Gathered and Growing

As I start to think about how Lonnie has grown between 10-12 months, I just can’t help but to think “where did my little baby go?” I have been scrapbooking each month for his baby book. Even just the differences from 6 months to now, he has lost some of his baby features. Time flew by. Some days are slower than others, with the repetitiveness of activities…play pen, get out swiffer, play with wooden kitchen spoons, stroller walk, cool off with a snack, and so forth. Other days, he is busy as a bee. He crawls so fast now. Loves being chased. He’ll crawl by the end of the couch, look at me with a smile, squeal, then crawl as fast as he can towards Kobe’s bed (a place that’s dirty and stinky). He knows I’ll chase him and scoop him up. Those squeals are the best sound.

I would prep his solids and freeze in molds to pop out for quick lunches. He started to really enjoy combination of flavors and textures. He’s a banana boy, loves bananas, oranges, and peas. His go to meals are chicken salad (chicken, applesauce, yogurt, garlic or onion powder) and peaches n cream (peaches and cottage cheese or yogurt and cinnamon).

Birthday planning and prep:

I picked a theme for his birthday party: It’s Fun to Be One. Stuffed animals in party hats, just like the mini photo shoot for his half birthday; and all things colorful. I found colorful fabric at Hobby Lobby, cute colorful candles and a birthday banner at Target. Sometime in March, I had this idea of a baby elephant come to mind. Baby elephants represents strength in its most innocent, soft form–pure, gentle, and protected. Elephants symbolize wisdom and strength, so baby elephants represent growing into strength, a new chapter, potential and promise. I knew I wanted to incorporate elephants into the theme/party somehow. I decided to paint an elephant onto his birthday milestone board and also have a baby elephant in a tiny party hat. His birthday invitation even had a baby elephant on it. The decorations were coming together, and to stick to the theme, the menu was: cowboy caviar, melon salad, focaccia sandwiches. All colorful and tasty. I made his birthday cake and the cake for everyone else. He wore the cutest birthday outfit, with balloons, cake, and party hats all over.

• A few months prior, I found a record from 1951 titled “Happy Birthday to You.” I thought it would be the perfect touch to play at his birthday. We were playing the record as I was decorating the cake and one of the lyrics said “mommy made the cake just for me”..and my mom said something about it, which made me cry.

10 Months

He’s crawling around pretty good now and still enjoying solids. I try to incorporate a new food and also do a combination of flavors, while also leaving textures. He’s fascinated by the swiffer. He either wants to always hold it or chase it. The videos of him trying new foods and crawling around are the best sounds–I just want to bottle them up. March 10th was his first time sleeping on his stomach. He’d always been a back sleeper and anytime Lonnie would roll over onto his stomach, he would just cry. But this time, it finally stuck. When it happened, I immediately texted my sister. We created a home gym as a way to exercise together.

My parents (Nan and Grandaddy) drove up and stayed for a week during Palm Sunday. It was so nice having them here and spend time with Lonnie. Lots of walks and playing.

11 Months

A bittersweet month. The last month of babyhood (he’s still a baby even after 12 months to me). He now has 7 teeth! My mom got him (and the prettiest dress for me) the sweetest bubble outfit to wear for Easter. It was a tad big, but perfect. She also brought my basket I had when I was younger, which became his. We had so much rain showers, so of course, we found the cutest shark rain jacket. Also had photoshoots with the poppies and other spring flowers.

He loves his evening walks with Kobe and Dada. It might have started the month prior, but Lonnie started going through the clingy/attachment stage. I would walk out of the room while he was in the pen, and Lonnie would immediately start crying. On April 20th, we noticed a rash all over his body. We thought perhaps it might have been from the strawberries or first time trying milk, but the week prior he had been outside a lot and had been rather fussy. I think it was from a virus. It didn’t seem to bother him, though.

