A few days ago, you turned 5 months old. My sweet, sweet, sweet girl, you are officially my favourite baby. Don't tell your brother or sister, although if either of them had any memory of their first few months of life, they would probably understand. And really, while we're on the subject, 99% of babies would be better than Colin was so beating him out in the favourite category is really nothing to brag about. Beating Addy though - that is something for the books. Your sister was by far my BEST sleeper. I woke (and really still wake) her up from every nap and in the morning pretty much every single day. That being said, as good as sleeper as she was/is, we all in turn became a slave to her nap as her napping needs became very specific. She really would only nap by herself, in a dark, quiet room. When she was able to sleep, she was a happy baby. If for any reason we weren't home at nap time or were late getting home, oh my. You, are a perfect hybrid of a solid sleeper who at the same time can handle being tired and handle waiting.
You wait a lot. The fact that you wait so patiently and happily is the best gift you could ever give me. Life around here would look A LOT different if you did not grace us so wonderfully with your ease. I have heard numerous people tell me that third babies pretty well live in their carseat. Although I wouldn't go this far with you, you do spend a lot of time in it, especially on nursery school, swimming and skating lesson days. You have gotten so comfortable in there that it is the only place you poop anymore :).
This month you started eating solids and as per the theme of your general life so far, you caught on with ease. There are days that you eat a lot and days where you purse your mouth shut so tight there is no chance of getting the spoon in. Every time you reject the meal it makes me think how my perspective on things as a Mom has changed so much now that I have had 3 kids. If Colin had rejected a meal I probably would have gotten extremely frustrated, attempted to FORCE him to eat, and then panicked that he wouldn't sleep, as a result of the missed meal. With you, I simply get your message and go on with our day. I now have the experience to really understand that as your mother, I can't force you to eat and really, I can't force you to sleep. Obviously there are things I can do to lead you down the right paths of eating and sleeping, but ultimately neither can be forced. It is amazing how liberating it is to accept that. It's too bad I couldn't have done it 4 years ago - would have saved myself a lot of worry and a lot of googling!
Your Auntie Heather and I were talking the other day about the fact that our kids probably won't remember anything about the things we do or the places we go at this time in their lives. We talked about how we work so hard to create fun moments and the fact that none of you will ever remember it is sometimes a little sad. Personally, I really only have a small handful of real memories of my childhood. My earliest childhood memory is being at Disney World in 1988, on the Dumbo ride and looking down to see my Mom, your Grandma, buying a soft pretzel from a food vendor. I have no idea why that memory has stuck around, but for whatever reason, it is there. Even though I don't remember much of anything else, there are two reasons why I know for sure that I had an amazing childhood. For one, quite simply, there are pictures. I am trying to make sure I provide the gift of documenting our lives as well, through my Project Life books. Secondly, and much more importantly and complexly, there is the feeling. The feeling of fun, of joy, of family and of love. Even though I don't remember the exact things we did or the places and things we saw, I know for sure that through it all, we had so much fun. The specifics are blurry but the overall theme is there - we loved each other and we genuinely enjoyed spending time together. I can honestly say that these two traits still remain (at least on my end) within our original family, and also has extended to our extended families. There is nothing more that I want for you and your brother and sister than to have that same feeling about your own childhood. The desire for you to feel the same makes all the planning worth it. It makes the the energy it takes to haul three kids across town to Great Big Adventure worth it, it makes saving up for big trips and adventures worth it, it makes scouring Pinterest for the next fun craft worth it. As you three get older, the list of things we can do as a family gets longer and the adventures we can experience together get bigger. I am so excited for each and every moment and hope that the moments we create, although individually may be forgotten, add up to the happiness and fun that you three (and every child for that matter) deserve.
Aub - it is such a privilege to be your Mom. You are the most perfect addition to our family and in every sense of the word, have completed us. Every month that passes allows us a few more sneak peeks into you - what makes you tick, what makes you smile, what makes you YOU. Honestly, I don't think there is anything as a Mom that gives me more joy than to see my kids becoming themselves. Even the parts about your brother and sister that drive me crazy are so uniquely them that I can't help but secretly enjoy it all. As this life of ours unfolds, day by day, it just makes sense that you are a part of it. As much as on some days, it may seem as if you are just in the background, often overshadowed by your siblings needs, schedules and voices, I can assure you that in my heart and in my soul, you are just as important and just as intertwined in to what makes my heart beat and my soul ache in the best way possible. You make everything exactly the way it should be.
Here's to you at 5 months new.
Love,
Mama
xoxo
Posts
