sunshine (and wind)

Warm temps call for outdoor fun. Despite crazy winds, we enjoyed a picnic in the backyard yesterday and many many hours on the play set. Walking like a champ now (note the many bruises on his forehead, poor guy!), Emmett is happy to cruise all over and explore. And of course Anna is thrilled when she can run, jump, swing, slide, cartwheel, somersault, and scream. Ahhh, we love this summer in the spring!

WHAT?! i can't hear you!

Hey Anna, if you stand up it's even louder

You want loud Emmett, I'll give you loud!

Cheers bro

Hmm, what's this?

Hey, that's ME! Handsome devil.

C'mon Emmett...back to business

My ears are ringing, how 'bout you?

florida - part II

Another much anticipated part of Anna's trip was looking for sea shells on the beaches. She promised a shell to most everyone upon her arrival back home, so she was a girl on a mission. The Florida beaches (like most) are filled with many, many small and broken shells but not too many big ones. Fortunately Papa was on the scene and picked up a few bigger ones at the store which he scattered ahead of Anna on her hunt. How thrilled was she when she spotted a big beautiful shell sticking out of the sand!

BUT...she did manage to find a sand dollar - not even one Papa had strategically placed for her. It was certainly her lucky day.

More adventures were had going out for ice cream, on a trolley ride, seeing the turtles, and so much more.

Each phone call home was filled with joy - as she gushed about her time there. And Steve equally so...thrilled to have time in the sun, with his parents and most importantly some one-on-one time with his special daughter. It was definitely a trip they will all remember!! Thanks to Nana, Papa and Daddy for a fun fun time!

florida

Counting the days down until FLORIDA became a daily adventure between Anna and I. I even kept a countdown on her lunchtime napkins (which I decorate for preschool each day). Unknowingly, this kept not only our house alive with sweet anticipation, but Anna's entire preschool class too. HA!

Finally the big day arrived! Anna woke up early as she was "so excited she couldn't sleep one more second!" and got everything ready for her big plane trip. To her this was her first (even though it was her second) and she wasn't sure what to expect. She told me "I'm a little bit afraid, but not too much". With daddy by her side they watched movies, colored, did stickers and more. Upon landing she told me "It was boring mommy." Well, there you have it.

Looks pretty fun to me!

After greeting Nana and Papa at the airport with big hugs, they headed back to the condo through lots of Florida traffic. A few hours later Anna changed into her swimming suit just as fast as she could and raced out to see both the pool and the ocean. "Mommy, I couldn't even see to the other side!" she exclaimed over the phone.

The next several days were filled with time in the sun & water, and socializing with everyone she met. According to Steve, Anna never hesitated to introduce herself to whoever she saw...informing them that she was 3 and a half and that she had a baby brother named Emmett who was 1.

Papa found a cool swimsuit with a life jacket built right in, so Anna took to the pool like a fish takes to water. She swam around, very proud of her ability to do so "without anybody helping".

So excited was she about her outdoor adventures that she woke up early - 6am Florida time (5am here) and sat on the porch watching the waves until it was light enough, and warm enough, to venture back out. Most often I received a text message about this time informing me that Anna was enjoying her first popsicle of the day. Yes, at 6am. Thank you Daddy.

preview

More to come about a fabulous trip to Florida!

time with my little man

For just under 2 and a half years I had the pleasure and privilege of spending all of my days with Anna. It was just the two of us during the week days and we filled our time (as documented in this blog) with many an outing - visiting local parks, music classes, swim lessons, zoos, museums and more. From the earliest days I carried on one-sided conversations with her which became two-sided ever so quickly. We had a lot of fun. A lot.

Over the past five days I have had the absolute joy of experiencing this same thing with our 2nd child, sweet Emmett. While Steve and Anna have basked on the beaches of Florida with Nana and Papa, Emmett and I have enjoyed some one-on-one time back home. Throughout these past 5 days it has been amazing to see what a little boy our baby has become. Without his talkative older sister around, Emmett lets his personality shine! He talks to me, showing off his words. He convinces me to walk him all around the house, yard and anywhere he can. He crawls (or walks) over, lays his head on my lap and gives me the biggest hugs I could ever have asked for. I have learned new things about him - and I have treasured every moment. Even the ones in the middle of the night.

It's not possible to have the same experience with every child. There are times I feel bad that I don't have the same amount of one-on-one time with Emmett that I did with Anna. That I can't pay attention to only him all the time or even most of the time. But then I remember that his childhood is also shaped by the moments he has with his older sibling - something she did not experience. And I know that these experiences are just as enriching and special.

Spending this time alone with Emmett has also given me time to look at motherhood and how it changes with each stage and each child. I am a different mother to Emmett than I was to Anna at this age. In some ways it's very good - I am more relaxed, I take time to enjoy the little moments and I don't sweat the little things even a percentage of what I did the first time around. Yet at the same time I am pulled in more directions, there are more commitments and activities to which Emmett becomes a spectator rather than the main event. And for those moments I feel what every mother feels several times throughout their lives - guilty.

So, this time has been so special for me. I got to experience our son in a whole new way and for that I am forever grateful. He truly is a sweet, sweet little boy.

Tonight we will pick Steve and Anna up from the airport and will hear more about their very special vacation together. I know I am waiting in sweet anticipation to see them both, and I am sure this little man will be SO EXCITED to see his "dada" and "anna".

almost there

Over the past several weeks Emmett has become more and more daring with his steps. He started by cautiously walking along the furniture, then transferring from one piece to the next, and now he will stand up in the middle of the room and take up to 7 or 8 steps on his own. He loves to practice, practice, practice and will come up to you and grab your hands, spin himself around and stand up - basically telling you that you are going to walk with him. It's fun to see his determination as he tries to master this feat. I know it's only a matter of days before he's running around the house and yard and then we are all going to have to LOOK OUT as he likes to explore and more importantly, CLIMB!

green-eyed monster

No, this isn't Emmett's new nickname, although his eyes are a little green (and he can be a little monster at times). And no, I am not referring to the leprechans who are likely to visit our home in just under a week. Instead I am hinting at the emotion our eldest has toward the baby in the family as of late.

Despite declaring her love for "sweetie boy Emmett", Anna also has a little case of jealousy when it comes to the attention her little brother commands right now. On the verge of walking, Emmett requires near constant monitoring and attention. If he's not walking around holding on to my hands, he's walking along the furniture or standing up in the middle of the room taking a few steps and then crashing into something (ow!), or hanging on my leg screaming because he is so frustrated with the fact that he cannot yet do what he so desires.

While he struggles with this physical feat, Anna struggles emotionally - reverting back to baby-like behaviors to get attention, misbehaving and physically tormenting her brother. If I had $1 for every time I have to say "keep your hands to yourself" or "Anna, we do not hit" I would be a very wealthy woman.

The other day I heard for what is likely not going to be the last time "You love Emmett more than me Mommy!". Oh boy...that one stung.

So, we carve out special one-on-one moments when we can. We talk about feelings, and how to work through them. We talk about love and how there is so much to go around for everyone. We hug and cuddle. We also issue time-outs and alone time to calm down. And some days we go just a little bit nuts.

expressions

I love these faces.