Little N

Balloon Races

/ TheMomWore / Leave a comment

I debated about taking the older two girls to see the balloon races this year. I figured that I’d take LB and C Bear, and leave my husband with Little N at home. But then I thought it’s early, I’d be on my own, it would be a lot of walking with stuff, etc., etc. I was ready to do it, but after talking to my husband about it, I decided against it. We’d wait one more year we decided. Then our plans changed. We got a pass that would allow us to park inside the park. Less walking. So it was decided Friday night, that we would all go, and we’d to the whole thing. Glow Show, Dawn Patrol, and Mass Ascension.

Friday night I went to the store and bought doughnuts and little containers of milk to take with us in the morning. I also packed our wagon, blankets, and diaper bag the night before. Then I woke up at 3:30 am on Saturday, woke up the husband, and we proceeded to pack the rest of our stuff including hot chocolate (made with milk, yum) into our minivan. We then woke our kids up, packed them up and were on the rode a little after 4:00 am. We live about 5 minutes from the park were the balloon races take place, but our parking pass dictated that we drive around the park to the other entrance. And guess what, there was traffic! So much so that it took us roughly 30 minutes to get parked and out of the car. We found pretty good seats for the Glow Show and Dawn Patrol just outside the field where the balloons actually launch. After Dawn Patrol we packed everything up in our minivan (seriously the best car around) and headed to the field to watch the balloons launch. It was so neat to see, and to share with my girls. Little N kept yelling “balloon, balloon” and LB and C Bear figured out that they could run around and get balloon trading cards.

Overall it was worth it, if only to see it through my daughters’ eyes. It never gets old to see all the colors and balloons. I don’t think we’d go again though until our girls are old enough to walk. If I’m going to sit in my car for a half hour, I might as well walk.

A Letter to My Daughter on her 1st Birthday

/ TheMomWore / 4 Comments

Little N,

Today you turned one. One year ago at 4:44 pm we welcomed you into the world. It was a little rough. You see, you were a big baby; 9 pounds and 14 ounces to be specific. You got stuck at the shoulders, but with the help of nurses pushing on my stomach we got you out. You were a healthy and beautiful little girl. We kept you swaddled because your right shoulder hurt a little, but by the time we left the hospital you were feeling better. Once we got home, your two older sisters couldn’t wait to hold you and give you love. It was love at first sight for them. Over the coming months you tolerated their kisses, forced hugs, and holding with varying degrees of patience. Sometimes you screamed to let them know you were not happy.

You are a happy girl and smart. You started walking before you were one. Now you are playing in the playroom like a big girl. You don’t sleep through the night though you were a decent sleeper when you were younger, but around six or seven months you started waking up two to three times a night. It was hard. Thankfully you are only waking up once during the night. It’s much easier. You’re harder that way than your sisters. LB slept through the night at around 10 weeks, and C Bear woke up only occasionally and always went back to sleep after nursing. I can’t get mad at you though. You give me the biggest smile when I come to get you in the middle of the night. It melts my heart and helps me forget how tired I really am.

You are quick to smile, but also quick to make sure that your sisters don’t run all over you. You complete our family. You love to play outside, and just today you got mad that we let the dog outside and not you.

I’m writing you this letter to let you know that I love you. I don’t have as much time to document your first year as I did with your two sisters, but I want you to know that I love you just as much. With LB I pumped exclusively and during those lonely sessions I worked on her photo book. She has the most complete documentation of her first year. But she was our first, and so it was a lot of trial and error with her. C Bear had the benefit of being second. We knew what to do. Nursing was easy, and we weren’t afraid of taking her home from the hospital. Her photo book doesn’t have as many descriptions and wasn’t completed until after she was one. I wasn’t too tired with C Bear and I stopped working full-time when she was born. I have maybe one page of your photo book done, but I promise it will be done. I’m tired and your sisters demand a lot of my time. But you have the benefit of being last. I savored your baby months. Your sisters adore you. Your daddy adores you. Each child is different I’ve learned and I hope that I’ve given you all that you’ve needed in your first year.

Love,

Mamma

 

 

 

P.S. I filled out your first year calendar just like your sisters, and took all your monthly photos. 🙂

7 Months

/ TheMomWore / Leave a comment

Little N is seven months. Wow. Time sure does fly. I’ve noticed that the older I get, the quicker time has gone by. I’m convinced that it is the same way with kids. I feel like Little N is growing so much faster than LB or C Bear. Sure she got her first teeth months before her sister, but the baby phase seems to be going so much quicker. Maybe because I know that she is my last one, I realize that I will never get to have the baby snuggles again. I’ve been trying to savor this baby time, but it’s bittersweet to think that it will almost be over.

I think this nostalgia has been brought on by the baby clothes. Little N has grown out of her six months clothes and so I’ve had to get out the nine month clothes. In that plastic tub is not only clothes, but memories that I have of my older two wearing those clothes. I realized that this is the last time that I will dress one of my daughters with these clothes. It also means that I will need to sort through them, keep my favorites, and give the rest away. Ugh. Even though I love all my old baby clothes, I love that Little N has her own clothes too. Each month when I take her picture, I try to make sure to dress her in her new clothes. It’s silly in some ways, but when I show her her pictures I want to be able to show her that she had some of her own clothes.

A little about this picture. Little N is wearing her new outfit that she got for Christmas from Nana. I love those leggings!  But those blocks! If I had to do it over again, I would NOT chose blocks. Posing this kid with the blocks has been a pain. They are also a pain on their own to photograph. As you can see, it’s hard to read the 7 months.  I really liked LB’s onesies that had the month on them. No decision about what outfit to wear or how to pose the blocks. And now a little about Little N. She is growing fast. She is crawling now, has two teeth, and has started eating solids. She loves butternut squash and bananas. She is trying to pull herself up to stand. She will be walking before I know it.