Thankful

Of course Thanksgiving always makes you think about what you are really thankful for.  First of all, I am thankful for Thanksgiving weekends.  What's not to love about October, Family, Turkey and winning baseball games.

On Saturday we went up to the cottage and then Ryan, Parker and I went to Ravenna for delicious sandwiches and The Farmer's Pantry to visit the donkeys.  I'm forcing my love of donkeys on Parker.

The rest of the weekend was spent at the cottage.  We had 27 people at our Thanksgiving dinner.  It's a mad house, but I wouldn't want it any other way.  Oh and Parker gets absolutely no attention when he's at the cottage, so he hates it....or not.

So today I'm feeling thankful for my cottage, for extended family, for good food and good health, for pumpkin cheesecake and coffee.  I'm thankful for the great weather that we had this weekend.  I'm thankful that the Jays won on Sunday and Monday and are finally playing like the great team that they are.  I'm thankful that last night Parker made it through the night without eating for the first time in over two weeks.  Mostly I'm thankful for these two because they make my heart happy.  Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with your loved ones!

The Mom Cold

I'm sure you've all heard of the man cold.  It's the worst.  

After we got through Parker's flu a week ago, I thought the worst was over.  Then Ryan got a cold.  I shouldn't really complain because as far as man colds go, this one was pretty mild.

But now I'm here to talk about the mom cold.  What happens when us moms get sick?  Can I just take a sick day?  Set Parker in his crib and say see you tomorrow?  I don't think so.  The kid still needs to eat and have his diaper changed and I'm pretty sure he would last in his crib for about 30 seconds before saying what the heck mom?  Let's play!

So a mom cold is me going about my day, dreading everything that has to be done, but feeding my baby, and washing dishes, changing poopy diapers and then laundering those diapers despite the fact that I can't breathe through my nose, my head hurts and apparently when you're breastfeeding, cold medicine is a no no.  I still can't take meds?  This is news to me!

Luckily, I have a baby who slept until 9 this morning (he did get up at 1:30am to eat though...) so I got to sleep in.  

Yes he is playing with a popcorn bowl and yes he is wearing an I heart boobies shirt.  What can I say, we're classy around here on sick days.

Thanksgiving Came Early

Yesterday we celebrated Ryan's birthday and Thanksgiving with his family.  This is one of my favourite occasions because we always get outside and spend some good time together.

 

 We all wear plaid jackets when we walk.  I think it started out accidentally and now it's just something that we have to do.  We're the plaid family.  So of course Parker needed plaid too and luckily I came across this cute little shirt that is big enough to go over his sweater!  And the Padraig slippers... the men don't seem to get them but I think they are the cutest things to ever be placed on a baby's toostsie!

This was Parker's very first Thanksgiving experience and I think he loved it!  We spent lots of time outdoors in the back yard and walking around their property.  As much as I love the summer, I love this time of year because it's so pretty outside and there's just something about the crisp fall air!

We also spent some time indoors and Parker played with the dogs.  He's the size of Willis' leg but they seemed to get along pretty well.

And then there was the food.  Oh my most favourite part of Thanksgiving.  Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce.... And my mother in law may have made 3 desserts and I might have sampled all three.... just maybe...

Thanksgiving we will see you again next weekend!

Time

My view on time has changed greatly since having a baby.

Before I had a baby I would think, I wish time would go faster.  If I could only graduate high school things would be better.  If I can just get through this year of university, it will be summer.  When I graduate university and get a real job, life will be perfect.  When I get married, life will be complete.  And it goes on and on.

For the first half of pregnancy, I wanted time to go so fast.  I was terrified of something happening to the baby.  Once we got past the first half though it got a bit better.  We knew the baby was healthy, I could feel little baby flutters and I loved being pregnant.  

And then the baby was born, and this concept of time is completely different from my pre-baby concept of time.  I blinked and 8 months passed me by.  And now I'm terrified that I will blink again and 25 years will have passed me by.  

As adults, we don't really change all that quickly.  It takes years to notice how we age, and it's usually not until you look at an old picture that you think, whoa!  I look older!  But with kids, they change so rapidly.  They get fatter, they grow an inch taller a month, one day they roll over, and it seems like the next day they can sit up.  And time goes fast.

I love everything about watching Parker develop and grow, but I don't want it to fly by.  I just want to sit back, slow down and enjoy it.  I look at my parents, who have 3 kids in their twenties and wonder what it's like to be there.  To have all your kids out of the house (ok they don't quite have that...).  But to have them be independent, making their own money, possibly married with their own kids, and I can't imagine!  

We have one life and we have a short span of time to be with our kids when they are truly dependent on us.  When they look to us for all of their needs, for snuggles, for tickles and for stories.  And that time is going to go fast.  And I'm not looking to the future to fulfill me anymore.  My time is now.  This is the best time of my life and someday I will look back and think how did my 4 pound baby turn into a 6 foot tall man?