A Birthday Visit

It was my mom's birthday a few weeks ago.  I'm pretty sure that I'm a few weeks behind on everything but that is just life at this moment.

 

So, it was my mom's birthday.  She has been the most influential, tirelessly supportive and wonderful person in my life.  She is who I turn to for advice, for help.  I can unequivocally say that I am who I am because of her influence. 

Leo likes her too!

Lunch in Old Town

She came into town over Leo's birthday and we celebrated the birthdays big.  My only regret is that we didn't get into Georgetown for a celebratory cupcake.  Next visit I promise!

The night she flew in (on a delayed flight at midnight), we took a jaunt into the city to see it all at night.  Because, when you are that close, you take the detour, even if it means we got to bed very, very late.

 

We sewed and did projects together.  Watched movies.  Ate good food.  Witnessed the wildest 3rd birthday ever and got out to see some fun things.  I watched Leo and Amy interact with her and it felt like a vacation for me to have someone to help me with everything.


My favorite of all was our visit into Eastern Market.  Mom, come back and stay again!  And happiest of birthdays to you!

The New Moms

We all went to the last of the first birthdays yesterday.

Soon after Leo was born, I was feeling overwhelming feelings caring for a newborn while living thousands of miles from the people that mattered most to us.  It was at this crucial point in my life that I started attending the New Mom Group put on through our local hospital system.

Every Monday, Leo and I would go down and meet new moms and babies and connect through our common challenges.  It was a real turning point in helping me to be a happy mom.  Having communities of people are critical to my happiness.

For months we attended the group and met many wonderful people.  When Leo was a year, I knew it was time to move on to another activity.  From that group, I made friends with a collection of moms. 
We get together often and have watched our babes go from just a few months old to running and playing.  We've helped each other through every imaginable first year challenge. 

The last one of our group will turn one this week.  We went to his birthday on Saturday.  We celebrated Jasper turning a year and his mom, because I think that the first birthday is just as much about the baby as it is the mom. Each of our babes is officially a toddler and we've watched them grow up together.

The babes, ages ago.

The babes on Leo's first birthday

The moms at girls night out.

Creating

There's something to be said about home made.  It seems so much more special to come up with an idea and see it come together.  I have always liked to create.  I did have to put it on hold for a bit to get through school but one of the things I've enjoyed about being a mother is having a bit more time to create.  I get excited about projects.

I think it goes all the way back to my childhood.  One of my most vivid memories is sitting on the stairs in my parent's house outside my mom's sewing room waiting for it to be my turn to design and sew a dress for my barbie.  My mom was always creating things.  She sewed beautiful clothes and toys for us.  She croched afghans and rugs and painted.

My Mom and Leo when he was a newborn.

My latest project is a dinosaur for Leo.  Our little guy loves tags - he will have a darling stuffed animal and will be examining the tag instead of the rest of the animal.  I didn't like any of the patterns out there, so I created a dinosaur that has tags and that is crinkly inside.  I don't consider myself a sewer but I like a simple project here and there.

Here's how it turned out:

 

The Mom Movie

I went to a movie today, "What to Expect When You're Expecting."  Leo and I trekked all the way down to Tysons Corner to meet up with some friends to see the movie.  Now, this is not just a regular showing.  Oh no, this is a mama movie.  At this movie, the lights are dim but on, the movie is quieter and there are strollers everywhere!  There were traffic jams of strollers of people trying to get through.  Lining every possible space were rows and rows of strollers.

I'm telling you, it was mayhem.  This is the kind of showing where it is perfectly acceptable if your baby is crying, and believe me, the baby next to us woke Leo with her crying.  It's funny though, how you tune out all the extra noise.  You can nurse with no thought or worry of what other people think.  There were moms bouncing babies in the aisles, fussing little ones, babies standing and tapping me on the shoulder and of course me and Leo. 

Somewhere in the middle I thought, well, this is my life, here at the mom movie.  These are my people and this is exactly what I'm doing right now.  It's a whole new life, new friends and social groups and new worries.  I'm a playgroup attending, mom movie go-er.

I think I'm feeling a lot more confident as a mom.  As the months go by, I learn more and more about what to do and what not to worry about.  Perhaps I'm fitting into this world a little better.   Just think, two summers ago I was with the blue haired crowd at the Noon Musics and now I'm with the bald head crowd.  Quite a change.

I am a mother.

 

This little person needs me completely.  It really hit me today as I was out on a walk, enjoying the sunshine. I love when he looks for me across the room, how he'll always smile for me.  I have so much love for this little guy.  I want to teach him everything.

Lately he's been starting to become a person.  You all know that when they're newborns, they just lay there.  Leo is now moving and having expressions and talking.  It is so joyful for me to see his smiling face (even if it's at 2 am).  I don't mind at all that he's my buddy 24-7. 

 In the bumbo. 

 A common expression for Leo.  Eyes bright.

 

Leo discovering his reflection.  

While I have been really enjoying being a mother (I don't even mind the spit up), I am aware of the sacrifices that I've made.  For this season (let's call it) of life, I'm devoting all of my time to helping him grow.

I've been attending a new mom group.  Lots of moms with baby's Leo's age that are going through similar things as me.  The conversation lately has been about heading back to work and finding day cares.  I am the odd man out as I plan to be a full time mom.  I am happy to have that opportunity.  Not all do.  So for now, I think I'll just keep enjoying this whole adventure.