Blessings

Last night, I had one of those moments. Mommies and daddies out there, I think you can relate. It was one of those moments that was so routine and that I had done many times before, but for whatever reason, last night tugged at the heart strings. Maybe it's because that was the moment in which the stress from the week disappeared. Or maybe it's because that was the moment in which I didn't care about anything else in the world. How cruddy I was feeling and how stressed I was about work and the fatigue simply melted away. And it was all because of the sweetest little girl.

August 2013

Phil and I have a system in which one of us will give Olivia a bath and then the other will put her to bed. Some nights, that system runs smoothly. Some nights, only one of us in home during the evening, so that person is responsible for all aspects of the routine. Other nights, Olivia lets us know that she doesn't agree. But last night, Phil gave Olivia her bath, so I was able to do her bedtime routine. We got her bottle, went to her room and sat in the rocker reading books. After reading her books and making her adorable little noises, she started falling asleep. Normally, I try and put her in the crib before she completely dozes off, but last night, I wanted to wait a few more minutes before returning to the world of adult issues. The one with emails and state meet entries and writing practices and payroll and paying bills. I wanted to stay just a bit longer in the world of cuddles and adorable noises and little fingers and toes. So I did. I sat in the rocker and held Olivia close. And then the tears hit. (As they begin again while I write this). For whatever reason, that moment held so many wonderful emotions and the only thing I could think of was to thank God for that precious moment. I thought about how blessed Phil and I have been during the past 17 months. Goodness knows we have had many ups and downs, but that moment last night was perfect. We have struggled in situations with knowing what is right for us and Olivia. Phil and I have been so confused with this parenting thing at times that all we can do is look at each other and hug. Hug each other and hug Olivia.


July 2013

So last night, I hugged Olivia a little longer. I wanted that moment to last forever. I don't know if we will have any more kids after this. Phil and I both want another child, but that final decision is up to God. For whatever reason, last night at that moment, it hit me that I will never again live that moment. I will live similar moments, as I did tonight, with the bedtime routine. But, I will not have that exact cuddle moment with that exact wonderful little girl.
I don't know how long I stayed in her room holding her. I know it wasn't long enough. After I came out of her room, I poured out my feelings to Phil. I cried and smiled all while telling him about that glorious moment. We both agreed that we have the most wonderful little girl. She is the one to put sunshine in our day. Her giggle is contagious. Her smile melts your heart. Her mannerisms are delightful. She is at such a fun age right now and it is hard to think about her growing up. It is hard to think that one day, she won't want mommy to read her bedtime story. And one day, she will be old enough to climb into bed and pull up the covers. But until that day, I'm going to continue to rock her and hold her close. I'm going to be thankful every night for the sweetest little girl and the sweetest little moments.

February 2013

Holy geeze, time flies by!

I knew it had been a bit since I last wrote, but holy cow, that was more than 3 months ago! So much has happened in that time, so instead of writing a novel, I'll try and highlight what all is going on in our little world.

Enjoying some chocolate at the Easter egg hunt

April was the quick but wonderful trip to Long Island to see Tom ref his first NHL game. It was amazing and we are all still so very proud of him. Olivia got to spend a few days with her Tiedeman aunties and uncles and Grandma and Grandpa. Olivia continued to grow and learn new things every day. We spent Easter in Brookings with just our little family. Unfortunately, Olivia was sick on Saturday and part of Sunday, so you can tell in her little face in the pictures that she wasn't feeling the best. But, mommy wanted to get those priceless photos, so I dragged her around to some activities anyway. She is such a camp champ!


14 month photo

In May, the big item was our trip to Kansas City for my cousin Ali's wedding. Olivia made things interesting by spiking a 104 degree fever during our trip down there, so fortunately/unfortunately, she was pretty quiet for the 7 hour drive, since she wasn't feeling the best. In May, I also made a quick trip to Chicago, as the Tiedeman family purchased the rights to run a swim lesson program in Brookings. So, we are officially small business owners! Thankfully, things are running smoothly and hopefully business continues to grow!


16 month photo
 

June brought the start of summer swim season for mommy, super construction season at the airport for daddy and lots of fun in the sun for Olivia! My dad and brother made a quick trip up to Brookings, so Olivia spent a few days hanging with them at the house.
Like I said earlier, it seems that Olivia is learning something new every day. She is walking like a pro now and loves to walk/jog around our kitchen island and 'surprise' Phil and I when she turns the corner. Her giggle is still one of the best things in this world. She is able to say mama, dada, shoe, nana (for banana) and doggy. She can also sign a few words, including more, hungry, please, and all done. We are trying to expand the signing language, as well as the verbal language, so it keeps mommy and daddy active by making sure we are using the correct words and pointing to things during our walks or car trips. Olivia has gotten picky with her food, so some days, she loves bananas, black olives, blueberries, and graham crackers while other days, she hates those items, but loves turkey, club crackers, corn and cheerios. We stopped breastfeeding in early June, but she is doing well with cow's milk. Her favorite activities are trying on shoes (that's a true girl for you!), pulling things out of her toy box, playing with her kitchen set, going on walks in the stroller, playing outside, riding in her cozy coupe car, opening and closing drawers (at least the ones that don't have the safety lock on them) and just being an active little 16 month old! She is sleeping thought the night on most nights (yippee!) and will typically sleep from 8p-6:30am. Last month, she moved up to the 'waddler' room at daycare, so she transitioned from two naps down to one. Most days, she sleeps for the full 2 hours during nap time at daycare, but of course when she's at home during nap time, she decides that an hour is long enough for her. She is pretty much wearing 18 month clothes, although she can still fit in some 12 month clothing.

At James and Ali's wedding

I know this isn't much of an update, but I wanted to let you all know that we are doing great! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!