Amelia Island

Amelia Island, Florida...Our first vacation with just the 4 of us. Spending a week together with just the four of us was better than I could have imagined. Spending a week in Florida at a family friends house, just off the beach, in upper 70 degree weather... well that is just perfection. It even made up for the through the night drives down there and back home.
  To Florida, we thank you for: all 4 of us sleeping in the king size bed, spending literally all day on the beach, ice cream cones every evening in the adorable ice cream shop downtown, putting the girls (and Jameson) down for naps by taking walks on the beach, seeing Lucy pickup seashells and Vada in a bathing suit (holy baby rolls!), "Pain Killers" every night, breakfast at Ms. Carolyns, catching up with family, endless discussions about why we don't live near the beach, the memories.

   We made most meals at the house, did very little shopping, no sight seeing, and basically just relaxed. In everything we do we try to teach the girls to live simply. This vacation was perfect for that. I can already see that this family will be spending a lot more time on the sand by the sea as our girls grow. Lucy has asked dozens of time to go to the beach since we have been home. And Vada still has the sun kissed glow on her chubby cheeks. I can already hear the call of the waves...

Vada at 8 (and a half) Months!

Our little beauty is now eight and a half months old! I typically try to get these things written closer to the month markers but here I am two weeks later. I am somewhat glad I waited, though, because just today Vada popped both of her bottom two teeth up! After the the last three days I was waiting for some achievement in some area so needless to say, I was thrilled when I felt those two little ridges on her bottom gum line. Vada had certainly not been her usual, joyful self and could not seem to be comfortable or comforted by anything. I am wondering if her high needs also are a sign she is about to take off with crawling. She has it down but only will make two moves on the floor before sitting back down. She has been trying to pull up on the coffee table and the toy box. I am in NO hurry to get her moving, however. I am perfectly happy knowing exactly where she is at all times right now. I thought she had finally found her taste for food but now we are back to the tight lipped, hand smacking, stubborn little woman who refuses anything but mama. Jameson and I are planning on just skipping the purees from now on and moving right to over cooked finger foods since it seems she is happy picking up smashed pees and green beans. Vada has become a much better sleeper lately and will easily go from 8 to 1:30 or 2am most nights. She likes her own space because after nursing she is restless in our bed until I move her back to her crib. With the arrival of this beautiful weather, Vada has found a new favorite past time in swinging and playing outside on a blanket. Mainly pulling up grass and eating leaves. Hey, I guess she does like to eat something!  She continues to be the happiest baby you ever did see, before the hour of 6pm. She is already a morning person and I look forward to the days she and her Daddy can get up and hang out while Lucy and I sleep in :) She has started waving bye bye and even attempts to say it at times. The fake coughing continues to get people laughing so she likes to pull that out when she is feeling under noticed. She has become the master water splasher in the tub and starts kicking and flailing her arms as soon as I turn the water on.

Vada, your family is so in love with you. Seeing your smile can brighten any and every day. Lucy loves to take care of you and now asks to play with Vada Belle which melts my heart. I know you two will get to be closer and closer the older you get Belle. Right now you are a mama's girl which I would not change for the world. Keep smiling Vada Belle!

Easter

We did a really bad job of getting enough pictures on Easter this year. Wish we had... family photo, sister photo, egg hunt photos, some documentation of the mountain of chocolate that Lucy consumed on this day, an audio recording of her telling me her belly hurt so maybe she will listen to herself in the future if not me. Missed all that but I refuse not to capture them in their new bathing suits :)

A Morning with my Belle

 I could have come home after taking Lucy to a friends and done laundry, or cleaned, or the endless other undones laying around the house. Vada would have been fine to play on the floor as I picked up toys that not three hours later would be back out of place or clean the kitchen that as I write this needs yet again to be cleaned again. But... I didn't.

