When The Sun Finally Shines

Well true to form in Calgary, May has been a wet rainy month. That's not to say it's been raining all the time - just most of the time. So when the sun does come out on the weekends, we like to make the most of it.

Here's a few pics of my favourite little man enjoying Spring as best he can :)

18 Months Old Today!

18 months. Why does it seem like some sort of milestone to reach 18 months? Is this the point where Brandon leaves his babyhood behind him? Is then when society starts expecting Brandon to do certain things like build puzzles and speak twelve words clearly? Does 18 months mean I'm on the lookout for potty training readiness signs? I'm not sure. Maybe it's all of these things and more.

What I do know is that Brandon weighs about 24.2 lbs. The poor little guy suffered a fever last week and so I took him to the doctor to make sure everything was OK. They weighed him and told me a fever could be due to any number of things like teething or a cold. I know they're right but I always find going to the doctor to be a useless venture. We often wait for an hour or more to see the doctor and then the doctor has no real answer and prescribes Advil for the pain. Seems to me I could save myself an hour or more in the future by just using Google.

Brandon has four molars now! Teething molars wasn't any fun but we're glad they're in now. Unlike before, Brandon can enjoy some of his vegetables raw like cucumber and small carrots. He loves cucumbers :) Also, we tried peanut butter (every parents nightmare) and we're happy to report he had no allergic reaction. Bring on the nuts!

Brandon has started playing with crafts. His attention span is pretty short but he will sit down and colour or roll the playdoh for a few minutes at a time. I showed him stickers last week and he loved them! This prompted me to run to the Dollar Store and buy 20 more rolls to stash away for future bribing ;)

Just recently Brandon has started to unleash some of his "emotional frustration" onto his unsuspecting parents. This is not a fun part of toddler development but it is completely normal. I've consulted many books to confirm this fact. Apparently Brandon's cognitive abilities are exceeding what he can make his little body do or communicate. This means he gets frustrated and to express the frustration he screams, yells, cries, whines and throws things. Luckily it is very short-lived and he can be easily distracted. The bad news is that this "phase" can last until he's four. Great.

Aside from tantrums, Brandon is quite a happy and busy little boy. He's very sweet and he's always looking for a cuddle when I get home from work or while having a bottle before bed. He's still very chatty but only a few new distinguishable words have been added to the repertoire like "up" and "no" (this is an unfortunate one sometimes . . .) I'm dying to hear him say "I love you Mommy" but I know we've got a little while for that one yet. Perhaps at the next milestone - 2 years old!

A Day for Mothers

This is my second Mother's Day and I find that amazing. I sometimes have trouble believing I'm even a Mom to start with, let alone having been one for almost 18 months now.

My aunt used to write a weekly blog and in it she included a section called "what I learned this week". I'd like to borrow that idea and share what I've learned about motherhood so far:

1. getting peed on, puked on, pooped on, chewed on etc is really no big deal

2. you can never have too much Shout stain remover on hand

3. you should never leave the house without a sippy cup, snacks and a handful of diapers

4. you may think you have child-proofed your home but your toddler will prove to you every day that is simply not the case

5. spend time with friends who understand exactly what you're going through

6. if you have to have child-care, get the best you can possibly find, no matter how much it costs

7. a quiet dinner with your husband is a wonderful gift

8. when your child cries in pain, your heart will break into a million little pieces

9. no matter how many toys are in the house, your child will only want to play with the cell phone, the laptop and the TV remote controls

10. meal times are as much about exploring texture and the laws of gravity as they are about eating

11. just when you think your child has reached the full potential of their range of volume, they will exceed it

12. patience IS a virtue

13. most things outside of family and health just don't matter

14. what was easy today could very likely be a challenge tomorrow

15. I never knew my heart could live so fully outside of my own body

I think I've come a long way from the new Mom I was back in November 2009. I've become more flexable, more adaptable and I feel like I see things more clearly now in terms of what matters in life and what doesn't. I'm certainly more patient than I used to be and I've also improved my time management skills :)

I'm so blessed to have Brandon in my life. I couldn't possibly imagine it any other way.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!