Happy Birthday to you.....

I'm a big kid now..

That's what he thinks most days I'm sure.  2 years old and independent as can be.  His birthday started with a Good Morning cuddle and singing "Happy Birthday" about 10 times... he sang to himself which in my opinion was A-DoR-a-BLE! We went down stairs for our breakfast and I made him a blueberry pancake which he declared "YUMMY".  L was able to open up his present's from Nana and Papa which included books, puzzles and playdoh!  Grandparent's are very good at spoiling their grandchildren (as they should).

L's 2nd birthday party was a lot of fun, and while I'm sure he won't remember it, he was a happy camper the whole time.  While a pool party for a December birthday is a little unconventional, L is a water baby and had an absolute blast.


The theme for his cake was Thomas the Tank (of course) and I bravely made his birthday cake this year.  While it looked nothing like any creation my friend Emily could put together(this woman has a talent and passion for things food, especially the good things in life like CHOCOLATE) it was not a complete disaster and tasted pretty good (great big pat on my back).His friends that made it were fun wonderful guests and were so kind in generous in bringing him so many wonderful toys.

Of course the Fire Engine make LOTS of noise,
which make it extra fun!

Logan and his friend Lina
  

Enjoying some birthday cake

A really awesome guitar!

Thomas the Tank, what a hit!!

2 years....

I am the mother of a 2 year old.  (well he will be in 3 days)  I can't believe that it's been two years since I first held my boy and I am so changed and it's only for the better.  I am thankful every single day for the honor of being his mom.  He brings me joy every single day (yes even those days he is pushing every single button I have and whining every 2 seconds... there is still immense joy).

 I've been thinking back over the last 2 years and how I honestly can't remember a lot of my life before Logan. Sure there are events and memories that creep back, but I find those memories don't hold a flame to the last 2 years.  I have a feeling that because a lot of those years was spent in a relationship that let's face it, wasn't any good (for anyone).  I finally feel like there is a purpose to my life and that I don't have to settle for being someones "plan B".  I've been able to put focus back on interests that I've had over the years that I put on the back burner when I was trying to make things work and put all my effort into someone else and letting  a part of me disappear.  2 years....what a joyous and heartbreaking time, but I'm better for it and my boy has made me better.

I'll write a more lengthy blog entry after his birthday and party are over this weekend.
This was such a mixed topic post, but I needed to get it out.  They will be more structured and less stream of thought typing from now on (I promise).

-Mel

A long long time....

Here is another, that I started back in August of 2012.... it's still very much how I feel now, but the hurt is less and less...it's not a completed entry but I still wanted to publish it so I can keep the memories and remember what happened when.

It's been way over a year since I last wrote.  My reason... I don't really have a good one.

I may not be the best of all writers but my life has changed in so many ways in the last 19 months in both good and bad ways and I have to document it.  In a way, this blog is going to help me get back to what matters. 

I thought I knew what mattered, and boy was I wrong.

As pretty much all of your know, my marriage ended.  Like a kick to the stomach (I know, it's a cliche) but that is literally what it felt like.

Not by my choice (at least not at first) I have to start over.  Starting over with figuring out where I'm going and what it is that is important.  Even though I was 27 when I got married, and I thought I knew what I was doing, I thought I knew what a marriage should be etc. and nothing prepares you for when nothing of what you thought happens.

So, where do I go from here.  I don't really know.  I have a BEAUTIFUL son who I love so much and being his mom gives me the most intense feelings of joy and accomplishment that have quite literally saved me over the last 19 months.  So my focus for now (and this is something I've thought long and hard about) be the best ME that I can be.  And in doing that, I will be the best mom.

I have to take the time for myself, take care of my head and heart, and by doing that I am going to be just fine.

MEGA UPDATE!

So everyone this is a post that I apparently started WAY back in August 2011... I wanted to post it so I had these memories documented for Logan.  So please bear with me as I get myself back up to speed.

Well it's been um, 3 months since I posted something... yeah I hope none of you were holding your breath for my next post!

So much has obviously happened in 3 months so lets get into it.

Here we go!

Wednesday 5/25/2011 I was at home and was just putting some dishes in the sink while Logan was playing on the floor with some toys. All was quiet until he started to complain a bit, I came around the kitchen counter to see what he was doing and to my surprise Logan was on the other side of the room from where I put him. Now this wasn't completely out of the ordinary as he had been rolling himself across the room for about a week or so, but what was different was that he was sitting upright. Normally he was still on his back or stomach from rolling. Then it just hit me right then... OH MY GOD....... did my baby CRAWL?!

Scooting all over the place

Up close!

