last 2015 post

...unless I am inspired later today to write more but chances of that are unlikely. My boys are upstairs sleeping soundly after a very early morning and perhaps feeling the aftermath of Christmas and the family celebrations that surrounded it. 2015 rolled in quietly, I can't even remember what we did to celebrate last year at this time but know that we slept through the actual ball dropping. Our first NYE together we fell asleep on the floor of our recently moved in apartment after a little bar crawl. Tonight will be much different! 2015 - the year that we became parents, slept less, snuggled more, spent so many hours marveling at our son and watching him process and learn and grow into the super little human that he is. I never want to forget how he sleeps best with his face smooshed against mine, with his left thumb in his mouth and his fingers on my lips/nose/ears, how he has started to clap about any and everything and takes everything in just like Dan and I do. The year that we became homeowners in the town that I grew up in and worked to make this space ours. The year we celebrated our first wedding anniversary amongst so many other life changes. We became suburb folks - waiting in line for the Starbucks drive-through and making too many trips to super Walmart and Home Depot. We didn't travel out of the country or even much within it. We didn't win any awards or receive huge promotions. We loved and cried and learned very quickly that we can't take our, our sons or our families health for granted. We did the best we could, trying this or that and googling 'what to do if/when.' We realized how hard it is to juggle and searched for balance and sanity and naps. We grew. We became responsible. We are someone's whole world - and he is ours. What a year. Can't wait to see what the next one will bring. Feeling super blessed to be sitting exactly where I am looking out my front window and relishing in these few minutes of quiet before my loves wake. Happy new year!

My amazing ten month old

I have been blown away by just how much a little someone changes in ten months. Kyle is engaging. He is smart. He mimics sounds (his favorite being the tea kettle). He waves hi and bye when he merely hears the words. I can hand him cheerios to the back seat when we are driving down the road and feel his little hand grasp them and feed himself. He self soothes by sucking his left thumb almost every chance that he gets. He laughs - deep and freely. He pulls himself up quickly and walks around the ottoman or whatever he can. He's delightful and sweet and handsome and I know that I am his mom so chances are I am a little bit bias but other people have told me these things too. He is loving and curious. He hates to get dressed and sometimes fights sleep. He's a fun meal time companion and will eat pretty much anything. He pays attention to books even though he tries to eat the pages. He is a joy spreader, a life changer, a day maker. He recently learned how to do "so big" and loves to show his new skill. He is a master at motor boating his lips and can almost have a whole conversation by doing so. He is super fast and can get across the room in seemingly lightening speed. He is oh so lovable. He is worth the wait. And I can't believe that I even had the slightest thing to do with creating such a precious soul.

Kyle's first Christmas season

The (fake) tree is up. In the corner of the living room in our new home. Its a bit crooked and only half of the lights are working but the sight of it incomplete and imperfect still have me grinning from ear to ear. I'm watching Kyle in his sweet Dashing Through the Snow penguin gear play in his pack'n play which doesn't really happen often. Christmas carols are playing and we are headed to our first holiday party tonight. Breakfast with Santa is tomorrow morning and then we are planning to head to Bass Pro with the masses on Monday to see Santa. Tis the season. Someone made the comment to me last week that Christmas 2014 was my last Christmas. Now it is all about this sweet little guy with the bright and easy smile, with the strawberry blonde hair and stubborn but loving temperament. He's changed everything - so of course Christmas will be changed as well. I love seeing his fascination with even the smallest things - like the displays in Walmart or Home Depot. He loves the lights. Strangers in the store. We will find out soon about Santa. 21 more days until Christmas Day. Its hard to believe that 2015 will be ending soon after. And a brand new year on its heels. 2016 - wow. The year that Kyle will turn one, where we might not have quite as many life changes but maybe some more settling in. I so love this time of year. The smells and sights and sounds. The electricity in the air and the simplicity of it all. The magic of the season and getting to share it with my little creation.