The greatest parenting mistake EVER.

Location: Hell 


Seriously. In what I now realize was the greatest parenting mistake EVER, Charlie Mac was allowed to ride in the front seat of the truck for a total of 15 minutes this past weekend; now everytime we even approach a vehicle the screaming begins "I don't wanna go in my carseat! I wanna go in the FRONT SEAT! It's NOT your seat MAMA! YOU ride in this carseat!" Seriously. As my friend Jennifer said "they make em cute so we don't eat them."

Toothless grin #2 on it's way out--another memory on the way

Today I felt Willa Ann's first tooth. It's going to be visible in the next week. I'll try to get as many pictures as I can of her little toothless grin before it's gone forever.

Last night I went to look at her while she was asleep and just sat and stared at her for about half an hour. With my second child I know something that I didn't realize as a first timer--that no matter how mind blowing the moment, the memory of it is a whisper compared to the moment itself. That regardless of your iron willed determination that this memory will stick, it probably won't be anywhere close to clear when you think back. That in order to even visualize your sweet baby at a younger age, you are going to need a picture. I'm sure that last one has some evolutionary purpose--to better be able to recognize your children you can only visualize their faces as they are at the current time--but it kindof stinks. I remember a few very specific moments of Charlie Mac's babyhood--a little lip purse that overcame my family's law of no kissing on the lips, a couple of particularly precious times when I was nursing him and the talk he and I had when I told him he wasn't going to nurse anymore-those aren't crystal clear though. My point is this: last night when I was looking at Willa ann as she slept, in awe of how beautiful she is, how precious--I knew that I may not be able to remember it later, and that the feeling I had at that moment would never be so sharp as it was right then. And I didn't want it to end, so I just stayed there and stared. Her little finger would twitch every so often and her side rose and fell as she breathed. Her face so lovely in it's peace. I was alternately sitting on the ottoman peaking through the slats and leaning on her crib looking over. Both views unique and beautiful. This picture is hard to see because it wasn't very bright in there and I took it with my cell phone, but I imagine you can tell why I was so captivated.

I wrote this after I tore myself away:

There is no instrument to capture
the acheful beauty of your being
the wingspan of your lips
the settle of your sigh
  oh my child
    it is as starving
       to crave the impression that will flee with the moments passing

portrait followed by (gasp) haircut

I am SURE this will be as hard on everyone else as it is on me, so out of the kindness of my heart I have decided to forgo the impact of the "shock post" with pictures of a freshly shorn Iddle to let you all prepare as well. The portrait is going to be taken tomorrow evening. The haircut will follow shortly thereafter.

Starting soon we will only get compliments on one beautiful little girl as Charlie Mac will be more easily recognizable as the little fella he is.

I will edit this post later to add pictures of his sweet, little hippy head.

(sob)

there's something missing!

The other night I was putting Charlie Mac down with our usual routine: book in the rocking chair, prayers, kisses and hugs, good night. After I got him in his bed and was headed to turn out the light and say good night he looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and raised his little index finger up beside his cheek and said "something's missing!" I asked him to repeat himself ("huh?"), and he said "there's something miiisssing!" I started laughing of course and asked him what--"my book!" I didnt'realize he'd done this the past two nights when Bradley had put him down. So now, Iddle reads to himself in bed until he falls asleep. I wish you could see him lying in his little bed with his stuffed animals and his book open in front of him. It captures his attention so well that I have to practically holler my "goodnight! I love you!" in order to get my "I wuv you too! night night!" in response.

I'll have to try to catch it with a camera soon.

A Bathing Beauty Bitty Bee

Willa Ann is getting to the age where she really enjoys her bath. She kicks, kicks, kicks while she's lying on her back and splashes her little hands when she's sitting up. She loves grabbing at the bathtub toys and just has a grand ole time. Here she is fresh from the bath wrapped up in her towel.