Mommyhood

This past week I've been thinking a lot about mommy-hood and Gracie and just all the great things having her has brought to my life. All prompted by our good friends who will be having a baby any day now, I started to reflect on some of our families coolest moments so far. First of all, the first few days after Gracie was born were the absolute scariest yet best days of my life. I simply cannot put to words how I felt holding her, finally getting to see her beautiful face, and learning (with lots of help from nurses!) how to tend to all her tiny needs. That time also allowed my hubby to completely shine in action. Since I had a C-section I couldn't get out of bed for the first 24 hours and even after that it wasn't easy to do , so Josh did just about everything he could. He changed her, held her, helped me whenever I needed anything, and then when Gracie lost a lot of weight he stayed with her in the nursey even though he hadn't slept a wink in days. I can honestly say I love the man more than when I married him!!


My next favorite moment, or more like feeling or thing since Grace has been born might sound silly. I had a really really tough time feeding Grace after she was born and so after three weeks she was %100 bottle fed, which was fine, I always made a point to have either Josh and I feed her, and we cuddled and would make it good bonding time anyway. However, when Grace started eating solid foods I decided to attempt to make most of her baby purees. This consisted of many hours of cooking veggies and soups and different things, puting them in my food processor and then freezing them in ice cube trays. It took a long time and always made a mess, but I can't explain how cool it felt to really make something for her to eat. Like that I was creating her food for her. Like I said that may sound kind of like not a big deal, but I really feel like I got to experience a little bit of what it would be like to feed her myself when she was first born. Anyways, it was cool.

Another thing I was thinking about was teething. Which in most cases is a seriously not-cool thing, at least in our house. Except for the excitement of getting a new tooth, it means fevers, drooling and lots of crying at night. This doesn't happen quite as dramatically as it did the first 5 or so teeth, but a few nights ago I was up with her in the middle of the night. And at first I always get really frusterated because I'm so tired and just want her to go back to sleep, but then I think about how one day I'm never going to get to hold her like that again! And it's just around the corner! She's already a busy bee who doesn't have much time to cuddle and one day she will be all grown up and it will be over! I know that is a somewhat sad thought, but it just really put things into perspective for me about a lot of things. Caring for a baby and then a toddler can be exhausting but once its over its over, and all those sweet moments will be memories! (I know I sound melodramatic and the next age will bring good stuff too..sorry!)

Ok last one, for now. Her birthday. I've always loved birthdays. My parents and grandparents did a great job (and still do) at making us kids feel so special on our birthdays. However I never expected Grace's birthday to mean soo soo soo much more to me. I mean I did know I'd probably be way more excited about her birthday then mine, and excited to throw her a party and all. But as a mom, that day is like so meaningful because you are reflecting on the day she was brought into the world. It was an anniversary for one of the best days of my life, and I was just really surprised at how emotional I got, and how special a birthday really is when you realize it is celebrating her creation! You just don't think that way about yourself!

Well I better cut this long post short, my little creation just woke up and is singing her abc's in bed! (another favorite moment!)
So to end, to our friends Ty and Molly who inspired me to reflect, cheers to whats to come its going to be amazing!!!
-Leslie

Mini Me

Am I too old to use the phrase; "I totally had an OMG moment"? Well if I'm not then I did!
Grace has recently brought to my attention a little habit of mine. It seems whenever I finish a task or get ready to begin one (both big and small) I say either "OK" or "Alrighty". It could be something like opening the car door to get Grace out of her seat, or after I've buckled up and before I've started the car, or after I am finished fixing her plate for a meal but before I serve it to her. And excuse me as I giggle a little to myself but as I am writing this sentence she sat down with one of her toys and said "ok" in her cute little voice before beginning to play with it. It seems as though it is somewhat of a transitional phrase for me. In fact I must have used these two words soo much because she now says it before I get to it, almost ALL of the time!! So now, I am actually getting out of the habit because I rarely get a chance to use my little transitional words. My point from all of this is that I realized two somewhat cool but also really scary things; one she listens to me, and two she might actually turn out like me!! OMG!! I better pay attention!

Are we there yet????

When will we be there yet?


I hung out with a friend of mine while in Bend this past weekend and I realized how seriously human I am. Josh was taking his big Physical Therapy Exam in Redmond, he did great and passed and is now officially a certified PT! Whoohoo! So while he was taking his test Grace and I went out to breakfast with our friends Mary, and her son Grant. These two were really our only friends while we were in Sisters and we were so glad to catch up with them. While we were eating breakfast Mary asked how it was to be where we are, Josh with a new job that he loves, living in Corvallis, finally earning money, looking at houses etc.. and I realized at that moment, that I wasn't happy yet with our situation, I didn't feel "there" yet. Most likely because we are living with my parents for the summer, which has been great and a true blessing. But I think I thought we would magically find a house and be able to buy it the same week that Josh found a job. (And that buying a house would somehow put us somewhere we've been waiting to be)

Anyways what struck me was that we have been waiting to be where we are right now, for like ever! For Josh to have a job and be done with school. Often (VERY OFTEN) over the past 3 years you may have heard us start many sentences with the words "when we're done with school" or more likely "when we have a job" ...... and I think I imagined life to be suddenly better, not that it was bad in school, but like we would have arrived somewhere, like life would be more figured out or something. We have all these dreams and I put them all on this shelf for later, for when we get there. And I'm sure I did the same thing before I met Josh, "when I get married" and then it was "when we have a family" WHAT ABOUT NOW???? Why do I constantly find the need to live in the future? I think that what I have discovered from this is that I don't think we will ever be "there" yet unless we are content being "here" now.