Tag Archives: Baby

Everyone Loves a Hot Dog Truck

5 Jun

One day, you’re going to ask what you were like when you were little. And even if you don’t, I’m going to tell you anyways because I don’t discriminate on who my audience is when it comes to bragging about you. And when I do tell you, one of the first things I’m going to say is, “You were the most lovable baby in the whole world, and I’ve never fallen in love with anyone faster in my entire life,” followed closely by, “You loved hot dogs and driving small vehicles more than anything else in the whole wide world.” Tractors, golf carts and the ever-wonderful “dot dog” are your best friends right now.

So when J sent me a picture of you driving a mini-hot dog truck, I knew you were in toddler heaven. I suppose I should say terrible-two heaven – apparently you threw a nice little tantrum upon being removed from said hot dog truck. Don’t worry…even when you’re screaming and crying, we love you anyways. Being the most lovable baby in whole world helps you out a lot in that department :)

 

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If You’re Happy and You Know It…

1 Jun

Reason I Love You #28: You have the best smile in the whole wide world. I remember when you started to smile all the time, I couldn’t take enough pictures of you. This is one J sent to me. The two bottom teeth just kill me. I absolutely love it. It’s impossible to look at this picture – and your adorable, smiling face – and not feel happy.

Of course, when you started to laugh, my new goal in life was to do whatever it took to make you giggle, since I’ve already told you that your laugh is one of my favorite things ever – and I do mean one of my favorite things ever. But even when you just smiled and made gurgling noises, I was in love.

You still smile all the time. You laugh at silly things. And I’ve gotten pretty good at making you giggle, so I feel accomplished in life. But the reason I love your beautiful smile and your wonderful laugh is because it means you’re happy. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you – to be happy. So every time you give me or J anyone else a huge grin like that one, I truly feel accomplished, like I’ve finally done what I set out to do. That’s one of the reasons why I chose adoption in the first place – so that you would never have to worry or struggle, so that smiles and laughter were all you knew of life for as long as possible. And with a family like The B’s, it’s impossible not to be that way. They are the best thing that’s ever happened to me (aside from you) and they’ve helped to make you into the happy baby you are and for that I’m eternally grateful.

I hope you keep on smiling. Even into your “terrible twos.” But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it…

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The Beginning of You and Me: Our First Photos

31 May

Last night, I was thinking about the letter I wanted to write you today. I figured since I’m so picture-and-video-happy all the time that I would try to find some of the first pictures and videos I have of you. So I began the search through folders upon folders of pictures on my laptop, on USB drives, in e-mails I’d been sent by The B’s,everywhere.

Then I realized that Grandma M actually took our first photos together. She was my “labor coach” I guess you would say. She held my hand through the pushing, was the one who reminded me to breathe, who whispered words of encouragement when it was getting really hard (I love you, but I did not love labor. I take that back. I loved my epidural).

So when you finally arrived and my hands no longer needed to hold anything but you, she grabbed the camera and the official documentation of your life began. It has yet to stop. I doubt it ever will (because J would never let it, and I love her for that). I’m so very happy that I got to be a part of those first pictures with you. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so at peace in my entire life than I did when they put you on my chest. Because our first pictures weren’t just pictures of us – they were pictures of the moment the best part of my life began.

 

Copying me? :)

 

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Little Man Can Sing!

30 May

The day after a big birthday is kind of like the day after Christmas – you’re coming off a high, and the anticipation of the big day is gone but luckily, you’re left with a lot of gifts to distract you from that. However, being pretty far away from most of my close friends and family on my 21st, I only got three real gifts.

The first is my ability to purchase alcohol for the rest of my life.

The second gift I got was my job, and true to form, it certainly distracts me because I’m busy all day long. I’m one of those silly interns who is so unbelievably excited to be an intern. The only reason it’s silly is because not that many people get super excited to do a whole lot of grunt work for no money at all. But your mom is a nerd sometimes. I love it!

The third gift is my favorite though, because it’s from you and The B’s. A big hug goes from my heart to J’s for thinking of this and sending it to me. Yet another wonderful reminder of how beautiful open adoption can be. I can’t tell you how many times I replayed it. Over and over and over again for half an hour at least, probably more. I love you so much Little Man. Thank you for song! It absolutely made my birthday a perfect day.

 

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Big Day in the Big City

29 May

Me on my 19th birthday, two years ago. With you :)

Guess what, Little Man? Your mama turns 21 today! Yes sir, I am officially the big 2-1 (well…as of 6:11 p.m. tonight technically). You can tell that I’m a mom when it comes to birthdays now because every time my birthday rolls around, I actually think about my mother – I wonder where she was on this day 21 years ago, what was going through her mind, if it’s crazy to her that the tiny baby girl who once fit inside her is now turning 21, living in NYC and has a little one of her own.