Well I immediately grabbed the video camera and hit record. I called to Logan and asked him to come to me. Well with a little coaxing and shaking of numerous toys, my 5 1/2 month old crawled over to me!  Above are a few photos of him crawling.  He has to get up close to the camera to "inspect".

Of course, being the hormone driven emotional mess that I am some days I cried (of course) out of happiness but still cried (I'm sure Logan must think his mom is crazy)

June 4th we went to Mt. Vernon for my sister's company picnic.  It was nice to get out of the house and spend a really beautiful day out and took Logan for his first history lesson.  I have to say the last time I was there I think it was with my Girl Scout troop and I have no clue how old I was, but I remembered it being much bigger than it really was.  George and Martha really knew what they were doing because the view off the porch looking out over the Potomac was just fabulous and there was a nice breeze.

So cute!

Hangin' with George and Martha

We had Logan baptised/christened (whichever way you want to put it) on June 5, 2011. It was part of the Sunday service and it was just a simple and nice WELCOME as one of God's children. He BARELY fit into his christening outfit and thankfully a few weeks earlier I had taken him to get his belated Easter photos and Christening photos.

On June 15th he turned 6 months old. (where did the time go) On 6/17/11 he had his 6 month check up and weighed in at 19lbs 12oz and 27 3/4 inches long. He has gained exactly 10 lbs and almost 7 inches since birth. Around this time Logan has been crawling for about and month and he is everywhere! Someone hit the turbo button with this little boy, because boy can he scoot!

On top of this, he is pulling himself up standing! At his dr. appointment she asked about what all he was doing and I told her. She raised her eyebrows and said "He's pulling himself up?" "Really?" I told her "Yes" and that I thought it was a bit early, and she was like "Um, yes, normally that's a 8 month old thing". Well I'm thrilled that he can do this because he's strong enough but I feel like he is growing too fast! I need him to stay small just a bit longer!

We have been to the pool a few times this summer and I'm very happy to say that my kid is a water baby.  Loves it!  The water he has no problem with, the screaming/screeching kids at the pool, well that is different.  He clings to me like a baby Koala and buries his face in my neck.  So we spend most of the time in the baby pool.  We have ventured out into the big pool a few more times since I was able to blow up his float.  He LOVES this and I love that it has a built in shade, because he no longer will keep his hat or sunglasses on for long.

Logan has started to go to a part-time day care for a few hours 3 times a week to cover the overlap from when my mom has to go to work and I come home.  I am still driving into DC everyday but I am definitely looking for something closer to home. ( i don't need to tell any of you how much that commute stinks!)

Logan is much more talkative and he is constantly babbling to everyone.  I know that it probably isn't his REAL first word, but he does "mamamamama" quite often so I'm always happy when I hear that!

He loves to go for walks in the stroller with me (usually we are out the door by 7am on the weekends to get a walk in before it gets too hot, and for me to get a cup of coffee!)

He is so inquisitive, getting into everything.  He likes to pull the clothes out of my drawers in my bedroom, and also playing with the pots and pans while I'm cleaning up the kitchen in the evenings.


We've started sleep training and the first attempt in late June was an epic fail on my behalf and I've started again.  We've been doing ok, but I have a feeling this is going to take a while.  Perhaps this is karma coming back to me but I've been told that I didn't consistently sleep through the night until I was almost 2!  (I'm still not the worlds best sleeper)

Here we are at 8 months old (well on the 15th) and I'm just thrilled with every moment I spend with my Logan.  He just makes me so very happy.

Wild Wonderful West Virginia....

Ok, I seriously need to become a lot better at updating this blog.  It's what..3 weeks plus since an update.

Well at the end of April we (Me, Mom and Logan) loaded up the car (and I do mean loaded, I took way too much stuff for 2 days) and did the 5-6 hour drive to Beckley, WV.  This was of course after watching the SUPER fun Royal Wedding.  Yes, yes, I know so much media coverage we were all about ready to choke on it but I was super excited and her dress was just fabulous.

My son, decided that since the wedding coverage started so early here that 3a that day would be a great time to be awake... and I mean AWAKE!  No nursing him back down for another hour or so, it was OK Mommy, time to play.   Let me just say Thank You God, for my mother who took him downstairs and let me get another 40 minutes of sleep until his majesty wanted to eat.

Here is a photo of us watching the Royal Wedding.. (you can see how interested Logan was in it...chewing on his foot was obviously a much better option)

So I totally digress, back to our trip to WV.  It was smooth sailing all the way down 66, to 81 (which is rare) and up 64 into the moutains of WV.  Logan slept a bit at the beginning, then was awake for 2 hours, then slept the last 2 into WV and Beckley and woke literally as I was making the exit off the turnpike.  We check in quickly to our FABULOUS room at the Econo Lodge (I know, I know....but this one is ACTUALLY clean and nice) and then high tailed it over to my Grandmas house.  My grandmother must have been watching out the window, because she was out on the front porch and telling me to hurry up with the baby before I was out of the front seat.