  We walked around one of my favorite of all towns. Her wrapped against my front, pom-pom of her hat in my face, coffee in hand, just the two of us as it never is. She looked out of her mama-vada coccoon and took it all in, alternating between squealing with delight and humming her pre-sleep song to me. And, of course, gave her tight lipped, face consuming, eye squinting smile to anyone everyone who we spoke to. Then she snuggled into me as she hid her face; again, that little secret she only shares with me. We caught the simultaneously amazing and offending smell of the church fish fry beginning in the street behind the church. We shopped for things we knew we wouldn't buy. We talked to the dog in the back of the truck parked along the street. For the morning, we acted like she was my only.

 I had packed my camera. It stayed in the car. The morning was ours. Our little secret.

To Lucy, On Your Second Birthday

There is so much I would want you to know; how you are now is so apparently who you are meant to be so I want you to know how Daddy and Mama know you at this point. In case, someday, you ever wonder or second guess yourself. To see how the people who love you most will always remember you from your beginning.

    There really are no accurate words to describe you, since every word that comes to mind you are both that and the opposite. You see, you are not the typical 2 year old. I know, every mother thinks their child is special and unique, but you have no idea. Just last week, I opened the cabinet and let you pick your lunch. You chose tuna fish, wasabi peas, and grapefruit. You are already done with potty training and only wear a diaper over night. I am sure other moms don't believe me, but we seriously did not push you. As you probably know about yourself, if it is not your idea, it is not happening. Maybe that is why you refuse to sleep through the night, still. Luckily, you have a pretty awesome Daddy who doesn't mind coming and snuggling you at 2am. You are fiercely independent, only when you want to be, which I now see as another side of independence. (See, that is the thing. You have made me stop and re-examine things I thought I knew thousands of times in the past two years.) At times, you dive into a new situation and claim it as your own. For already, you are a show stopper. Both your beauty and your charisma steal people's attention and not a day goes by that someone does not comment on the little woman that you are, even strangers can see it Lu. On the other hand, you are so attached to Daddy and I, and already your baby sister. It is as if you have found the perfect balance already, at only two. You know that your family will support you and you can always come to us for reassurance but you also know that you want to do things on your own. Your most used phrase right now is "My do it." But your second most is "Help me." I hope that whoever you choose to surround yourself with in life, these two phrases remain. That you find people both that you can stand up to and be yourself, and that you trust to be your help when you need them. You already have 3 of us.

   You challenge me in every way possible. At the end of every day, and some days by lunch, I am exhausted. Just like I said above, you make me re-evaluate things I wouldn't glance at twice before; both myself and the world around us. Your innocence and constant wonder allow me to see the world through your eyes as I attempt to teach and discover things with you. But boy, do you push your limits. Some days it seems as if every thing we ask you to do, or not do, you do the exact opposite. Some people may assume you just don't understand what we are asking of you, however your tight lipped smile and obvious struggle to suppress a laugh tell us otherwise. Daddy says you are exactly like the Sour Patch kid candies... First they are sour, then they are sweet. I just think you are just like Daddy :)

   You are already the caretaker of the family. Maybe it is because you are the oldest, but honestly I don't see other kids your age with the sense of awareness for others that you possess. When you are given a drink or treat, you make sure to ask for one for Mama or Daddy, or your cousins when we are all together. When people give you a kiss or hug, you make sure Vada Belle gets one too. When you ask to read a book,you make sure your sister has a toy to entertain herself. You love to feed Otis, scratch Mama and Daddy's back, nurse your baby doll, kiss your sister. You really do care about other people and when we spend time with anyone and talk about what is coming up in your life, you ask them "Come with me." Always include people, baby girl. Never make anyone feel like they don't belong. Our family is a mix of relationships, ages, and situations but anyone who comes in the door is part of it, if only for the day. Do not lose this essential part of who you are.

