Life Goes On…

Now that my son is a year and a half, I’m finally starting to feel like a mom of a child, and not a mom of a baby. I feel like there is a key difference here. With another boy on the way, Due May 21st, 2018, I have really been pondering the differences between the two stages of my life.

My main goals are very different now. When Edmund was born, the M.O. was: Keep baby clean, keep baby happy,  and keep baby alive. I was the milk machine and he was my main and very regular customer. I was the servant, he the demanding master. He couldn’t do anything for himself, so it was up to me to make my child’s life either a beautious paradise (Which I, of course, did!) or a horrid misery. But it doesn’t stay that simple.

Now, Edmund is a walking toddler with things like OPINIONS! (Gasp!), feelings other than happy and sad, and more love for his doggies than his parents sometimes. My job as a mom has shifted. When Edmund throws a fit, we have a time out and we talk about how we can be sad, but not go around throwing things and screaming. Now when he wants something, I don’t accept the wails and moans that obviously mean I’m not meeting his need fast enough for him. He must stop with the whining, say please, then wait with a good attitude for me, then say thank you afterwards. He can now walk, so I have to enforce boundaries. (Fun, fun, fun!)

When we have nasty hot dogs for lunch, he wants to drop them in barbecue sauce and then ketchup. And I just let that happen, because who cares? (Edmund. Edmund really cares.)

Basically, I am now trying to love, raise and disciple a growing boy.

Having very briefly seen both sides of baby/toddler parenting, one question I think of is: is one side easier than the other? I would say, not a chance. I have a one year old who I have loved since I knew he was coming to the family. But I love being a parent rather than a outright servant. I love that Edmund talks to me, has a guilty face, has opinions for himself, and responds to my love. I would say that I am not sorry at all to be here. I love this stage even though it means a ton more patience and humility than I ever imagined.

Being content where I am is a wonderful feeling. But, with the knowledge that another boy is arriving soon, also comes another question:

Am I willing to be a parent and a servant at the same time? I’m not sure I’m ready for that, but it’s coming for me. Ahhhhh!

P.S. Does it make me extremely happy that Edmund has more double chins than me in this picture? Yes. Yes it does.

 

My Baby is 9 Months…

Many people told me the time with Edmund would fly by. They said it like it was something to lament over. But every time I heard this statement I thought, “I hope SO!” I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be changing diapers forever. I do NOT want to be waking up every night at 4 am. I don’t like having spit up all over me all the time for ETERNITY!”

Well, I get it now. Mothers who say that aren’t thinking about all the bad stuff. For some reason, the mommy’s brain is wiped clean of all that in one sentimental second and suddenly only the good times remains prominent. My brain fogged up with happy baby giggles, sucking on toes, and his sweet face as he drinks his milk. But now, I feel like my baby is growing up. He now crawls all over the place, stands up in his crib when he is supposed to be sleeping and shows his likes and dislikes. What happened to the bundle of flesh that I had before that ate, slept, played and cried?

Well,But then I realized that isn’t about all the bad stuff. For some reason, the mommy’s brain is wiped clean of all the bad and suddenly only the good remains prominent. I know this because it happened a little bit to me. I feel like my baby is growing up. He now crawls all over the place, stands up in his crib when he is supposed to be sleeping and shows his likes and dislikes. What happened to the bundle of flesh that ate, slept, played and cried?

It came to me just this past Monday. I was over at a friend’s house during nap time. She laid her little infant onto the bed and left without a care. My first thought was that it had been a long time since Edmund ever stayed put. Well, then of course, that got me thinking how long ago that really was. Actually, it was just a few short months ago. Of course, this made me feel like time had passed all too quickly, and now my baby is gone. When was I turning into one of THOSE moms?

Through all this, as Edmund grows and becomes his own little self, I find myself enjoying his new accomplishments, but I’m also somehow feeling a little guilty as well. Did I enjoy him not walking enough? Did I spend enough time with him when he couldn’t crawl? Did I miss any of his big achievements?

