Our American Tale

Train Time

Lucas and his wooden train set

January 6, 2012

State of Play

Thanks to Christmas, Lucas got quite an upgrade on his toy collection. Now, with all of his big boy toys, it's fun to watch him play and explore in new ways. Lucas is an inspector, so a big part of how he plays at this stage is to thoroughly examine everything he comes into contact with. He turns it over in his hands, touches it with his ever more precise fingertips, bangs it a few times to hear how it sounds... I just adore how you can practically see the gears turning in that little noggin of his!

This walker with wood blocks has been a great tool for him to get going on his feet. He walks across the living room with such confidence! When he does decide to sit down, it's also a great fine motor skill builder!

We have been having a great time building together. Watching him try to stack blocks makes my heart surge with pride. He's also starting to get the concept of sharing. He puts the blocks up to my mouth over and over again and just as quickly as I can pretend to nibble and then hand them back to him, he's grinning and offering me a new block. It's amazing how the smallest things become such big achievements when it's your own child!

We got a new toy box to house all of his playthings, and almost immediately, he figured out how to dig through it. I keep his toys separated in smaller bins, which we rotate through each week, but there are still plenty of loose goodies for him to shuffle through!

January 4, 2012

Project 365

It might be overkill since I post most of my photos here, but I've started a new blog to house my shots for  project 365. There will certainly be some overlap, but I'm excited to see the year unfold a single photo at a time. It'll be a good exercise for me in choosing just one capture per day - as you might have noticed, I get a little snap happy with my boy! Not every day is blog worthy, but it's all part of our story and I want to document it all! It's a big commitment, so here's to hoping I don't miss any days!

Our American Tale: 365

As far as my other plans for 2012...

Dan and I always ask each other the same thing after Christmas: "What are you going to do next year?"

I like that approach to resolutions better. It's not so much a resolution as it is a statement of fact. When Dan asked me a year ago, I had two items on my agenda: have a baby and lose the baby weight.

Done and done! What's next?!

This year, I will run my first half marathon, I will shoot every day and improve my photography skills, I will lose the rest of my fluff, I will go to church more, I will tackle projects from my pin boards, I will explore Washington...

It's going to be a great year!

Nine Months Later: One Belly's Brave Journey

I still remember so clearly the first night after we brought Lucas home. There was so much joy, relief and excitement coursing through my body to have our sweet little boy in our own home at last! But of course, as any mom will tell you, there is also an epic cocktail of hormones coursing through your body that first week that can make you a little bit crazy.

While Lucas slept, I snuck away to take a shower and wash the hospital off of me. I had tried to be kind to myself when it came to the mess that was my postpartum body, but seeing it in the mirror as I got dressed was, in a word, awful. There were tears.

Big, awful tears.

It felt so selfish, but I hated looking at my body. My amazing body that grew this incredible healthy little boy and I hated it so much.

The transformation our bodies go through growing babies is incredible. The saying is that it takes nine months to wreck your body so you should give yourself at least that long to get back to normal.

Some people don't have to work to get back to normal. 

I hate those people.

I've been running and running and running and finally, I feel like I am back to normal. Now, at nine months postpartum, I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant. My body is far from perfect. Far, far from it. But it is strong. It is capable of great things. It is mine.

Isn't it incredible how stretchy skin is?!

 

I am on track with my training and counting down the days until my fist half marathon. I can't believe that I am now running eight miles without a problem. I have worked (WORKED) to lose the 50 pounds of pregnancy plus another five. I would still like to lose a little bit more (my grad school/moving to WA squish), but I'm less concerned with the number on the scale. I feel good in my clothes. I feel beautiful in my skin. My belly might still be a little weird, but I am more comfortable in my skin than I have been in a long time.

My Life

I opened the coat closet this morning and smiled at the tiny jacket hanging up on the shelf on the wall. It looked so little next to all of our jackets that hang on the adjacent rod. I wanted to get a picture of it to show the contrast of big and small, but when I looked again, I saw a fun little diorama of my life.

In a lot of ways, our things define us. Even our attempt to not be defined by our things defines us. I like to think this photo captures a bit of my new life as defined by my things.

A yoga mat bag, an umbrella, a work tote, a diaper bag, a bright, fun multipurpose camera purse, and a wee jacket.

In our life, we all wear many hats. A mom just has a few more hats... or bags as it were.

It's True

With as much magic that comes when babies are born, is it any surprise that Santa is involved?

"Result of Mommy Kissing Santa"

Monthly Photos: Nine Months

My darling son.

You are somehow nine months old. Suddenly, you are beginning to look less and less like the tiny, helpless infant we brought home. Though you are still just a tiny pup, you are starting to become a little boy. Your busy limbs are lengthening as your proportions change. Your hair is finally starting to grow in. Your smile is full of teeth - eight to be exact! Your dimpled little hands are always busy opening and closing, opening and closing, and your chubby feet are itching to be walking already.

You are strong. And fast. You are all over the house these days, exploring every square inch and pulling yourself up on anything I deem sturdy enough with a soft landing below. You follow me around when I tidy up or get ready in the morning. As soon as you're walking, I can bet you'll be my little shadow. Nothing beats hearing your crawling gate get louder as you follow me into the a room or seeing your little face light up as you turn a corner and find me.

You have such a little personality. You have the best cheeser smile! I love when you scrunch your nose up and flash your teeth. If you're particularly tickled by something, sometimes you'll let out a little snort. It's such a fun journey to be on with you as you develop a sense of humor. I'm pretty confident in my ability to make you laugh, though some of my antics fall flat from time to time.

You are getting better at finger foods and meal time has gotten very messy as you work to get sticky little bites in your mouth. Frankie has quickly discovered that meal time with a baby is a doggy gold mine. She waits patiently for the inevitable banquet that falls at her feet. You are endlessly entertained by her and extend your sticky hands out to her from your high chair.

The bigger you get and the more you become your own little person, the further away your birth seems. In those first weeks, it appeared to be such a small gap from the belly to the babe in my arms. And now, with each little milestone and passing week, it becomes more and more impossible to me that we actually made you. How could it be that I have made someone so perfect, so unique, so amazing... so utterly you?

I love you, my sweet son, and just when i think I couldn't possibly love you any more, my heart bursts and expands. The universe seems somehow more complete with this little piece of heaven that only we are intimate to.

December 26, 2011