Tuesday, June 26, 2012

7 Months

Birdie is 7 months. I longed to post height and weight stats and how he didn't cry when he got his shots, but alas, we don't have another check-up until 9 months. So...

Instead, I can report on how he can get from one side of the living room to the other side just in time to tip Honey's water bowl over. I can talk about how every time I take out my camera he stops, poses, and smiles for me because he knows what it's all about. I can mention how he follows his big sister around and thinks most things everything she does is funny.

But, mostly, I could just revel in our lazy/busy (yes an oxymoron) days of summer so far and how much we are enjoying each other.

photography /pho-tog-ruh-fee/: the art of capturing something fleeting; chasing time. Holding that which cannot be held. Motion made still.



Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

I Knew I Was Meant To

Since the day I have come home from the hospital with Logan, Joe (bless his heart) has gotten into the habit of slipping downstairs in the morning to feed the kids and begin getting them ready for the day. This affords me an extra 30-60 minutes of 'sleep-in' time. It may not sound like much, but when you are up at night nursing, changing diapers, and tending to a 2.5 year old that woke up from a sound sleep and has no clue where she is, those extra minutes have been heaven.

This morning, however, was different. Logan woke up a little later and as I fed him in the day's light, I realized I was, for once, wide awake. I gave Joe a pass this morning and went downstairs to start the day. After the morning stuff was done, I sat Logan on the floor and I plopped down beside him. I put out his favorite toy of late, and then he... crawled. Sure, it was more like a solider in a ditch kinda action or a worm sliding on dirt, but it was forward and it was intentional. 

I love how my kids wait to do their firsts in front of me. It's like they know. The gift of this morning was not lost on me and I knew I was meant to come down early today.

Thanks Birdie.


Captured the second time around.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Mommy Paint

Those who know me know that I love to paint. Not pretty pictures but rooms. The prepping and the taping part not so much, but the painting part very much yes. There is something so transformative about painting. Sort of an out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new feeling that I get once those new strokes of color cover up the old.

As I touched up the paint in the final room in our house to be repainted, I wistfully recalled painting Birdie's room. His room was very hard next to impossible to get in order. Think 1950's wallpaper upon 1930's wallpaper. Picture wallpaper glue upon glue upon GLUE. Envision sheets of drywall coming off with each pull of the paper. It was truly a nightmare. After many weeks later (and a little cursing and yelling), we managed to pull together a room that was fresh, vibrant, and worthy of welcoming a little one into its nest.

Painting got me to thinking how much it is like motherhood. Being a Mom is like having every layer that you thought you had built up being stripped down until you are a puddle of mush as you gaze into your little one's eyes. Being a Mom is like weathering the smell of paint, sometimes you don't want to do it because you know it's going to be hard, but you know the end result is gonna be good so you dive in. Being a Mom is knowing that as quickly as you can apply a fresh coat of color and your room can change before your eyes, so can your children as they grow and flourish. Being a Mom is like starting with a color, deciding you don't like it, then choosing a new one, because you are allowed to make mistakes. Being a Mom is like matching your brushstrokes around the walls of the room- meeting up with yourself on the wall where you started and now end, because that feeling of completeness is the same one you get from your children. Being a Mom is like sitting in the shower scrubbing paint off yourself and knowing that it was so worth it to get yourself dirty.

Having recently celebrated a birthday, a friend asked me if I learned anything new, anything I was 'wiser' about. "Yeah", I said. "I never underestimate the power of anything anymore."

And yes, that can include the drying of paint.

Birdie's Room