The rest of Friday was spend my Grandma getting to know her 2nd Great Grandchild (my cousin Adam has a son who is almost 3).  My Grandma even got down on the floor with him to play, which worried us all about how to get her back up, but she managed on her own by scooting across the carpet and pulling herself up on the couch!  (Go Granny!)  Since I had lost my Grandpa in 2007 and my Nana in 2009 I am so very grateful that I still have my Grandma and that Logan has met her and that hopefully she will be around for a while so that Logan will get to know her better.

Saturday brought a lot of my extended family (mostly my Grandmas sisters) over to see Logan.  And boy did he ever get spoiled with new onesies and 2 new Puma Tracksuits!  I can't wait till the Fall/Winter to see him in these!  It was a fast and quick trip up and back but I always feel relaxed when I come back from there because you are forced to slow down and take a deep breath (of the very clean mountain air) and enjoy the time with family.  

Logan and I are really blessed to have such wonderful family that will no doubt shower Logan with love (as they have me and my siblings)

Super Close up of Logan

Great-Great Aunt Georgia with Logan

Great-Great Aunt Ruth with Logan

Logan hanging out in my Grandpa's recliner

Great-Grandma and Logan playing on the ground

Road Trip

Tomorrow I am taking Logan up to WV to meet his great-grandma Aliff.  I'm excited to take him to meet her and hopefully for him to get to know the wonderful woman that I'm proud and honored to call my grandma.  I've been preparing Logan for the onslaught of squeals and kisses and hugs that are going to be piled on his by grandma, her sisters and various other family members over this upcoming weekend.  I've asked Logan if he's prepared for all the loving he is going to receive.... all he can do is give me a grin!

This past week Logan and I had a temporary new ride for a day.  I put Marilyn (my 4 runner) into the shop for some much needed new brakes and a few other services and we in return were given a LOVELY (sarcasm) GOLD minivan.  A Toyota Sienna.  Now I learned to drive on a minivan (the blue Chrysler minivan my parents had).  That thing was AWFUL and you felt like you were driving around a hippo.  Well my friends nothing has changed.  Still felt like I was driving around a hippo (a gold hippo).  I simply can't see myself driving a van ever.  However I will say 2 good things about this minivan.  #1: the back-up camera.  Genius invention for a minivan.  #2: getting Logan in his car seat in and out was very easy.  Other than that, I just disliked the whole experience.  I forgot to take a picture of my temporary ride, but lets just say it I'm glad it's gone and Marilyn is back and better than ever.  This picture of Logan sums up how we felt about the minivan... the look on his face says... really mom... you are driving me around in that?  (I know that some of my friends have recently gotten minivans so please don't take offense to this post, I am just simply re-stating my desire to not own one or drive one again)

I will have a new post up next week after our trip to Wild, Wonderful West Virginia, complete with pictures of Logan and the whole family.

Here is a cute one from yesterday, where my child decided to empty his stomach contents all over me and the bed...... he's still adorable however!

You Are my Sunshine

Blogging.  Everyone is doing it, so I figured I'd start up too. 

As a new parent of a fabulous little boy, my life now does revolve around him.  I find myself thinking of fun things to do with him and songs to sing to him (it's amazing how I've managed to remember the words to a ton of childrens songs). 

Logan is just shy of 4 months and I am just shocked at how fast these first few months with him have gone.  I was lucky enough to be able to stay home with him for the first 12 weeks and be able to enjoy those first precious months with him 24/7. 

He has grown so much and I think is pretty advanced for an almost 4 month old.  He rolls from tummy to back and everynow and then from back to tummy.  He is not quite sitting up on his own, but if he use the boppy he can sit up for about 5-10 minutes sometimes with the occasional flop from side to side. He "talks" quite a bit somedays and others he's much more silent, but no matter the day he always has a big gummy smile for me when I come home from work.

Sleeping has begun to be much better and he is now sleeping about 4 -5 hour stretches as night, waking only to feed.  Even that is realtively painless, he eats, burps and goes back down without too much fuss.  Now if only nap time was as easy.  He gets himself sometimes so overtired and worked up that he fights taking a nap.  Between mom and I we have been able to learn the signs of when he is tired and try to start getting him down for a nap before he's ready to have a meltdown.

Below are a few photos from the first few months and more to come as I am sure I will have many things to write about as he grows and fills my days with sunshine.