To Tye, at 20 months

Dear Tye,


Happy 20 months!  We got together with some of your friends and their moms the other day, and everyone agreed you had grown over the weekend.  Perhaps you knew you were coming up on a big milestone and felt the need to rise to the occasion.  Though for me, recognizing your growth often requires changes like loosening your seatbelt straps or realizing you've outgrown another pair of shoes (both of which happened this week), I still have plenty of moments when I just stand in awe of you and how big you've become.  The other day, I had one of those moments in front of the bathroom mirror when I glimpsed at how long your body is now in comparison to mine.  Do you realize that you're almost 5 times your birth weight now?  


Last night, your Uncle Mark and I took you to the playground nearby.  You ran all over, your legs moving incredibly quickly as your body rotated side to side with each stride.  Though the swings may still be your favorite attraction at the playground, you now spend most of your time on climbing equipment, honing your skills.  I trust you with familiar equipment enough that I can sit and watch you from a little distance, giving you freedom to explore.  Tonight at the playground, two police officers stood chatting near the entrance to the park for a few minutes.  You continued to run around and be your normal jovial self, skipping from one place to another, chattering to yourself and giggling with each new activity.  As the officers left, one nodded to you and said, "Thank you.  I needed to fill up on some nice."  


That's just how you are, Tye.  You fill peoples' days with nice.  Whether we're at the grocery store or just walking Mico, your bright smile and cheerful "Hi!" coax happy responses from everyone we meet.  I appreciate the reminder that even the grimmest-looking passerby may just be waiting for a reason to smile, and that anyone can make another person's morning- even their day- with just a smile and a greeting.  Most of all, I'm forever grateful to have your cheer injected into my day.  I'm amazed by how a ten minute gigglefest with you can change my perspective on things.  Seriously, who knew tickling you could make laundry piles appear smaller and responsibilities seem less daunting?  


You amaze me, Tye.  You keep me running, guessing, learning, and wondering.  I'm so grateful to be on this journey with you.  I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.


Love, 
Mama

Go Sox!

Tye is loving summer and all the new activities it brings.  Recently, Tyler, Tye and I went on a family trip to Wrigley Field to see the White Sox beat the Cubs in a crosstown rivalry game.  We had comfortable, if not perfect, weather and great seats- front row of the upper deck, just past first base.  The fence was high enough that I wasn't worried about Tye's safety, Tye had room to move around in front of us, and we all had a great view of the game.  Tye wore her White Sox Tshirt and we were supposedly shown on TV several times throughout the game.  

Tye saying "Cheese!"

It's one, two, three strikes you're out...

For Tyler and me, the game was a special moment to cherish our family of three and our time with Tye as an only child.  For Tye, it was a special day because it involved a huge box of popcorn and soft pretzels with cheese sauce and mustard- the girl was in Heaven.  It was a day we all loved.

We've been growing!

Hi everyone!  First of all, thank you so very much for all the kind words and wishes regarding this new pregnancy.  Reading those comments was like receiving a line of hugs.  Thank you!  We're still here, and I'm finally starting to feel a bit better.  My constant 24/7 nausea has eased to morning and evening nausea, giving me a good portion of the day to accomplish things and eat as much as I can.  Sunday marks the first day of my second trimester- I can't believe how quickly the time is flying!  Our baby, who is about the size of a large lemon, now has fingerprints and reflexes and is peeing to create amniotic fluid (which made Tyler proud to hear).  I think I've even felt baby moving a few times, though it's hard to know for sure.


Tye is continuing to develop, too.  She just started creating two word phrases by adding "go" to words.  I'm amazed by the variety of meanings she can communicate by simply adding one word to the rest of her vocabulary- "Choo choo go?" is "Where did my choo choo go?" while "Mommy go" means "Mommy is leaving," while "Nigh nigh go" means "I want to go night night." While I've had to put some effort into maintaining a positive attitude while I've felt so sick, the reward of observing Tye continuing to grow has been well worthwhile.  Just to show how much she's grown, here are some photos from our Fourth of July celebration.

Happy Fourth!

The real reason I haven't been posting....

I miss writing blog posts here- they've become a welcomed outlet for me, much like journaling.  I can share what interests me, organize my own thoughts on topics and events in my life, and brag about my gorgeous little girl without feeling guilty.  Most of my posts in the past 19 months have been written while Tye was napping or after she'd fallen asleep for the night, especially more recently, since Tye turned into Tye-nado.  


But for the past few months, I've been needing those quiet times for extra sleep myself.  I'm now 10 1/2 weeks pregnant!  I took a pregnancy test on Mother's Day that turned up positive- a little celebration I'll always remember on future Mother's Days.  

Like my pregnancy with Tye, I've been battling morning sickness- more nausea and gagging than actual vomiting, but I think that's because I spend so much energy willing my food to stay down once it's in.  I was starting to really worry about the weight I've been losing, but at my midwife appointment last week, I was reminded that this isn't quite the same as my pregnancy with Tye.  


