Then and Now Part Two

Yes folks it's back! I have created a follow up to my previous list of then vs now: the comings and goings of my life as a mommy vs my carefree childless days. My new list explores the comings and goings of life with a baby vs life with a toddler. (Some scenarios might be slightly over dramatized.) So for all of my new mommy friends, in order to prepare you for what is to come and to remind myself how life used to be, I give you then vs now: baby vs toddler edition!

Leaving the house then:

Place clothing on baby and load slumbering baby in easy to carry car seat. Throw light as air diaper bag over your shoulder and head out the door.

 

 Leaving the house now:

 

Fight over the importance of wearing a jacket when it's raining out and explain that the doggies cannot come with us to the grocery store because they will eat all of the food on the shelves. After 15 minutes of back and forth on the jacket and the misfortune of the doggies having to stay home, grab child-sized backpack with crackers, fruit snacks, apples slices, raisins, and grapes. Realize after you get on the highway that your toddler wants blueberries not grapes you inconsiderate fool.

Going to the park then:

Walk at a relaxing pace with baby in car seat/ stroller attachment. Place baby in a swing and you are met with sounds of glee.

Going to the park now:

Sustain incessant wave of "are we there yets" and "I'm hungrys" until you get to the playground where your toddler will refuse to do anything but go on the slide meant for 12 year olds or throw wood chips dangerously close to innocent eyelids or proceed to set up a dictatorship to decide who gets to ride on the merry-go-round.

Feeding then:

Smash up any fruit or vegetable of your choice and watch as your baby happily ingests their nutrition.

 Feeding now:

Anything that is not a carb or bread like substance is the devil and must be eliminated by throwing it to the dogs or spitting it out on the floor. Vegetables are greeted as if they are nuclear remnants from a reactor explosion.

Dressing them then:

Wrap baby in the folds of a cute onesie and they are good to go.

Dressing them now:

Don't even THINK about that thermal with the hearts on it or those grey sneakers because those will be met with rejection (read: 20 minute tantrum). My advise, set out the opposite outfit you want them to wear in hopes that they will rummage through and pick out the outfit you DO want them to wear.
 

Changing situations then:

Show your baby a new toy or shiny object and they will forget about what they should not have.

Changing situations now:

Those scissors were OBVIOUSLY within reach on the far side of the table so OBVIOUSLY the toddler knows they were meant to have them. No shiny object, not even the glisten of fruit snacks will distract them from their new best friend Mr. Scissors and you are the wretched soul that tore them apart which shall NEVER be forgotten.

Bedtime then:

Rock your sweet baby to sleep within 30 blissful minutes.

Bedtime now:

If you make it past bath time, teeth brushing, and pj selection, place toddler in bed and gently remind them they cannot go to sleep with every book in the house. Spend an ungodly amount of time whittling down the bed library to two books and quickly head for the door before the dreaded words leave their lips "I need water."

What I Need to Do for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a time for rest, reflection, and most importantly spending quality time together as a family. There I just summed up every sentimental Mother's Day blog post and article you will read so you're welcome. To be honest, the past two weeks have been very stressful and difficult for many reasons. But from them, I have taken away something for myself  that I would like to work on. You see for this Mother's Day, I am giving myself a homework assignment, really a life assignment I guess. I know WORK on Mother's Day?!?! But bare with me for a moment.

My mind has been encapsulated in a dense fog for the past two weeks. I keep finding little moments, little beams of light, moments of clarity where I can focus on the amazingness of my child. Since I have been so busy and so mentally exhausted, I have realized the true importance of making the most of the moments I have with Emma. I keep whining on here about how I am so sad she is growing up and yet I feel like I am letting that all pass me by. So my assignment to myself is to really live in the moment and make sure I am giving her my undivided attention when I'm with her. Our afternoons and Saturdays together are two times I can start focusing in on the sound of her laugh, the way her hair curls up on the ends, and how she sometimes bables incoherently really fast about complete nonsense. I want to work on being able to focus in when life gets hectic and crazy.

That's probably the best mom superpower to have, just to be present for your child (ok making sure to always have awesome, Pintrest worthy snacks could also be considered a close second.) She is the purest form of joy I could ever ask for and I need that in my life more than ever. I have it right in front of me, why not partake in the awesomeness that simply is. So that's what I will be doing this Mother's Day and everyday going forward because we all know Mother's Day is every day.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you currently in the trenches and to those who will soon be joining the ranks!

One More Month

I was suppose to have posted this about a week ago but you get the idea. one month, less a week. 

It's about to happen again, something so incredible, something that looking back I was not even sure how I would make it to, Emma's second birthday. In (now) less than a month, my baby is moving farther away from actually being a baby and it's mind blowing to me. I really thought this year would be different than last in that I would not feel the necessity to throw some grand celebration for Emma's birthday but, here I am in full Pintrest decoration mode. I suppose the love of all things birthday is just something I have been graced with and it seems like my kids will have to endure my excessively obsessive need to overly decorate and party down (read: have an anxiety attack during the 20 minute window the venue is giving us to set up for the party) once every year.

There is also something else coming up, a big milestone that will probably have a more lasting impact on Emma than a mere two hour birthday soiree, she is getting ready to move into the two year old room at daycare (we call it school when we talk about it.) I am really nervous and more than a little concerned because Emma has two of the most wonderful, patient "teachers" right now. Once you have kids and are around kids, you realize it takes a very special person to actually be with kids for 8-10 hours a day and maintain patience and sanity. Emma is lucky enough to have two of those people in here life. I am not as familiar with the two year old teachers, but I am hoping for just as wonderful of a support system.

The other thing that worries me is it seems like Emma has made some little friends in the toddler room. Her classmates are sweet, happy-go-lucky kids but as of June 2nd, Emma will enter the two year old room with all the new kids. I cringe and shudder just thinking about it. I've seen the two year olds staring out the glass door from their classroom looking like toddler zombies ready to attack! They just seem like the "big kids" so confident and sure of themselves. Emma is tall for her age but these kids look like gigantic, looming, toddler Sasquatches ready to stampede you with their opinions. The kids just talk and talk. Emma's current classroom crew is pretty laid back, quiet, and not so judgmental. So I feel like once she steps foot in the two year old room all hell will break loose. I don't want my sweet little toddler to turn into a raging terrible two zombie Sasquatch. I want her to always request for me to sing the ABCs and enjoy watching bugs crawl on the ground; all of life's simple things.

I'm not sure if Emma will emotionally have trouble dealing with the classroom change but I will be there for her through it all. I remember disliking going on to the next grade but secretly loving the newness of it all. I hope the latter will be Emma's experience.