I remember people telling me "Oh your life is going to change when you have that baby" like... as a warning? So I was already pregnant and there was nothing I could do or WANTED to do about the baby scheduled to arrive in our little family back in August of 2011. I was so excited. We had waited years for his little life to enter ours. So when people said the words "your life will change" I thought.. DUH! I've been trying to change it for quite a while. Silly people. My labor and delivery came and went and my child was born. Yes my life changed, I had diapers at my house and I was buying baby necessities left and right and I didn't get to sleep much but to me that was all something I was prepared for. Cuddling, rocking, singing, holding, bathing, changing, burping, comforting and love... All that I was prepared for.
What I wasn't prepared for was the recovery(COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND LOOONG STORY)! AND for 6 months later my BABY became mobile. As in.. If I put him down he would be gone in a matter of seconds. I had a sweet friends say to me once "Babies are too loud to be sneaky." No way. That little boy of mine was silent and fast. He would off and crawl as far as he could. He loved the sliding glass doors. The sun came in bright through them and he could see the sky outside, so I could always find him but he was quick. I wasn't prepared for him to start making messes and to grow an opinion. I thought.. He is a baby! He will be a baby for so long. But mostly I was not prepared for HOW MUCH I would love him. That all by itself changed my life. It changed every single thought, deed, opinion, passion, priority, and it changed my soul. Chase gave me the opportunity to love more that I ever thought it possible.
It was quite a crazy and emotional day when I realized that when my parents told me "I love you, I would do anything for you" they were 100% serious. It wasn't an exaggeration or out of obligation. That changed my life as well. I remember telling my sweet mother in law one day after she had offered her help to Sean and I, I said "Oh don't worry about us, I don't ever want you to feel like you have to do something like that just for us." And her immediate and completely honest statement was "Wouldn't you do that for Chase?" I remember stopping and just bawling with my overwhelming love for my son and realizing then that she loved Sean and all her kids and even their spouses like that. And I thought I always WANT to help him. I WANT to teach him. I WANT to be there for him. I never wanted those times when I could to end. How could I tell someone else, Sean's mother or my mother, we didn't need or want their love? It came from such a place of sincerity that I knew I would welcome them and their love into our home in a completely different way.
BUT this was NOT supposed to be a serious blog post. How can LOVING a toddler be serious? It's about as serious as melted crayons and juice on the floor. Or stickers in my hair and paint on my bum.
Of course loving a toddler isn't without it's little pains, my patience it no where near perfect and I am pregnant so I have a really short fuse for my temper! BUT loving a toddler is enlightening, fun, busy and so wonderful. Chase is growing and talking and loving life. He is as sweet and as good as can be. He listens, he loves and he never judges me. He supports and hugs then melts my heart and kisses it all better (ADORABLY slimy sometimes) and he has started calling himself brother. He says "Chasey, me the brother"
Chase and I have been having "love" conversations in the morning while we sit and eat breakfast first thing. It started out when I couldn't help but just say over and over "I love you Chase! I love you so much." He smiles his mouth full of waffle and syrup and giggles and says "I lah you too mommy" I was trying to think of how to get him to understand that I had an overwhelming amount of love pouring out of me for him and his sweet spirit. The conversation went as follows;
"Chase, I love you more than...... bath time!" I tell him. Completely serious.
He looks at me and starts laughing so hard and replies "oh wow mommy, thats lot."
"Chase, I love you more than..... my car!"
the laughing starts again. "oh wow mommy, thats lot."
"Chase, I love you more than..... CHINESE FOOD!!!!." (I'm pregnant so this is TONS AND TONS)
laughing and laughing "oh wow mommy, thats lot."
"Chase, I love you more than.... my house!"
"Chase, I love you more than...... shoes!"
"Chase, I love you more than... new clothes!"
to each he responded the same
"oh wow mommy, thats lot!" while laughing and giggling and watching me.
Finally I say,
"Chase, I love you more than candy!!!!!!"
And he stops and says "I want chocolate please!"
The little things make me so happy. The little things frustrate me. The little things make my days fly by as he grows up into his own person and the little things can make the days drag on until daddy comes home to help me. Oh how I LOVE this crazy fast/slow life!
Here are some photos from lately!!!!
This first one is at our breakfast table where we have our morning love talks ;-)
This photo has nothing to do with the blog post BUT It shows off my newly waxed brows that I did.. ALL by myself... Shaped and waxed them in my bathroom by myself with no help.. So dumb.. Cannot believe I did that. BUT they did turn out just right! Just thankful I still have brows at all.
14 weeks pregnant. I woke up with a tummy yesterday and for sure it's bigger now than with Chase. I'm really popping out. Ohhhh I hope I'm not huge!
My baby pirate, he loves to sword fight and our neighbors, that we met recently and have started hanging out with on occasion, have LOTS of costumes. Chase had a BLAST BLAST.
Again.. I have such a good little boy. We were stuck at the car shop for nearly 4 hours the other day, right through our lunch (they said it would be an HOUR) but he was an angel and even though I was so mad at the shop? I was really proud of him. He did great.
Late night shopping trip to costco! He got to meet real and live police officers! I didn't get a photo of him actually meeting them (SO bummed about that) But he really loved it. He immediately began fake shooting with his arm and fighting imaginary bad guys. The officers loved him and you could tell he made their day as much as they made his.
This was just LAST week!!!!!
Chase holding baby! He is my little sweetie!
Nekked little one! He has to climb up to the top to have his bath but he loves the freedom that a diaper-less bum provides.
Finally made it! cute cheeks. can't barely handle how adorable he is!
Eating chocolate.! hahaha