Thus far I have learned, in Edmund’s 9 months, that I enjoy him being more mobile (Though I am finding out all the places my house IS NOT baby proof now), and I am enjoying his new sense of independence. (Though the tantrums are not a nice side effect.)

But will a parent really ever be on top? I have my doubts. I just need to parent faithfully, trust God, and I know that will be enough.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like…

Merry Christmas from our Family to yours.

Christmas was wonderful this year. We were so glad to have Edmund born this time to fill in any conversational holes that might stretch on with the rellies and add to the general cuteness factor. It is safe to say that Matthew and I were by no means the center of attention, and I rather like that my baby is so admired. What can I say? Edmund is the finest thing I have ever made. 🙂

Before Christmas, C.H.E.S.S. hosted a teacher appreciation banquet. Edmund was, of course, out in style. It is kind of sad that we didn’t find more ways to show off this cute outfit before he grew to fa…large. (Edmund, dear, if you are reading this post 14 years or so, know that your mum never thought you were fat.)

We spent Christmas Eve and New Years Eve with the Aden family. It was very lovely.  Really, nothing could be more lovely than eating good food, giving presents, and playing games. Great-Grandma and Grandpa Aden gave Edmund the most adorable Santa suit.

I personally think he looks much more jolly than any old mall Santa.

Edmund is especially astute at cards. I’m sure he helped Grandpa out a lot! In addition, the fact that he is looking and not touching/chewing the cards here is quite a big deal.

Did you need another angle? I thought so.

We spent almost a whole week up with my family up in Monument.

We didn’t get many pictures of us all together but we did have fun.  I did get a picture of just us three over the New Years visit. I had just gotten my hair cut short when we took this.

I feel like that smile on Edmund’s face is pure mischief. No?

Well, that’s the end of a beautiful holiday. Onto the next post. 🙂

Walking in a Winter Wonderland…

eyesMy little chunk has seen his first snow already. The cold and wet white stuff falling down from the sky didn’t really seem to phase Edmund much at all.  He touched it and looked and looked with a lot of interest. However, posing for pics was another thing altogether. Mom and I did get some really nice photos of our snowy romp into the great outdoors.

I am so glad Edmund has his daddy’s!

In other accomplishments: Edmund can now sit up!

Though his balance is sometimes a little off, Matthew and I see him growing stronger every day. Matthew set him up on our big master bed and was surprised to see him stay up on his own. Of course, we got pictures. He seemed pretty happy with himself.

 

He also loves looking at pictures. (I think that is an achievement. It close to reading right? ;-))

 

Edmund finally rolled over on camera! Here is a cute picture of him in action!

Also, among Edmund’s many other talents, one of his favorites is sucking on scarves. He was wrapped in a black one recently that made him look like a much less menacing ring-wraith than the ones portrayed in The Lord of the Rings. I wish he could only have come earlier to try out for the part. I think he could have added a lot of depth and dramatic cuteness to the role.

Though there are no more updates I can think of at this time, I shall leave you with a little more cuteness!

Arrg!

Uncle Timothy and Uncle Noah. Babysitters at my service!

Thankful For….

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. There is so much to be thankful for. Maybe changing poopy diapers, dealing with lots of Edmund’s spit up,  and doing the never ending loads of laundry wouldn’t seem likely to make the list. However, Matthew and I are choosing to look at the happy side of things. This time last year…We found out we were pregnant. 

I remember that last Thanksgiving morning I just didn’t feel like myself at all. We decided to take another test to see if that was it. (The last test was negative.) The results were very positive! I was so excited to tell EVERYONE! I texted Carolyn, who was in London with Tessa at the time, and Nicole, my good friend. Matthew stopped me after that. I agreed to tell no one else except our immediate families until we were sure that I could indeed carry life. This didn’t work out so well since I was had a hard time keeping it to myself. Everyone ended up knowing long before 12 weeks.

