It goes by so fast

When you have a baby, it seems like everyone tells you to enjoy it because "it goes by so fast." But when you're taking care of a newborn all day, barely getting any sleep at night, time certainly seems to drag by very slowly. Yet somewhere amidst those long days and sleepless nights your baby starts to smile, and laugh and develop a unique little personality and before you know it, you don't have a baby anymore, you have a toddler. Bottles are traded in for sippy cups. Crawling turns to walking. Babbling changes into real words.

It's hard to imagine Nathan's first birthday was almost a year ago. Back then he was just learning how to walk, whereas now I can barely keep up with him when he runs. At this time last year he was only saying a few words here or there, today he announces "Mommy go pee pee in the potty" to anyone who will listen.

Somewhere between last April and now, my toddler turned into a boy who plays with trucks and pretends he's an airplane. For all those people who told me "it goes by so fast", they were right. How can he be turning 2 when it feels like just yesterday we left the hospital, scared and completely clueless? It doesn't feel that long ago that I was waking up every single night at midnight, 2, 4 and 6 to nurse a tiny little baby.

During the past 2 years, Nathan has grown and developed so much but he's not the only one. Will and I changed too. We became stronger, happier, and more content. Nathan has taught us to slow down and enjoy life, a lesson I will forever be grateful for. Before Nathan, we were always on the go - always planning our next move but now we are more aware of what's happening at the moment. We have learned to appreciate the present and not be so concerned with the future.  Nathan has challenged us in more ways than we could have ever imagined and as a result, he has made us better people than we were before him.

In just a few days, Nathan will turn 2 years old. So until then, I plan on cherishing every moment with him, because I just know 2 is going to be a whole new adventure.

Nathan did his laundry today and this is what he was left with.
Apparently the dryer has no mercy....he'll even steal socks from a 2 year old.

Food tastes so much better

After you've rubbed it all over your face!

Splish Splash

I have nothing to write. I am just posting these pictures so I can look back someday and remember how freakin cute Nathan looked in the bath tonight!

Cooling off period

Normally, when I get into an argument with someone, there is an obligatory cooling off period. Whether it be the silent treatment, or a dramatic exit, there is a clearly defined amount of time that I separate myself from the person who just got me so upset.

Until I calm down. Until they calm down. Until we like each other again.

That is not the case when the person you are arguing with is your 23 month old son. This afternoon, after Nathan screamed at me, took a swing at me, and then proceeded to throw himself on the floor screaming "No, Mama" over and over again, I didn't get to walk away and remove myself from the situation. Instead I had to pick up his thrashing body and physically remove him from the bedding aisle of Marshall's. I was "that mom" carrying "that child" out of a public place while dying a little inside of humiliation.

Once we got outside, Nathan seemed to forget about the whole thing - cheerfully pointing out dogs and airplanes through the window the whole drive home. I however was still "in a fight" and really didn't feel like chatting.  But no matter how I was feeling, I didn't ignore him or give him an attitude. I cheerfully agreed with him, "Wow, that is a big doggy!" He was willing to move on quickly so I had no choice but to do the same. I guess that's a good life lesson; to move forward and not hold grudges.

(But secretly, inside, I may or may not have been thinking "I don't really care how big that dumb dog is.")

The power of manipulation

Tonight Nathan ate trees for dinner. It's one of the only ways I've ever gotten him to eat broccoli.

The other night we ate peas and carrots very loudly and very obnoxiously, like monsters.

Sometimes the only way to get Nathan to do something is to manipulate him. As bad as that sounds, it's true.

With his 2nd birthday quickly approaching I am having anxiety because he still uses a bottle. He will drink water and juice out of a cup but when it comes to milk, it has to be bottle and it has to be warm! How did we create such a diva???

I've tried every trick in the book to get this kid to drink milk out of a cup.
Chocolate milk - Nope.
Adding pureed strawberries to it - Nada.
Mixing it with yogurt. - Zilch.
Putting it in a dinosaur cup and calling it monster milk - Fat chance.
Mixing it 50/50 with water - Doesn't fool him.

If anybody has any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them. The only other thing we can think of is to just pack away all the bottles one of these days and make him go cold turkey.

How many miserable days will it take before he caves and drinks cold milk from a cup??
Who will cave first, him or me??
Somehow I will manipulate this child into drinking cold milk from a cup...right???

5 minutes

That's how long it took for Nathan to break off the new child lock we installed on the bathroom drawers.

Nothing keeps a man away from his hair products.