Nick + Lauren: ): March 2013

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Some days are better than others...

After work yesterday, I arrived at daycare to a face that looked like this:

(Ugh. That faces makes me want to cry!)

It wasn't quite this red at 5:00 p.m., but it was puffy and sad and rosy. It was clear that Hudson had a fever (up to 102.8!) and would NOT be going to daycare the following day...today.

Today was a long day. I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to try to work a little bit before Hudson woke up. Around 6:00 p.m., I found myself laughing as I realized that today was NOT my best day. I thought about how I could focus on all of the things I did NOT get done, but I decided to focus on what I did get done instead.

Some parts of my day were actually productive. Some parts I listed just because they prove that today was not my best day, and they make me laugh because they seem ridiculous when I reflect back them:

logged 7 hours of work - 3 at work while Butch watched Hudson and 4 from home)!
~~didn't take a shower before going into work and wore a hideous outfit that will be donated once I have a chance to wash and dry it.~~ pulled off second-day hair paired with a random outfit that happened to not be as wrinkly as other options.
~~ate chocolate chips off the floor~~ saved chocolate chips from the trashcan. (I only buy one bag of chocolate chips every two weeks, so every chip counts. Who cares if there was a little dog fur mixed in?)
did not wipe Hudson's hands after Callie licked them because he was acutally eating and her licking made him happy. (I decided that having him eating and smiling was more important than a few dog germs.)
~~allowed Hudson to eat Cheerios off of the living room floor~~ fed Cheerios to Hudson. (Again, it just seemed more important that he was eating at all!)
put the dog in her kennel for several hours because it was "too hard" to pick up the toys that Hudson had so kindly given her throughout the day.
picked up the living room - twice.
picked up Hudson's room - twice.
ran a load of laundry in the washer.
emptied the dishwasher.
mostly reloaded the dishwasher.
convinced Hudson to take a nap.
made pancakes for dinner.
caught myself saying, "Hudson, I did not buy you organic blueberries so that you could feed them to Callie."
took a shower.
gave Hudson a bath.
FaceTimed with Nick so that he could see Hudson.
convinced Hudson to go to bed (after pleading with him for over an hour!).
posted Hudson's "Twelve Months" blog post (It has been ready for like two weeks, but I did not want to publish it until I remembered to add his height and weight!)
stayed up way too late writing this post so that I don't forget moments like these!

By the end of the day today, I had a face that looked like this:

Mission accomplished! The most important task on my to-do list for the day (a.k.a. take care of sweet Hudson Bob so that he is happy, safe, and healthy) can be crossed off...for today at least. I was not Super Mom, I was not Super Wife, and I was not Super Employee, but I did manage to take care of my sweet, sweet baby.

Today was definitely a day where it was tough being a mom, tough being a working mom, tough being a working mom who has had three snow days and one sick day in the last 12 work days, and tough being a working mom whose husband has been traveling a lot lately. While it was not my best day, it reminded me of how thankful I am for Nick, our supportive family and friends, and my flexible job. It also reminded me that my main job is to take care of Hudson, that everything else will fall into place, and that it is okay to laugh at myself along this journey of motherhood.

Twelve Months - 1/18/13

1.18.13

Weight: 23 pounds, 6 ounces (60th percentile)

Height: 30 inches (58th perecntile)

Size: 12M and 18M

Little Nee Nee,

My oh my! My little baby boy is twelve months old...ONE. How is this possible? I told myself each month that time was flying by because I was counting by weeks and months. Now that you are 12 months/one year, I will only count by months a little bit longer. In a blink of an eye, you will be 2...3...4...5. Before I know it, you will go to kindergarten! Time must slow down!

I kind of felt like you turned into a little boy this month. Your face looks more grown up, you are learning so many things, and - now that you are walking - you are so strong on your feet. You're even on the verge of talking!

In addition to walking on your own - EVERYWHERE - this month you started to clap and wave when you heard the words - SO cute! You clap, clap, clapped at dinner, in the car, and for family and friends! We also became confident that you know the meaning of "Dada" - SO special: ) "Dadadadada" is your favorite thing to say, and you love to point at "Dada" while you say it!

Auntie Lisa was here for Christmas, so you got to spend lots of time with her! I took the whole week of Christmas off from work, so we got to see her several times - including for Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and a trip to the Plaza! It was SO SO good to spend time with her and with other family in town for the holidays!

You continued to be such a great little shopper - so patient! You also continued to love to read before bed. Most nights we read three books, and sometimes you wanted to read two or three more! This month you loved some of the books you got for Christmas: Tails, That's Not My Puppy, and That's Not My Train.

I realized this month that I spend less time wondering about what your next day will bring and spend more time thinking about what your future may hold. When you examine the wheels on your stroller or on one of your cars, I catch myself wondering if you will be an engineer, and when I watch you look through books, I catch myself wondering if you will always like to read. I read somewhere that you are like a little researcher at this age and that you are learning every second as you explore the world around you. I love watching you learn and grow. No matter what you do when you grow up, I am certain that I will be proud of you!

We had only a few rough moments in your first year, and I am pretty confident in saying that this year will always be one of the most memorable and most special years of my life. I never could have imagined how much I would love you, and I am blown away each day at how my love grows. I tear up all the time at the sweet things that you do. I am trying so hard to slow down and be in these moments with you because I know that time will continue to fly by, and I want to remember these special times we have together.