Birthdays are a big deal to moms. We get so lost in the excitement of birthdays, in planning parties and celebrating that sometimes we forget that the our moms are the reasons we have birthdays, and that they mean just as much to our moms as they do to us. I know that on your first birthday last year, all I could think about was where I was the year beforehand – that my water broke at 7:00 a.m. That at 11:30 in the morning I finally got my epidural. That you were born at exactly 5:41 p.m.  Maybe after 21 years I’ll stop time-travelling back to the day you were born, but I’m sure I always will a little bit. It’s crazy to me that you’ll be 21 someday. I’ll have to call up Grandma M and ask her how she feels today.

But today is a big deal for another reason – I start my first “big girl” job today with iVillage, part of NBC. I’m interning all summer for their Pregnancy, Parenting, Love and Sex sections. Needless to say, they have me working pretty heavily in the Pregnancy and Parenting section. But that’s wonderful to me. As much as I love relationships and sex (not something you want to know about your mother, I’m sure. Whoops!), doing daily work and research on pregnancy and parenting is a constant reminder of you. Of course, a reminder is unnecessary – even if pictures of you weren’t already plastered on my walls or placed on my desk or featuring as the background to my phone and my iPod, thinking about you every day is natural. You’re a part of me. What can I say? :)

So yes, today is a big day for me. It begins a lot of firsts and will hopefully open many, many doors so that I may one day be able to pass on the inspiration you give to me onto other people. I may do the writing and I may do the work, but you are the cornerstone. You are the necessary component to my drive, to my inspiration. We’re going to change the world someday, you and I. With you as my inspiration, J as my partner, my many friends and family as our support, and the wonderful people who take the time to read your letters, we are going to make a difference in the world. One person at a time.

But this change doesn’t start today. It started one year, ten months and seven days ago. It started with you – you and your beautiful family, all of whom have taught me what it truly means to love and be loved. You may not actively support me (because you’re two and you don’t know what that word means) but you have helped to get me to where I am on this momentous birthday of mine – interning in a city that you only see in movies, at a job doing what I enjoy, working with content I truly love and care about. Today, I am luckiest girl in the world. I love you, and even on the big, busy days, you’re always on my mind – reminding me of the good I’ve done, making me smile.

Knowing that I have you and The B’s is the best birthday present imaginable. My day is already off to a wonderful start. Let’s hope that I end up being really good at my job and my day stays that way :)

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Our Beach Trip Pictures

28 May

These are just a few of the many. I tend to get very picture-happy around you…

(Click on one and they get bigger and you can scroll through :) )

You and The B’s started off my summer in the best, most perfect way possible. I can’t wait until our next adventure, Little Man. And thank you, Uncle Kevin, for lending us the beach house!

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Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

27 May

While we were at the beach, you had a lot of favorite things to do. You liked to open and close the door to the mini-fridge in the dining room. You liked to go up and down the stairs. You like to play in the pool on the back deck, or the “wa-wa” (although I’ve been told that you’ve already outgrown that little saying and you officially call it “water” now). You liked to watch Elmo a lot – on the iPad, on the TV, in toy form. Elmo was definitely a big deal.

But another one of your favorite things was playing with bubbles. You’ve always gotten a kick out of bubbles – I remember E, Sports Man and I using the “bubble gun” to rain bubbles down on you before you were even a year old and you just loved it! You may be bigger now, but that much hasn’t changed.

But at the beach, we came with reinforcements. We had the bubble gun, a smaller bubble wand and at least two other bubble-blowing devices. Anytime I blew bubbles, you would walk over to me and act like you wanted to blow a bubble too. Except that once you got close enough to the bubbles, you would just stick the bubble wand in your mouth. But when you weren’t eating the bubbles, you loved to run around and pop them, and every time you did, you would squeal and laugh as if it was the coolest thing you’d done all day. I think that’s part of the magic of being a kid – the smallest things are the coolest things. And as the lucky lady who gets to call herself your mom (one of two lucky ladies!), I get to be a part of that magic. And believe me, if anyone adds magic to my life, it’s you.

I hope that someday you understand how much joy you bring to my life – it’s a figure that has gone up exponentially ever since you were discovered. I love you so much, sometimes I don’t even think I fully comprehend the power of it. It’s a love beyond description. And I’m reminded of it every day – every time I see a picture or think back to a fun memory from one of our many, many get togethers. I’m reminded of that love every day because I think about you every single day. Thank you for the happiness you bring to my life.

And thank you for renewing my appreciation in the art of blowing bubbles. Or, I suppose in your case, eating them.

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Mama’s Back!

22 May

Liam Hudson, I love you more than anything in the whole wide world.

I’ve been much too busy lately and I haven’t written you in ages, at first because of finals, then because I was actually with you at the beach, and then because I moved to New York City for the summer. But now I’m finally set up in my tiny NYC “apartment” (okay…it’s a dorm room) and I have pictures of you everywhere and I wanted to write you another one of my letters to tell you that you are still – and always will be – the best part of my life. I miss you like crazy and I wish I could be with you every minute of every day. The best I can do right now is to try to make you proud of me with my summer internship and (hopefully!) the success that comes from it.