   Honestly, I think you could take over my job any day and do a damn good job at it. You narrate every thing I should be doing next, all day long. If I am helping you with your coat, you tell me to get Vada's hat. Frustrating at times, but it proves just how much you are learning and relying on me to show you the way. That scares me. Knowing how much responsibility lies in me to be an example for you completely overwhelms me when I think about it.  I pray I will be the best example of a mother and woman I can possibly be for you. I know you will see my every achievement and every shortcoming. I hope you see more of the achievements. But don't overlook the mistakes. I will be honest with you where I failed, so you will do better. I don't want to be perfect, I want to be real. I know, for better or worse, I will be the woman you use as a gauge for yourself and any other woman you meet and I hope when you think of me, the better wins. I strive every day to be the kind of woman and mother that will make you proud to call me yours.

   At this point, you love going anywhere and have started asking to go shopping. You put on your make-up, correctly, any chance we get near my bathroom. We are still working on the less is more concept in this department.  You love to bake cookies and pull up a chair next to the kitchen aid when I ask for your help. You ask for a necklace or bracelet when I am putting mine on and my high heels are rarely in the closet when you have a few minutes to yourself in our bedroom (the shoes you picked up and put on when we went to DSW make my mom-of-17 -year-old-Lucy-self CRINGE). When I ask you to pick out your clothes, it is usually a dress and fancy shoes. It seems your favorite food is bean soup, your favorite books are Olivia the Pig, your favorite show is Dora or Elmo, and your favorite place to be is in your swing.
  I did cry on your birthday. Not as much as your 1st, but still. I want you to know now, on the first year I write you a letter for your birthday, that I have a reason. I want you to know that you were loved, and watched, and that the little things you did were the things that made my life worthwhile. I cherish the day in and day out that we spend together and that my reason in recording and writing to you is so you know that I did not take a moment or memory for granted. I took a lot of pictures, I wrote a lot of stories. I never want to embarrass you but I never want you to question that we wanted you, every day with you, and maybe we are selfish with your time, but one day you won't want us around every minute. And then all we will have is our memories, and these letters,  while we lie awake waiting for you to come home. But you will not be in those red, five inch, patent-leather pumps that you tried on when you were two.

All my love,
Mama

Lucy's 2nd Birthday Party

We celebrated Lucy's 2nd birthday by having a paint party! Naturally, when the day came, Lucy had no interest in painting and spent the first part of the party outside in the swing with her Poppy. She eventually warmed up, got her face painted and got in the spirit in time to paint her cupcake with icing. We also had pretzel sticks dipped and splattered with paint, paint brush rice krispie treats, homemade ice cream, and dirty paint water to drink. The weather was beautiful so the kids were able to play outside in between activities and everyone was able to take home the canvas they painted and a painted canvas cookie favor . We kept the party small since we had so much going on but Lucy is so blessed to have so many people surrounding her that love her so much. Thank you to the family and friends that came to celebrate with us and all the others who wished her a happy birthday. 

3/7/2013 On this day...

     On this day, Lucy crawled up the stairs to me with her coat in hand, dressed in her hat with shoes on the wrong feet. She told me she had picnic basket downstairs and that she was going outside with Otis. And she had cheese too. "Can you help me?" As I helped her with her coat, held her hand down the stairs and saw her grab her water cup and packed picnic basket, my heart went ahead and jumped right out of my chest and packed itself in that basket right in between the car keys and nail clippers; I guess you just never know. She walked to the door and told me to stay here with Vada Belle. As i closed the door behind her and her adventure with Otis, and without me, began, I heard her saying "Thank you Mama. Thank you Mama."
     I cried. I could not stop. This little lady who can dress herself and pack her own picnic and go on adventures outside without me, when did this happen? She used what I taught her; hat when it is cold, water cup when we go somewhere, always pack a snack, but she wanted to do it herself.
   As I watched her wander around outside through the windows of the house, I told myself to remember that moment. To know that one day, she won't just be going outside with Otis, she will be going on life adventures and telling me to stay here. I hope she  does exactly what she did on this day... use what I taught her, ask me to help when she needs it, and  have the confidence to do it on her own, with gratitude for me letting her.  And cheese isn't a bad idea either.