Merry Christmas Baby Boy!

Ryan,

Today you celebrated your very first Christmas. And while you certainly didn't "get" every detail of it, there were certainly a few priceless moments.

Our day started with just the three of us: You, me, and Daddy. After you woke up (at 6:30) we snuggled in our big bed for a little bit and then we brought you downstairs (in your new Christmas PJs of course!). You got very excited when you saw a big pile of presents sitting in the middle of the floor. You immediately walked over to the pile and started picking up the presents and rearranging them. You carried them, put them down, stacked them up, and just enjoyed playing with them. Little did you know that they contained some pretty exciting things!

 

Trying to spin like the race cars!

You were very excited about the present opening for the first few presents but that whole process quickly lost is excitement. However, you obliged us, and would tear off just enough paper so we could feel content that you had actually opened the present and not us. You got most excited when you opened the "Lil' Speedster Racetrack." You were rather frustrated with how long it took mommy to get it out of the box for you! Once it was out you quickly caught on to the whole concept and not only put your cars on the spinning speedway, but  also cups, balls, animals, and at one point you sat in it yourself. You were clearly hoping that you would get to spin around just like the cars!

You also were excited about your laptop (from Gandma and Grandpa, who got to see you open it on Skype) and the bright colorful balls that were in your stocking.

After you had opened most of your presents you heard a knock on the door and got very excited again. It was Nana and Pop-Pop who came over to have breakfast with us. You didn't want to take your usual morning 9:00 nap so you sat and ate with us and actually did a great job! You sat so nicely and for a long time so all 5 of us really enjoyed breakfast.

Nana and Pop-pop left after we ate and then you finally took a nap. After your lunch we headed over to Nana and Pop-pop's house where you got MORE presents and we had a wonderful dinner. You LOVED the "Anywhere Chair" that Uncle Mark & Auntie Catharine got you. You climbed right in and sat down with such a proud little smirk. It was pretty cute! You also really liked the wind-up caterpillar that Nana and Pop-pop put in your stocking and the singing/saxophone playing Reindeer that Auntie Mo got you. Sometimes its the simple things that make you most excited!  In addition to all the presents you got you enjoyed playing with the GIANT box that your chair came in. Auntie Catharine had wrapped it with a huge bow and you and Caitlin played so nicely in it. You guys sure do have fun together (when you're not touching her stuff! ;)!

Daddy and I actually got to enjoy most of Nana's delicious dinner because you were napping. Though, your nap was pretty short and you woke up after only about 40 minutes. But that was OK, it's Christmas and you were so very excited! You probably heard all the people downstairs and wanted to join in the fun. You are a social little guy, after all.

We put you in your PJs at Nana's house and we headed home at around 8:30. It was a great day! You are now fast asleep upstairs and Daddy and I are EXHAUSTED! We are heading to bed too. We love you very much and hope you enjoyed your 1st Christmas! We can't wait to celebrate many, many more Christmases with you!

Love,

Mommy 

11 Months

Dear Ryan,

Today you turned 11 months old. I still can't believe how quickly each of the past 11 months have gone by. And yet, as I have said before, I feel like you have been a part of our lives for so much longer than 11 months. You just fit in so perfectly.

While you are still learning new things every day it seems, I think the biggest change in the past month has been the development of your little personality. More and more we are seeing a little boy with his own thoughts, wishes, and desires shine through. You are determined and certainly have a mind of your own. You can't say much, but you find a way to communicate what it is you want. Just the other day you and I were playing in the family room. We were stacking cups, reading books, playing with the xylophone. I thought we were having a good time. But suddenly, you got up, brought me your shoes, and then walked to the door and banged on it. You were clearly telling me that you wanted to get out of the house. So, we did. We went to get coffee (well, Mommy got coffee, you just enjoyed being your usual social little self with the people in Caribou Coffee). Once you know what you want,  you do everything you can to make it happen!

Concentrating on trying to stack the cups. You've almost got it! 

Because you have strong wishes and desires but lack the vocabulary to communicate them, you do at times get VERY frustrated. Recently Daddy and I watched you have a complete meltdown while standing in front of the laundry basket. You started crying huge crocodile tears and were banging the side of the basket. It took me a few minutes, but then I realized that you wanted to be pushed around in the basket (something we do with you often). So, I plopped you in, and the tears ceased immediately. There are also a LOT of things that you want to do more than anything else, that you're just not allowed to do, such as going downstairs to the laundry room by yourself (see picture below), eating Mommy's cell phone, playing on the laptop, etc. You want to be such a big boy, but, you're not and you find this to be the greatest injustice in all the world. Oh, the terrible twos should be fun with you!

Getting sooooo mad because you can't get downstairs to the laundry room! 

Rejoicing as you made it to Daddy's laptop before anyone noticed! 

But with all of your frustration, you also continue to be a happy, lovable little guy! You are becoming a very affectionate little boy. When I hold you I instinctively pat your back gently. Now, you do the same thing to me. You are becoming more and more of a snuggle bug and especially love to cuddle when you're sleepy. You used to need to be rocked (with me standing up) in order to settle down at night. But now, you just snuggle on mommy's chest while I sit in the glider. It is definitely my favorite part of the day.