I can’t wait to tell you beach stories and show you pictures. Have no doubt that I definitely will over the next few weeks ;)

This picture is my absolute favorite from our beach trip. It’s right beside my desk in my apartment and later this week, I’m going to print out another copy to take to work to have at my desk over there. So that way, not only are you on my mind and in my heart, but you’re also everywhere I look. I love you, handsome boy. I’ll be seeing you this summer, internship or not. I can’t wait!

I fall madly in love with you all over again every time I see this photo :)

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My Baby Love, Oh Baby Love

15 Apr

The restaurant at my work has a motto. It goes, “Don’t drink the water at This Restaurant.” Not because there is anything wrong with the water – because ever since I started working there, there has been at least one pregnant girl working at the restaurant. Up until one of the other waitresses had her baby about a month ago, we had three pregnant employees. It’s been like that ever since you and I showed up on the scene at That Restaurant. We can only assume it’s something in the water.

The first girl who had a baby after you were born was your Aunt A, another good friend of mine. She is a total sweetheart – super nice, extraordinarily beautiful and now, one of the best moms I know. Luckily she had a little girl the December after you were born) so we didn’t have to fight over the Cutest Boy Title.

Her little girl, Zoie, is one of the happiest babies I have ever met. She loves smiling, she laughs at everything, she loves exploring, and she has no fear, kind of like you. Not to mention that she is beautiful, just like her mother.

So, I just wanted to let you know that your worries are over! You will never have problems with the ladies because your Aunt A and I have it all worked out – you’ve been promised to Zoie since before she was even born. Many a mom has tried to claim you for her daughter since then, and I tell them all that you’re already taken. Aunt A already calls you her son-in-law, and I’m super excited for Zoie to be my daughter-in-law. Even J approves :)

You finally met Zoie last Thanksgiving. You were down for a visit with The B’s and we had just gone to see some ginger bread houses. Aunt A and Zoie drove over to my parents house and you and Zoie played with a little toy kitchen together. You kept taking her pacifier and putting it in your mouth and you called her “baby” since she was smaller than you. She just kind of looked at you and smiled the whole time. We all joked that you were already a solidified couple – already “swapping spit” and calling each other “baby.” Sounds like a legitimate couple to me!

We’re hoping to get the two of you together someday soon and have J take some pictures, if for no other reason than just because it would be the cutest photo shoot ever. Even if you don’t grow up to be with Zoie, we’ll always have the pictures to make all of your other girlfriends jealous. If you find the right girl, she’ll look at the pictures and laugh and say that you and Zoie made a cute couple.

Or you could just marry Zoie and it will never be an issue :)

I love you, baby boy. I hope you’ve had a wonderful day, and I can’t wait to see you in a couple of weeks. I’m counting down!

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Little Man, Chubby Cheeks

10 Apr

Everybody has their favorite thing that they love about babies: their tiny hands, how soft they are, the chubby legs. Grandma M has a thing for baby feet. I just like how miniature everything is – a teeny, tiny version of everything that I’ve become used to. It’s no secret that I love how small you are, and that you getting bigger is incredibly fun, but always just a little bit sad. One day I’ll probably seem miniature to you (the men on C’s side of the family are ridiculously tall).

Of course, I think every part of you is adorable. Everyone may have their favorite thing they love about babies, but I love everything about you. It comes with the mom territory. I remember after you were born, when everyone called or texted and asked me how you were, and every time I replied, “He’s perfect.” Because to me, you are. That has yet to change, and frankly, I don’t see it happening anytime soon. Or ever.

But I will tell you something I extra love when it comes to you besides your adorable – albeit temporary – miniature size: your cheeks! I know, baby cheeks are popular with a lot of people so I’m not exactly being original, but you have some of the best chubby cheeks I’ve ever seen. Sports Man did too actually. Of course, I didn’t know him when he was in the “chubby baby cheeks” phase, but I’ve definitely seen the pictures and he had some great ones too.

Your baby cheeks were very kissable. These days, you are an expert at blowing kisses, but unless I’m playing a game with you where I make kissing you part of the game (sneaky, right?), giving you a big kiss will set you squirming or running in the other direction. Luckily for me though, I got in tons of cheek kissing when you were itty bitty a.k.a before you could crawl or walk. You’re still relatively itty bitty, and I sneak some kisses in whenever I can.

The other day, I ran across the picture I had saved on my computer which started this whole thought process about your (incredibly adorable) baby cheeks. Your cheeks are still super cute in their mini perfection, but you’ve got more of a little boy look than a baby look going on these days. And even though I miss your super tiny, itty bitty days, do you know what the cool thing is?

I still think you’re absolutely perfect.

Matching brothers :) Gotta love those cheeks!

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