiates games of chase, silly songs with hand actions, and peekaboo.

He loves food, and eats anything and everything, despite having only two teeth and the tiniest tip of a third just cutting through.

He is already extremely cheeky.

He can throw a ball like nobody's business, and he gets down on his belly to search for it under furniture.

He walks toward me, arms above his head, and then hurls himself the last foot or so, confident that I will always catch him. 

He is pure joy. 

And on August 14th, he turned one.  We celebrated at a cottage in Ontario, where we were visiting with family (more on that in an upcoming post).

That's a carrot cake with cream cheese icing and his name spelled out in raisins.  With mama love baked right in.

Big sister helped blow out the candles.

 

And was excited to see him take his first bite.

You could say he liked it.

And he wasn't the only one.

It was a bittersweet moment in time for me. It is incredibly fulfilling to watch my children grow, but to see my baby looking more like a toddler made me a little nostalgic for the teeny, tiny, snuggly newborn days.  (Minus the sleep deprivation, of course.) Ah, such is the plight of motherhood.

Am I right in assuming that I'm not alone in this?  Do children's birthday parties make you feel a little wistful too?

Four Years in the Making

 
Sometimes, when I take her in, my eyes scanning the familiar lines of her face, shoulders, hands, and long, lean, limbs, my brain registers a vague shock at how much she has grown in four years.  And in her growth, I see my own, exponential in comparison. 

Her now four-year-old spirit thirsts for learning, and she laps up the small drops of knowledge I can impart, not knowing how much she is teaching me in the process.

From that earth-shattering moment on July 3, 2009 (1:31 am, to be exact) when I became a mother for the first time, I have been challenged, stretched, and pushed far beyond what I thought were my limits.  And, as always, with growth and learning come the realization of how little we really know and just how much growth and learning are still possible.

To my big girl who is gradually bringing out the bigness in me,

Happy fourth birthday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

You.

You are kind and generous.

You are instantly liked by those who meet you.

You don't sweat the small stuff.

You are always a willing accomplice when it comes to dessert.

You are a caring, loving, and playful father.

You take on more than your fair share of the housework.

You do what needs to be done, without fanfare or complaint.

You put up with me when I make things more complicated than they need to be.

You are genuinely happy to make others happy.

You are almost too good to be true.

Happy birthday, You.

(Not in keeping with this week's topic, but a list nonetheless.)

Henry

The first time I looked into his eyes

I fell in love again.

Tuesday, August 14, 9:33 am

A Walk Down Birthday Memory Lane

Well, we all know my kid turned three at the beginning of the month. I've mentioned it maybe a few times now.  I truly enjoy the party planning and baking that comes with birthdays (but at the same time I have to admit that I'm a little bit glad we each only have one a per year). So when Robbie suggested a birthday listicle in honour of her daughter turning nine, I was all over it.  Bring on the nostalgia!

Also, I'm a total sucker for party themes, so each year we pick one and run with it.

First birthday party: Teddy Bear Picnic

Second birthday party: The Year of Elmo

Third birthday: Rainbows

And here's to many, many more!!!

Young Love, Recyled

I posted these photos on a Wordless Wednesday in July last year, when these two were completely enamored of each other:

They're still great friends, but their relationship has changed a little.  Now Lilah has taken to telling him she's the mommy and he's the baby and she gives him timeouts but refuses to give him hugs and kisses when it's time to say goodbye.  Not sure what that says about my parenting...?

Now We Are Three

We held Lilah's third birthday party on the weekend at our nearest playground that also includes a spray park. She got to share it with one of her besties whose birthday happens to be exactly one week after hers, and it seems a good time was had by all. 

The birthday boy and girl

Thankfully, summer arrived in Vancouver just in time for the party.

This is the face she always makes when cold water is involved.

Lilah's daycare provider (who I basically think of as the woman who looks after my kid while I am away from home playing with other people's kids)

I remembered to slather my kid with sunscreen repeatedly but of course forgot to do myself the same favour.  Result: burnt preggers.

Photo by Captain Canada of Schwartz Chronicles fame.

The candles would not stay lit in the breeze, so we had to pretend.  Here's what Lilah thought of that:

Also taken by Captain Canada

But I'm pretty sure she did like the rainbow cupcakes I made. I've been dreaming of these babies for months!

Phew, I'd forgotten what a lot of work throwing a large birthday party is, but I think we pulled it off!