Living Life On the Sidewalk

How many of us are waiting for something to happen so our "real" life can begin? When I graduate from college then my life can start. When I get married, when I have a baby, when I get that job, when we move into that new house....I know I fall into this category. Over and over again. I'm always waiting for the next big thing to happen so my life can really start.

Yesterday I shared a moment with my children when they discovered caterpillars on the park sidewalk.

I'm not sure if they too are already fantasizing about the day their "real" lives will begin (though I do hear Kaleb say things like, "Mommy when I turn five, then can I watch Power Rangers?" ~ he just turned four!) but it was at that moment that I realized that this was my actual life and it was already happening! I've done most of the stuff on my list: I graduated from college. I had a fulfilling career. I met an amazing man and married him. I had two incredible children and inherited one from my husband. My life is on. There is no reason to keep delaying my full appreciation of it.

I recently heard that people don't realize that they're happy until the moment's over. That made me so sad. It made me want to horde every moment so I can use every bit of it up while I still had it. Everything changes. Sometimes not fast enough, sometimes much too fast. But once it's gone, it's just a memory. I'm going to try and make my memories ones of moments I don't regret not appreciating.

Kaleb Turns One

I meant to go back and edit this one day but since Kaleb has recently turned three and even has a not so brand new one year old brother, I figured I'd better gitty up! I am publishing this even thought it's ridiculously outdated because the pictures are cute!

Kaleb is one.

365 days of inching his way to take a bigger portion of space in this world and in our hearts.

That is crazy. When they say it happens fast, they don't lie. He's practicing a new word: no. He's been shaking his head no since one night when we were taking a bath, maybe 2 months ago (the baby book didn't have a line for 'when he first said no' so I can't remember exactly when) and I asked if he was ready to get out. He shook his head no and that began the first instance of him communicating with me in a comprehensive fashion.

Since then, he's started pointing at things he wants or where he wants us to take him or wants to know what they are. He'll sometimes make sounds that resemble a drunk's slurred "What's that?" I try to encourage enunciation but he ignores me. Or just laughs.

Here are a few highlights since I haven't had a chance to post since NOVEMBER.

He's crawling now but it took a while:

Daddy tried to help:

Now crawling's a snap. His favorite place to crawl is on the changing table - while I'm trying to change him with a big poop still stuck to his tushy.

He started expressing himself facially before he ever started saying any words. Here is how he began to express his displeasure with us.


























He's still not really napping and my mom is a godsend, she comes once a week (sometimes we'll kidnap her for a few days, yay!) so I can at least wash my hair and get some stuff done. No, he's still not napping more than 1/2 an hour if that. Unless I'm in the car, of course....



For some insane reason I thought it would get easier as he got older. Well, I know what I'm doing now (at least that I won't drop or break him) but the problem is (and by problem I mean gift)....that he is growing at light speed.