This time around, I have more weight to lose (since I never did return to my pre-baby weight completely).  I'm better rested, thanks to my daily naps with Tye.  I'm also under far less stress than the spring and summer I taught while expecting.  As much as I love teaching, staying home with Tye carries fewer concerns and deadlines.  I also discovered that a supplement of Vitamin B6 has helped ease my nausea and at least keep me mobile- and able to run around with Tye.  


Friday of last week, Tye and I visited the midwife office.  Amy, who attended Tye's birth, saw us and we listened to our new babe's heartbeat.  I'll never cease to be amazed by the power of that sound- such reassurance, joy, and gratitude in response to a pattern of rapid thumps.  Until I begin to feel this baby move, those thumps are all I have.  Well, those thumps, the nausea (which I know is a good sign for the pregnancy), and my already-expanding belly.  At 10 weeks now, I look more like I did at 15 weeks with Tye. 


My official due date is January 15, giving us plenty of time to prepare ourselves for our next addition.  I'm thrilled for Tye to be an older sister.  I am blessed to have really wonderful, close relationships with my two younger brothers, and I feel strongly that a sibling is the best gift I could ever give Tye.  Still, sometimes it's hard for me to believe that we're entering our next stage in life, becoming a family with more than one child.  I look forward to the changes that are coming, and to chronicling them all here, just as I did with Tye's arrival.  Just maybe not during nap time for a little while.

To Tye, at 19 months

Dear Tye,


The number 19 has never sounded so large.  I mean, a 19 month old is almost two.  Having a daughter who is a year and a half sounds right to me- but having a daughter who is almost two is really blowing my mind.  Sometimes, though, I can see the two year old in you showing itself- like when you refuse to let me feed you, insisting that I put down the fork so you can accomplish the entire task of feeding yourself by yourself.  Or when you steal an off-limits item from my purse, then run into the bedroom to hide, closing the door behind you.  


Much like your avoidance techniques, your play is becoming more sophisticated.  One of your favorite games right now is to usher Ziggy into your room, then close the door; then you knock, open the door to see Ziggy staring at you, say brightly, "Hi Ziggy!" and burst into hysterical giggles.  You generally repeat this pattern about 20 times before tiring, I imagine because your stomach hurts from laughing so hard for so long.  You also love to feed your stuffed animals now, whether you offer them a cracker or water or, your new favorite, hold them up to my breast to nurse.  


Over the past month, your canines have grown in, giving you a significantly more grown-up looking smile.  Add to that the sweet ringlets on the back of your head, and you look like you could be two already.  

Last weekend, Gram babysat you while Daddy and I went out for a date.  She couldn't believe how much clearer your words had become in the past two weeks.  Spending every day with you and hearing new words in context, I can almost always understand what you're trying to say, but I think you'll find that communicating with others as easily is extremely rewarding.  If you think I get excited when you point to new items, just wait until your grandmas geek out over it.


As we move into summer, I can't help but remember everything we did together last summer.  Just look at how scrumptiously adorable you were exactly one year ago, taking your first bath sitting up.  Now I can hardly get you to sit down in the tub.  Last year when we went to the playground, you played with the wood chips.  This summer, you run from one attraction to the next, requesting activities by name.  Just last week, you and I had a gorgeous morning at the Green City Market near the lake.  We picked out some delicious, local strawberries, then found shelter from the hot sun in shaded chairs as we listened to the peaceful live flamenco guitar.  As we soaked up the beauty of the morning with all our senses, I was sure I was being shown a little glimpse of Heaven.  It was one of those moments I want to bottle up and take with me forever.  


I'm so looking forward to a wonderfully busy summer exploring Chicago and beyond with you, Tye.  You remind me to look at the world with fresh eyes- to look up at every plane and bird and to literally stop to smell every flower, because we never know which ones will amaze us with their sweetness.  Most of all, you remind me that love is infinite.  Just when I think I can't love you any more, you pucker up to ask for a kiss and I remember that there's no limit to loving you.  Thank you for making me a better person every day of your life.  And yes, that will even be true when you're nine years old and even nineteen years old.  Especially if you pucker up and ask for a kiss then.


Happy 19 month birthday, Tye.  I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.


Love, 
Mama

Whale Watching

With Chicago's heat index well over 100 today, we decided to take a quick break from the heat and visit the Shedd Aquarium.  We arrived as it opened to take advantage of members-only viewing of their new exhibit, Jellies.  

From there, we walked downstairs to view the beluga whales and dolphins underwater.  We were the only people in that entire portion of the aquarium for almost an hour- precious time to explore before being overwhelmed by hoards of field trip attendees.  

We spent at least half an hour watching, and being watched by, the beluga whales.  Remember my special attachment to the mama beluga with whom I shared months of pregnancy, then months to years of lactating?  It seems Tye feels a special bond with the whales, too.  

As Tye and I watched the belugas swim laps around their pool, they watched us closely, touching the thick glass as they passed.  When we revisited the whales later, they seemed almost to be avoiding the window, perhaps as overwhelmed by the crowd as we were.  I was so thankful for those silent moments of mutual observation.