Today was a great day to be a mom! In all the days that something frustrating, exhausting, terrible, overwhelming, you name it happens, it's the days like today that make them all worth while. Bergen and I got up this morning and started our day with Egg Pampakes (that's pancakes). While we were eating, a dog started barking outside. Bergen paused, looked out a window, started patting his chest (his version of signing for dog) and looked back at me. Yes! You're right little one, that is a dog! And I guess you have been paying attention to me as I've patted my leg every time we've heard or seen a dog over the last week. He has repeated me before, but this was the first time bring it up on his own. Mommy Reward: 1 big one - he is learning from me!
We headed to the pool where we splashed and played. After an hour or so Bergen was content to snuggle up on my lap while we drank water and ate some Teddy Grahams before heading home. Mommy Reward: I love it when he just sits with me!
He was so worn out he fell asleep on the way home. As I pulled him out of the car he opened his eyes, wrapped his arms around me, closed his eyes and continued sleeping until I put him down. I didn't want him to take a nap in his wet swim clothes, so while trying to change him he woke up...and off he went to play :) So we got changed, ate lunch, read stories, and then both took a nap. Mommy Reward: I just love when he goes down for a nap unprotested!
After naps Bergen played with toys, explored the house a bit, and I started dinner. Three minutes before dinner was to be done, I put frozen strawberries in the blender to make us a smoothie. By this point Bergen was starving and just needed to be held to avoid any further meltdown (I'm thinking good thing it's almost ready). I push the start button and the frozen strawberries hit the lid like rocks, flinging the lid off, and spewing chards of strawberry all over us and half the kitchen! Bergen is scared and immediately starts an intense cry, and in all the chaos I try everything but hit the stop button. Why it takes so long to do that I have no idea! So can we say big mess to clean up! I sweep and wipe up the floor, all while still holding Bergen, leave the rest and finish getting dinner on the table. I know Bergen is oh so hungry, but he saw the smoothie being poured into cups and he wanted that! Forget the rest of dinner. No joke, he finished off his sippy cup of strawberry smoothie with only taking the cup out of his mouth twice! And I think that is just because his arms got tired of holding it up, and it was only out for maybe 2 seconds. I couldn't entice him to drop the cup for any other part of dinner until he had finished it off. After dinner I cleaned up the strawberry mess from the counter, underneath the cupboard, the stovetop, the back splash, the side of the refrigerator, and the top of the refrigerator. All this time Bergen just stayed at my feet playing with things he had pulled out of the cupboards. Mommy Reward: how nice he just wants to be near me :)
I decided the dishes could wait, they have been started and stopped twice already today, what's a third time. I got the sidewalk chalk and we went to the back yard to play. Bergen made a few marks with the chalk and I drew a bouquet of flowers among other doodles. Bergen crawled around keeping at least one stick of chalk in his hands at all times. We moved over to the slide and he worked on his climbing. He's now figured out how to climb up the 2 stairs and slide down the slide on him tummy, then he climbs back up the slide, and slides back down again on his tummy (still holding his chalk). We also played some peek-a-doo on the slide. His little laugh is so contagious! When Bergen got tired of this he crawled on his hands and feet (bum high in the air) to the trampoline. We were already covered in chalk so I pick him up and we got on the dirty trampoline. He loves crawling circles around the tramp. Surprisingly he knows there is an edge and stays away from it. I pretend to chase after him, or lightly bounce us around. Here again is his contagious laugh! Mommy Reward: When he's having so much fun how could it be anything but pure fun for me?
We spent so long out there it was then time to get ready for bed. I put him in the tub and wash off the day's activities...the smell of sunscreen, black hands, knees, and feet, and a layer of chalk dust. We quickly finished getting him ready for bed, read stories, and looked at an animal book. When I told him it was time for prayer, he lets go of his cup and puts his hands together to pray. Then he snuggles up on my shoulder and I hum him a song before laying him in bed. He gives me a kiss and I give him a kiss. I tell him mommy and daddy love him and lay him down. He snuggles up to his blankets and quietly falls asleep. Mommy Reward: do I even need to say?
See what I mean? Like two peas in a pod all day long! What a great day! I didn't really get anything significant done, but today I don't even care. I got to spend lots of happy time with my baby. Except he's quickly moving from being my baby to being my little boy. Baby, little boy, big boy, I'm just glad he's mine!