And now Edmund is here. He is such a happy, 4-month-old boy! I am sure Matthew and I have our work cut out for us, but I am SO happy to not be pregnant anymore. He has already rolled over, though never on camera. He is laughing more than ever and, as parents, we see it as our personal duty to make him laugh as much and as hard as possible. He especially likes being ticked by Matthew’s beard, being whizzed around like an airplane and having his feet touch his cheeks.

This Thanksgiving day was spent with Matthew’s side of the family. I tried my hand at scalloped potatoes, which turned out really well. The family played games and watched Edmund do his Edmund thing. He was awfully cute (in my humble opinion)! (Which is very biased.) I found out there was such a thing as four-way CHESS and four-way four-in-a-row. I also discovered that the Aden family (including the newest addition) are excellent grazers. There was so much amazing food that went into all of us over the course of the afternoon that I’m surprised that we all fit back through the door again. I am very thankful that time with my in-laws is very enjoyable. We surely do not lack love and support in any way! This is something to be most grateful for!

Now that thanksgiving is over, bring on to Christmas Cheer!

Bowling with the Family…

The family went bowling this past weekend. Jesse has a girl, Ashleigh, who came to bowl with us. They only met a few short weeks ago, but she has shown her tremendous courage by voluntarily meeting most of the family within that time. I found out today that she doesn’t like red chili either, so I think that with such good taste going for her, she will fit in nicely. 😉

This would be Edmund’s first bowling experience. I doubt he was very thrilled at the prospect. His absent minded mother didn’t think about the fact that feeding time might be drawing near right about the time the first game started. This meant for an interesting feeding experience. I think he enjoyed hanging out with his Grandma and Grandpa though. I got my best game score EVER this time around. I still can’t believe I got over a hundred. I had to take a picture of the score board because I don’t think I shall ever have a repeat performance.

A few days before, Matthew and I went dancing at the Baker Ball. We had a blast and are sad the dances are ending. These dances were a big deal during my high school years and now it hits me again how much life has changed: A few minutes ago I was a freshman begging to take classes at CHESS, and here I am graduated from college with a husband and a son. In a couple more blinks I’ll be loosing my teeth and wondering why no one ever visits me at the home. (Well, hopefully not. :-)) I pray that by the time I’m an old, widowed, knitting, cat lady, Edmund is big enough to take me in. He already has a good start on the growing up part.

He is growing to be a very fat and healthy little manlet. He has an overabundance of chins and quite the little milk belly that just begs to be poked and tickled. One of my chief delights is making him laugh and smile. He especially loves being sung to and read to and I do both often. ‘I’m a Bow-legged Chicken’, ‘Deep and Wide’, and ‘Be Thou My Vision’ are a few favorites already. He can now sit up with us at meals, provided he is in his little Bumbo chair. He grabs onto things (like hair! OUCH!) and brings them up to his outstretched tongue to test them out. He apparently finds hair and spoons to be acceptable, while plastic bowls and felt hammers are definitely OFF the menu. 🙂

Matthew continues to work on his Masters in Educational Leadership. Though it means that he works most nights either planning for CHESS classes or working on his CCU classes,  he and I find peace with the knowledge that all his amazing work and sacrifice shall pay off in the end.

I am also trying to broaden my horizons. Thus far, I have loved being a stay at home mother to Edmund. It is such a joy to spend time with him while having few other commitments. But all good things can’t last forever. I am still going to be a semi- stay at home mom, but I am looking at substitute teaching/tutoring at other schools nearby to earn a little extra on the side for before mentioned masters program. I am rather excited at the prospect of teaching in the classroom a couple times a month and I don’t think Edmund will mind spending more quality time with his Aunty every once in a while. I hope that I can honor God in my teaching and caring for my family.

 

From Generation to Generation…

I think my journey to getting all these generation photos has, thus far, been really rewarding. Since, of course, I never grew up with Matthew’s side of the family, I have really enjoyed getting to know his more distant relatives. The most recent photoshoot was with Edmund’s Great-Great Grandma (Carrie Aden). She is a very lively lady who enjoys telling stories about her life in her home community. I hope that when I am at such an age, I will have a good memory. (But then again, who doesn’t wish for that?)

