Yes, this topic has been done to death by every "mommy blogger" on the internet. But it's my 25th post AND, after my last post, I hit 2500 total pageviews, so it seemed appropriate! Thank you to all those who read my ramblings...I am finding it so much fun AND therapeutic!
Some will be funny, some will be cheesy, some will be cliches, some will be heartwarming. Much like my mom experience itself!
And we're off...
1. The smiles. Every single one of them is precious, from Reagan's (still) gummy grins to Madison's silly "cheese" face.
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| And cheesy ones... |
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| And messy ones too! |
2. The cuddles. They both have a bit of an independent streak, but they both love to snuggle.
3. The laughs. Both girls have the BEST giggles.
4. The clothes. Little girl clothes are probably the cutest things in the world. You can have a girly girl, a preppy girl, classic style. Pants, dresses, shorts, bathing suits...there is NO END to cute little girl clothes. And because they grow out of them so quickly, I'm able to indulge my shopping cravings often - from Target to Gymboree!
5. The compliments. I will never, ever, tire of hearing how cute, or well behaved, or sweet, or smart my girls are. Even when I know it's not completely sincere, I love hearing validation of what I think of them every day.
6. Greeting either girl after ANY amount of time away from them - from getting them up from a nap to picking them up from the church nursery to Madison's very first drop off class. It is DELICIOUS to see them so happy when we reunite.
7. Watching them grow and being amazed, even though I see them every day, about how suddenly it seems to happen. The other day Madison was wearing her jeans and a t-shirt, but with her hair back in a ponytail and listening to her talk, with inflection and full sentences (oh who am I kidding. She's her parents child. She talks in paragraphs.), she suddenly seemed like SUCH a big kid and less of a baby! And Reagan is sitting up, playing and interacting and trying to crawl! Isn't she my BABY???
8. Being the one who can comfort them. Both of my girls have gone through some pretty un-fun medical things, and all they want is their mommy. I hate that they go through it, but I love that I can make it better.
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| Madison during her ear/neutropenia time |
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| Reagan in her harness |
9. The toys. Yeah, they are the girls', not mine. And they've completely taken over our house. But I've built some pretty cool towers out of MegaBlocks and those classic wooden blocks. There are some pretty awesome toys out there now. When Adam and I "Santa shopped" last November we had so much fun picking stuff out.
10. Nursing. Some women love it, for others it's a chore they do because they're supposed to and they feel obligated, some try and can't continue, some never start and never regret it. Not a battle I'm getting into here. Personally, I love that bond. I love the closeness I have with my babies, that private time in the middle of the night (even though I didn't always cherish it at the time). When I accepted that Madison was truly DONE, I cried.
11. The TV. Yes, I know. But come on. Some of the shows are stinking adorable. Yes, there are some I can't stand. My solution? We don't watch those. I control the remote. We watch the ones I think are cute.
12. Watching the girls play WITH each other. Yes, already, they don't always play nicely. But it's so sweet to watch them actually play together - with the same toy!
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| They don't always share (Ok, Madison doesn't always share). But it's fun when they do! |
13. Toddler pronunciation, syntax and accents. It's so cute. Madison speaks pretty clearly, but there are still words that just come out in her own little adorable way. Adam and I will go out of our way to ask questions that will have an answer she'll say in her own brand of toddler-ese (for instance, when she walks around with her pack-pack). I also LOVE how she'll have a random Southern/British/Boston accent. For reasons that we can't figure out.
14. The giant hug and the "Sorry Mommy" I get when Madison is released from time out. It's almost worth whatever misbehavior put her there.
15. How the mundane becomes fun. Washing dishes. Doing laundry. Clipping coupons. It becomes such a fun game when seen through the eyes of a toddler who wants to be just like mommy or the baby who loves all that fun crinkly paper.
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| Helping wash dishes. There is a picture of Reagan clipping coupons with me, but I can't find it anywhere. If I do, I'll add it. |
17. Bath time. It's at the end of the day, and we're usually all tired, but my girls are true Mommy's girls, and they love their tub time. I love watching them splash and play (even when Madison thinks that stealing the rinse cup means her hair won't get washed).
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| Taken by Daddy up above! |
18. When the girls acquire a new skill and I just think "WHEN and HOW did you learn that?". From putting their own binkies in, to Madison climbing into her booster at dinner, to Reagan starting to become mobile.
19. The friendships my girls have encouraged me into. I have friends I've made solely because of the timing of our children's birthdays, but who I am thankful for every day.
20. How having the girls and wanting the best for them has inspired ME to be a better person.
21. Sneaking into their rooms to check on them every night and watching the sleeping positions they get themselves into.
22. Watching Adam turn into a Dad. If I have any readers who knew him in his youth, you know what an amazing thing it is to watch - just how much he loves these little girls and how much fun he has with them. (Don't tell him I said that. He doesn't read this blog and is always worrying about what I'm saying about him.)
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| I don't want to hear a word from anyone about their shirts. This picture shows a Dad who loves his girls. |
23. When the girls fight over my lap. Usually it's Reagan who is already there and Madison trying to stake her claim. But when Madison's the one there Reagan will reach out to join us. I love fitting the two of them there.
24. Reading all my old favorite books...from Angelina Ballerina to Goodnight Moon. I can't wait to get to some of my other old favorites!
25. How much closer it has made Adam and I and how much stronger our marriage is now that we are journeying together as parents. We definitely know how much we need each other!
It's great to look back and reflect on the moments you truly do love. The girls may be challenging at times, I may occasionally whine as I reach for my wine, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything.