12 Months

All the prep for birthday planning paid off. My husband picked up my parents and sister from the airport on the evening of April 30th. Friday, May 1st, I made Lonnie’s smash cake: blueberry banana cake with blueberry frosting (yogurt and freeze dried blueberries). I then made the main cake. I painted the “All About Me”. Balloons were blown up, everything was clean and we were ready for the party. It was just a family party, but I wanted it to be special. May 2nd during the party, we ate, opened presents, ate cake, and took family pictures. Lonnie cried when he was overwhelmed or it was too loud. Overall, it was a great time celebrating. May 3rd, my dad’s birthday and Lonnie’s baby dedication. He wore the same outfit from Easter. May 4th, Lonnie’s birthday. I drove my family back to the airport. It’s always sad saying good bye, but I’m glad they came out to spend time during the birthday weekend. It was nice to celebrate his actual birthday just the three of us. Jordan took off work that day and we went to the lake. Lonnie loves being on his dad’s shoulders. Such sweet memories. His 8th tooth came in towards the end of the month.

I feel like 12 months hit and he gained so much more confidence in himself! Crawling on and off the play couch, pulling to stand, pushing the chair, and standing up on his own. I think I also gained confidence.

• I took him to a local park for the first time on May 8th. It was by the river and shaded with trees–so nice.
• He went swimming for the first time on May 15th. So cute in his swimsuit.
• He learned how to stack blocks.
• He calls all foods nana.
• He loves crawling on the grass.
• Some afternoons, Jordan would either take him to the pool or the golf range (if it’s not too hot).

“You’re a mother, but never just.”

My baby is twelve months old. I have been breastfeeding for twelve months. Twelve months postpartum and being a mom.

How I’ve Filled My Cup (since last post)

• Spent most of my time working on Lonnie’s baby book. I had a goal to finish it by his birthday party, but as the date came closer, my goal changed to 10 months (I made it to 8 months).
  • Everyone enjoyed looking at it during the party.
• I started cooking and baking more. Dinner ideas come to mind out of nowhere sometimes and one late afternoon, I made homemade tortillas. Chicken thighs were cooking in the crockpot and to pair with that, I made peach salsa. Everything together was so yummy and fresh. Way better than any restaurant, in my opinion (and maybe Jordan’s haha).
  • A meal I will for sure be making again.
• Made s’mores from scratch, with fresh milled flour and grass-fed gelatin marshmallows. Such a fun and interesting process. I decided to make a whole day of it and had friends over to also make fresh milled flour sandwich bread.
  • To go along with the s’mores, I painted a fire pit/campfire–something I had been wanting to paint for a very long time.
• I have a running list of recipes to make. Any time I get to check one off (and it turns out good), then I’m happy.
• I was the guest speaker at my old work for their lunch and learn on sourdough focaccia.
• I presented the bread workshop at my old work in June. This was a workshop I created for the county, and had been working with a specialist before resigning to create it as a state workshop.

13 Months (just because)

We always said for it to count as walking, he would need to take more than 3 steps. For awhile now, he would stand up and take a step or two, raising his arms in the air like “I did it!” On June 10th, he took 5 steps while playing in the pen. He has now done 12 steps since then. It’s so fun to take this stage slower. I feel like when teething started, it was just one tooth after the other and couldn’t even enjoy what was happening around us. Same with crawling, it was slow, then all at once. I have to try not to react when he takes steps, otherwise he’ll get scared and sit down. This month, we have been going on picnics at the park, playing with the water table, learning to wave bye, going down slides, pushing chairs, and having fun together as a family.

Joys of Motherhood

I’ve been looking back at pictures and memories of when I was pregnant, anticipating the moment we would meet Lonnie. We prayed for you. We listened to your heartbeat on the monitor. And now, I’m holding you. You look at me and smile. Your hand wraps around my fingers. I walk into the room, you cry or laugh, reaching for me. What a privilege it is to be loved by you. Thank you, Lord, for our sweet boy.

“For the one you gave me to have and to hold, help me, God, to show up whole. Let patience flow from a well run dry; bring presence to a scatter mind; send tenderness forth from weary arms; make interest shine in tired eyes. Bind us together in unity that, sure and steady, we might be our family’s vessel sailing forth, a certain refuge in the storm. And let us not forget that you are the water below and the wind above, sending us on, holding us up.” -Marriage in the Little Years

• Twelve Months of Motherhood: What I’ve Learned, Loved, and Lived Through
• The Taste of Summer
• Nine Months of Motherhood: What I’ve Learned, Loved, and Lived Through
• Nourish and Savor
• Nourish and Savor