I really appreciate this picture with all five generations represented. I don’t remember exactly what was so funny in the first one, but I like the joy that I see on everyone’s face. Well, except Edmund’s of course. He wasn’t feeling the joyful spirit at that particular moment. I believe he was just hanging on to the last threads of wakefulness.

P.S. Nice arm Chauncey. 🙂

Edmund’s Baptism

We were so blessed to have our family come out in full force for Edmund’s Baptism. We were sure packing pews this morning because both his and my immediate family came as well as Grandma and Grandpa Aden and Grandma Cassidy. We certainly felt lots of love as our beloved son was proclaimed a disciple of our family. (No pressure). Of course, we won’t do it at all perfectly. That is why it is so meaningful to have the support of the family along the way.

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It was really, all around, a good day. After service, we all trouped over to a park where we ate tacos and fellowshipped. I finally got some family pictures! I am really on the warpath when it comes to taking pictures now. I have become quite the sentimental sop. It some ways I know that this part of myself is annoying to others, but I hope they appreciate it when they look back with fondness at that long distant time.

Enjoy!

Like Father, Like Son…

Matthew and I are thankful that we could go to my parents house for a visit. Matthew was gone all weekend to Glenn Erie for a leadership conference.

But I, I got to can tomatoes, watch ‘The Flash’, and eat Mod pizza with the family.  I really am enjoying catching up, but I am starting to see a theme. They keep looking at me and telling me one of two things. 1. Your baby is so cute! You make good babies. 2. I can’t believe you are a parent!

I have to say the latter one still shocks even me! Who would have thunk that I would be married with a baby right now. I think it still needs to sink in. It doesn’t seem weird when many of my friends all up and got themselves married. And of course it wasn’t a huge surprise when babies followed. But now,  I’m not babysitting anyone’s child. I’m responsible for my very own little one: showing him the face of Christ. That’s a heavy weight when you think about it. May God give me grace.

While we were here, I got the opportunity to take Edmund’s 2 month picture along with some great photos of Matthew and Edmund together. I thought they were pretty rad. We are so grateful to have had Edmund for the past two months. 🙂

How To Take Care of a Baby While Sick…

You will need:
A baby

A Hubby

Step 1. Catch a germ/bug/virus/air-born pathogen. *Stay away from anything toooo deadly or life threatening. It’s just not advantageous for the ol’ bod.

Step 2. Once your sickness has been carefully handpicked and chosen, come down with a fever of 102 degrees and crash into bed and sleep for two hours. Is baby taken care of? That is what hubbies are for. Your throat is now aching, your head is now pounding. Thank the Lord for Ibuprofen!

Step 3. Have husband wake you up every three hours, at least, to nurse. Dat baby ain’t gonna feed hisself! But don’t touch him. Or breathe on him. At all. Because that would be bad. You don’t want the baby to get anything with a fever attached to it. (What were you even thinking of getting a virus with a fever in the first place!?)

Step 4. Next morning, tell Husband you are just fine and have him go to work, because he kinda has to still do his job and bring in the dough.

Step 5. Continue the day in a zombie like existence, but don’t forget to wake up every time baby cries in order to comfort him, feed him, burp him, change him, bath him when his diaper explodes, and wish for the sweet, sweet relief that only can be found in dea— SLEEP. (I meant sleep).

Step 6. Finally call doctor. He is probably going to tell you its best to come in the next day.

Step 7. Wait till the next day. Go into the doctor. Now he will probably tell you there isn’t anything you can do but wait till the sickness takes its course because you are breastfeeding. But still don’t breathe on the baby. And wash your hands.

Step 8. Have awesome mom-in-law come over so you can finally get some more sleep and slowly start to recover.

Step 9. Be a good mom and just get over it when it becomes inconvenient to do life, teach, and be sick at the same time.

Step 10. Go to the park with your sister and have a good ol’ time. Thank goodness you are feeling a little bit more energy.

Step 11. Go home and find Husband there with a bad head ache and a low-grade fever. *groan* At least you weren’t both down and out at the same time!