Thursday, June 2, 2011

today is a double post kind of day...

   Now that I have gotten that small rant off of my chest, I feel like doing a 360 and telling you all about the absolutely wonderful and amazing day I had with Jack!
   So it started off like pretty much any other day: we woke up, ate breakfast together, played for a little while, watched some Backyardigans (his FAVORITE show), took nice two hour nap together, ate lunch together, splashed around in the pool for a little bit, talked (and babbled) with some people on Skype, watched more Backyardigans, and then the REAL wonderful part of my day began!
   I brought one of my pots and a wooden spoon into the living room for Jack to play with, along with a tupperware container and a big plastic cup. I showed him how to bang on the pot with the spoon and once he got it down, he just sat there... banging away! Then he played with just the spoon for a bit and went back to the pot. Well, instead of hitting the pot, he accidentally cracked himself on top of the head with the spoon... twice. He looked at me with a confused look and made a little "ehhh?" sound. Almost as if he was asking me, "Am I hurt?" I asked him if he was okay and he crawled over to me, climbed up into my lap, leaned against me, put his head on my shoulder and within five minutes of me enveloping him in a hug, he was fast asleep.
   It was so sweet!!! I felt bad that he'd cracked himself on the head with the spoon, but I LOVED the fact that he climbed into my lap and placed his head on my shoulder like he did! I went and stuck him in his crib and he took a good hour long nap.
   We kept playing for a little bit once he woke up and ate dinner too and before I knew it, it was bedtime. So we did our usual little routine, only there was one thing different about it. After he finished his bottle, he turned around in my lap, and once again placed his darling little head on my shoulder. It was the most amazing feeling in the whole world to just sit there cuddling with my little boy in our rocking chair. He truly is the greatest thing to have ever happened to me!
   There is no way I can possibly explain to you how wonderful it is to REALLY feel affection from your child. Just knowing that all he wanted was to sit there and snuggle with his mommy. Once I realized that he was really showing me what he wanted for the first time, I couldn't help but get teary eyed. He might not be able to say "I love you" verbally, but man... I sure knew it when he laid that little head on my shoulder. I can't even put into words the overwhelming surge of joy I experienced in that moment. It is something no one can ever understand until they have a child of their own and experience it for themselves.
   It was the highlight of my day, and definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life! As for now, I'm going to go get some sleep. It's pretty late, and 9AM comes fast! Good night!

some parents...

   Okay... so today's post is mostly going to be a vent, just a few things I need to get off my chest! There are two "types" of parents that I'm going to cover. I AM NOT in any way saying that I think my parenting style is the best or anything like that. I know I make mistakes and I do things that probably make other parents cringe, but that's okay. As long as I know I am doing the best job I possibly can with raising my child.
   So, what sparked this little burst of outrage was being on one of the parenting chat forums I like to visit every once in awhile (it's nice to read from other moms that you're not the only one experiencing "xyz"). Anyway, there was a mom on there who was "lurking" (on a forum that did not include her child's age) and decided to throw in her two cents about a few different topic. If you are a parent, you should know by now that EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT! And that goes for everything! From eating, to teething, to sleeping, to pooping, to playing, to milestones... EVERYTHING.
   There was one person who was really annoying the CRAP out of me on one of the chat boards I go to. She was on the 9-12 month board, even though she has a 2 year old. We call those people "lurkers." And lurk she did. Which I normally have NO problem with. The times that I do have a problem with lurking, it's because that specific person is being a "know-it-all" parent. So, this is to her:

   Dear Lurker,

     Just because you have a toddler who is older than our babies and you've already been through this age group, DOES NOT mean you know everything about every baby in this age group! I'm really sorry that YOUR child wakes up at the crack of dawn every morning. But just because he does, doesn't mean all of our children will too once they become toddlers. Try adding a little structure to his day and maybe try buying a copy of The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight. There is actually a section on "Early Risers" in the chapter for one and a half to two and a half year olds... imagine that!
   And in case no one filled you in on this, every child is not only different with sleep habits, but they all handle teething differently as well! I'm sorry that your son screams and wakes up frequently at night when cutting teeth. That has to suck. I have a friend who's son is almost two and the only thing he does when he is cutting teeth is become clingy. He might whine and cry a little bit, but that's about as bad as it gets. My son, however, gets clingy and fussy during the day, but actually sleeps better when he is cutting teeth. Notice how each one is different??
   If you don't buy that book, I will have to send you a copy. And if it doesn't work, then I suggest you adjust YOUR schedule to fit your child's needs! Go to bed earlier so you are rested enough to wake up at the crack of dawn with him!

   Thanks.

-C