MY NEW BLING

I have been wearing this necklace that Khage made me for two days now.

Well, I cant get anything passed you now can I?

Your right it isn't exactly a necklace but a hair clip attached to an elastic headband. Its a little on the janky side but also quite charming. Clearly he didn't spend a lot of time crafting it but when I put it on he said I looked beautiful, and frankly I'm pretty hard up for compliments these days so back off while I ride this sentiment train for all its worth. And at some point he also used the adjective "adorable", and nothing else makes you feel ten years younger then being called adorable. You cant buy that kind of age reversal in a bottle people.

And now I'm anxious for Khage to go to kindergarten. Hello necklaces made of food. I can see me now looking so glam in my jewelry made of fruit loops and dry macaroni noodles, both equally stylish and totally edible. Don't be a hero and say dry macaroni isn't exactly a delicious snack... can you say ramen noodles in junior high? No one was preparing their ramen back then, it was all about the uncooked noodles. That used to be the lunch for champions, unless of course you had P.E after because it was a little on the heavy side with all it's starches and no protein.

But edible jewelry is for later, right now I'm content to wear this little gem and be adorably beautiful in my son's eyes. And don't think I didn't see that lady in front of me at the grocery store eye ballin' my new bling. Back off lady it ain't for sale.

Or maybe it is, try the hair care aisle.     

ONE YEAR OLD

A few special facts about our sweet girl:

Her desire to scream is at an all time high

She just found out she has a birthmark on her belly and she grabs at it all the time

She tries to put on her own clothes

She will cry when we try to bring her back inside the house from the backyard
Out of no where she has started fussing in her bed before falling asleep
She nursed for one day short of a solid year
She refused to nurse the morning before the day of her birthday

She eats the food off the floor better then she does off her own plate
She is cutting her second molar

She loves avocados and cheese

She will not eat apple sauce from the pouch but will eat it fine from a spoon

She is becoming incredible saucy when we tell her no or take things away

She will lean over and give her babies a kiss

But she is all types of stingy when WE ask for a kiss

She has finally started saying Mama again
She calls Khage Dada
She still sucks on her fingers when she's tired or sleeping
One day we asked her to go wake brother up from nap and she knew to go upstairs and into his room to find him
She gets bonked, hit, and falls down all the time but never bruises

and

We cannot believe the first year of her life has already come and gone so quickly, and as much as we look forward to watching her become our little girl we will surely miss our sweet little baby.

MY SPIN ON THE SILENT GAME

Would you guys judge me if I taped my sons mouth shut for most of the day? Of course you would, I would judge me too... but then the room would be filled with nothing but silence and judgment would slowly fade away into bliss. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place over here, and the rocks just sitting there talkin' my ear off. Something's gotta give. Maybe we could make a game out of it.

The silent game? Don't make laugh, that game only buys me a good minute thirty before he's back to talking, I need something more.

I'm seeing our own weird rendition of piñata. But the blindfold wouldn't cover his eyes, but strategically placed over his mouth instead.
And there wouldn't be a stick.
Or a crepe paper covered animal.
And definitely not candy.
So not at all like piñata.

Obviously I'm not fully committed to that idea. I'm pretty open to suggestions at this point in the brainstorming process. And double points if its travel friendly because once I am stuck in the car with Chatty Kathy it only intensifies.  When he goes to gasp for air in-between words I jump at this opportunity to crank up the music and then I think I have finally gotten him. Oh how silly I can be... he's persistent and wont be going out that easily. He refuses to tap out simply because the radio is trying to drown him out... his indoor voice slowly raises with every volume increase until he's borderline yelling at me from the backseat. So by now the radio is blaring and so is Khage, I'm backed into a corner until I admit defeat and turn the radio off to hear him better.

What I need is one of those limo interior windows, you know the ones that separate the driver from the passengers? And their soundproof. Yes, that is what I am in the market for. My problem is solved.

Sorry Harlyn, your on your own.

A LETTER FOR HARLYN

Harlyn,

Tomorrow is your first birthday and as exciting as that milestone is I can't help but feel sad. It's hard to put into words how incredible this past year with you has been. It was your brother who first made me a mommy but it was you who softened my heart. Everything is so much sweeter with a girl and everything with you is just a little bit brighter. You shine my love, oh how you shine. Already I can tell that you will light up rooms and be the cause of so much happiness. You may be our scrawny little thing but your personality is enormous. I beam with pride when I think about all the people who will be affected by your happy spirit. I gave birth to a reason people will smile and nothing makes me prouder. Your sweet grins while you slept and your crazy hair had us smiling from day one, and now I look forward to all the many more ways that you will bring joy into our lives. We are more then blessed to have been given you, and I will never stop thanking God for that gift. You may be a big girl now but my heart will always know you as my baby.  Harlyn, Harly Belle, Missy Mae Mae... I hope you always feel the abundance of my love.

 

Love,

 

Mommy

 

 

 

 

*I don't care if your 12, 25, or 35 when you find this letter buried beneath stories of our family through blog posts, please come find me so on this particular day I will get to hug my baby made of sunshine.

11 MONTHS OLD

A few special facts about our sweet girl:

She has one molar

She can take off her own diaper

She still naps twice a day and refuses to let me eliminate one of them
She got her first freckle on her left knee

She is always trying to share her bottle or feed us food off her plate

She thinks its funny to smack people in the face

She pulls out strands of her own hair and then eats them

She will lean over and kiss her baby dolls goodnight

She uses little moccasin style shoes outdoors and walks in them perfectly

Her drool ruined my phone
She gets frustrated in dresses because she gets all tangled in them when she's moving about and playing

She rarely says Mama and Dada anymore

If you tell her no sternly it hurts her feelings and makes her cry
She walks like a drunk E.T.

She is still wearing some 9 month old clothes
She is such a happy girl... until you tick her off and then she just screams a lot
She loves putting things in containers which makes clean up with this one a breeze
and
I refuse to believe that she is getting any older because she still very much feels like that baby we brought home from the hospital such a short time ago. I don't know if its because we don't want to let her grow up or if its her scrawny size that prevents our minds from looking at her like she's grown at all.... either way this little sweetie will always be our baby.