Ryan, you are such a joyful (most of the time) little boy and I love you so much! You give new meaning to the word LOVE.

I can't wait to watch your little personality grow and develop over the days, months, years ahead. It is going to be a very special journey indeed!

Happy 11th Month Birthday!

Love always and forever (no matter what!),

~Mommy

Happy Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, my first as a Mom, I am especially conscious of all the blessings I have in my life and I am especially thankful. There are many things in life for which I am thankful: good health, a sound financial situation that allows us to have a safe home, and good food to eat, my friends, my skills as a Social Worker, etc. But there is nothing for which I am more thankful than my wonderful family. I am thankful for each and every one of them:


For Mom & Dad who have always given of themselves so fully and freely to their children. It is because of them that I am the person, Mother, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Friend, and Social Worker that I am. I truly have the greatest parents on earth and I am so very grateful!

For my Brothers:

John, who I have watched become a father, battle cancer, graduate from law school, and become a father again all in such a short amount of time and with such grace, good humor, love and determination. He is an inspiration! I have also watched him become an Uncle for the first time. And it is so touching to watch the way in which he adores my son.

Mark, who more than anyone I know, has his priorities straight. While he is a hard worker, and a dedicated lawyer, he is above all else a wonderful husband, son, brother, and uncle. He puts the people in his life first and he loves each and every one of them in a gentle, kind, and selfless way. I am so lucky to be one of the people he loves so fully.

For my Sisters (in-law):

Cindy, who has been a part of our family for so long that I can’t really remember a time when she wasn’t. But this is not just because of the amount of time Cindy has been in our family, it is because of who she is. Cindy gives of herself so fully to the people she loves, often at the expense of herself . She has endless energy and enthusiasm for the people in her life and I am blessed to be one of those people.

Catharine, who has become an integral part of our family in such a short time. There are few people in life that I truly consider “kindred spirits” and Catharine is one of those people. She is giving of her time and her love. She has a gentle, sensitive, caring and energetic way in which she shows her love to me, to my husband, and to Ryan. We are all so lucky to have her in our life!


For my adorable nieces:

Caitlin, who fills my days with tremendous imagination, joy, and love. It is only with her that all in one day I can travel to Paris, New York, Curacao, and India. I love her tight hugs and her joyful, infectious laugh! Caitlin is kind and sensitive and truly cares about other people! She makes me proud to be her aunt!

Julia, who smiles wider and with more enthusiasm than any little girl I know. Her deep, dark, beautiful eyes speak volumes about the little girl she is and will become. I can already see her enthusiasm, kindness, and spunk shining through in just the short 6 months I have known her. She makes my heart melt every time she gives me that big, wide, mouth-breathing smile when she sees me!

For Ryan, my beautiful son! He is the embodiment of joy and love. He lives life with reckless abandon and it is a pleasure watching him grow up and an honor to be his mother. I am so proud of the kind, gentle (most of the time), energetic, fun, and out-going little boy he is becoming. He brings joy and happiness to my life in ways I never understood until he was born. My heart is swollen with love and life because of him.

And last, but certainly not least, for my wonderful husband Matt, who on a daily basis has the greatest impact on my life. Although at times I feel that I take him for granted, I hope he knows how much I love him and how special I think he is. Truly, I don’t know a single woman in the world with a more dedicated, loving, selfless, helpful, husband. He puts Ryan and me first in everything that he does. He works so hard for our family (both at the office and at home) and I can’t imagine my life without him. This is our 11th Thanksgiving together as a couple. And this year, more than ever, the year in which I have watched him blossom into an AMAZING father, while continuing to be a caring husband, I am so, so very grateful that I chose to spend my life with this wonderful man.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Eating...or the lack there of....

Ryan used to eat anything and everything with great excitement and motivation. There wasn't a baby food I offered him that he didn't willing scarf down. But, alas, no more.

My adorable 10 month old son is apparently on a hunger strike. He nurses just fine. But when it comes to sitting down and eating, he will do just about everything except eat. He will mush the food between his fingers (I offer him LOTS of finger food choices at every meal) he will drop it on the floor, he will put it on his head occasionally, he will offer it to me or his Daddy, but he will NOT eat, except when he is distracted and we can sneak food into his mouth.

I know my son is not going to starve to death. I know he will eventually eat (I don't know many grown men who still only drink breast milk!) but in the meantime it is very STRESSFUL! I want him to be a good eater. I don't want him to be a picky eater, so I refuse to offer him sweet and/or more appealing items. He gets lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains. I don't expect him to even know that things like french fries, chicken fingers, or hot dogs exist until he is MUCH older. I do NOT WANT A PICKY EATER!! I have nightmares (not really) about battles over food on a daily basis as our little baby grows older. Please tell me he will out-grow this, sooner rather than later. Please tell me he will learn to eat healthy food without daily battles.

And in the meantime, if you have any suggestions about how to work through this, please let me know!