Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Dear Lulah {month 11}

Dear Lulah,

Dressing for bed after tonight's bath and I realize...

Low and behold, your thighs are shrinking!

It's true.  That outer shelf is less a shelf.  The inner rolls creeping farther away from each other.

Not surprising though.  You pull up on everything and love to walk assisted by grown up hands or objects you can force along with you.  Your exercise level has certainly increased ten fold this last month.

The first signs of curl have made their appearance.  The little flip in the back.  Daily it seems to grow longer, more length flipping this way and that.

Your vocabulary has increased by the word Uh Oh.  It is ridiculously and utterly precious.  You've also upped your babble game.  Always with oomph and purpose.  Often imitating the rhythms of our words.

Your two middle teeth are almost completely visible when you smile.  Soon, no more fangs.

Lulah, you've been really fun this month.  You laugh more.  Able to pick up on subtle moods of those around you.  You love being surprised and chased and you love being 'gotten'.

Next month you turn One.

With that, there is the expected mourning of losing my baby.  Moving away from me being the source of your everything, being able to protect you from so much more than I will be able to with each step forward.

But the glimpse of who you're becoming?  Those glimpses are becoming stronger and more visible each day.  And Lulah, they fill me with so much joy and excitement.  I can't help but smile about what's ahead of us.

You my dear, laugh loud, smile big, relax with ease, communicate passionately, and you love well.  So, so well.

Love,
Mama



Monday, February 17, 2014

Snow days and baby season

Being 'snowed in'  is not much different then this season I'm in now.  My daily routine defined by new restrictions.  The inability to freely come and go on any whim.  It seems snow and babies have that in common.

And as with both, babies and snow that is, I can choose to focus on how they force my plans to change and can fester a feeling of being stuck.  Or, I can focus on the beauty of a completely new landscape and enjoy the magic that something so fleeting can bring.

And magical it certainly is...babies and snow.



Oh, and you know that moment when an almost 3 year old is cold and wet and tired and ready to go inside and take a break and a certain father thinks that it would be the perfect moment to bombard her with a massive snow boulder...?