4 Years

Its been 4 years.

That’s 35,000 hours. (Give or take)

1460 sunrises.

Roughly 31,449,600 breaths

since I became someone’s mom.

I thought having my first baby was the singular most life changing thing that had ever to me.  Then I did it again. And again.

Each child blows up your heart with more love than you thought was humanly possible.

It’s actually pretty supernatural.

But there is something about your first: The unknown, the newness, the naivety of the difficult task you have undertaken coupled with the inherent fear of messing things up.

The first look at a little person that grew inside you, that kicked and moved under your skin, that carved a place so big in your life before taking his first breath of air is nothing short of magic.

Tanner is my magic and tomorrow he turns four.

My sweet boy, the original thief of my heart, my teacher.

He is smart, sweet, empathetic, stubborn, methodical, imaginative, and better than I could have even imagined.

He turned a couple of crazy love-struck newlyweds into a family.

He makes us smile.

He taught us how to be parents.

He makes me laugh daily.

He is a kind and patient big brother.

He’s exactly as sweet as he looks.

And I couldn’t be more proud to be his mom.

I’m not sure what is more terrifying, to become a mom for the first time or to watch your baby turn into a real person who needs you less and less each day. (I’ll let you know in a few years).

Either way he totally rocks my world and I want to scream from the rooftops how much I love this little person.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 4th BIRTHDAY TANNER FREDRICK!!!

3 Years

3 years ago today, I became a mom for the first time. Somedays it seems like it was just yesterday that I held my first baby and other days I can't seem to remember the days when I wasn't a mom.

Tanner is bright, imaginative, sensitive, and opinionated. At 3, he loves playing with his imaginary friends, painting, helping me cook, bugging his sister Emmy and doing anything outside.

He is obsessed with letters, the sounds they make and is a bit of the "typical" first born overachiever/perfectionist.

He talks...A LOT. Seriously, the boy talks to me ALL DAY LONG about just about anything. We have some interesting conversations.

It probably goes without saying but I love him more than I knew was humanly possible. He's my boy and I am so happy to be his mom.

Happy Birthday Tanner!!!

Then:

Now:

They’re cute even when…

They are about to throw a tantrum

OR

When I set them down for a second and this is the reaction I get.

 

 

They are so going to appreciate when they get older that I posted their finest moments.

2 Years of Learning on the Job

Today my first born, Tanner, turns 2 years old.

2

It is cliché and it is said by every mother everywhere but seriously where did the time go?

Seriously.

The soft baby fuzz wisps have been replaced by the ever growing, sweat-filled mop of a constantly busy toddler.

The cries and whimpers to tell me what he needed are now “Please, Mommy.” and “No!”

The countless hugs and kisses that have been given are now being returned with an “I Love you!” that brings tears of complete and utter JOY each time I hear it.

And then there is his smile…ahhh…that smile.

And his laugh. 

I was telling friends this past weekend about the seriously indescribable amount of love you can feel once becoming a parent.  It is mind blowing.  However, these moments of complete and utter love are not in every moment of everyday.

They are not present in the moments when he is “practicing” his tantrums, or when he hits his sister after being reminded over and over again to be gentle, or when all he seems to want is “more Thomas the Train please Mommy,” or when I am counting the minutes til Daddy is home.

Oh…but when those moments of complete love and adoration come, boy you’d better watch out.

It is consuming

visceral

unstoppable

I can’t even count how many of those moments I have had in the past two years since becoming a parent but each time I want to stop, breath it all in, live in it forever.

I read somewhere that parenting is a learn as you go type of job and I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher.

Happy 2nd Birthday to my sweet, funny boy!!!

 

    

Note: This last picture was snapped this morning as the birthday boy was just getting up for some morning cartoons.  I don’t think he was too please to have a camera toting mommy in  his face.

Talking up a storm

Tanner is quite the vocal little toddler.  I started writing down his vocabulary to count how many words he knew but stopped @ about 80 because the kid seems to add new words every day. 

I love love LOVE his little voice.  He reminds me everyday with his actions that he is a big boy and not a baby.  (Except for maybe when Emmy Lu is napping and he lets me cuddle and rock him).

 

This morning he topped the cutness charts before 7:30 am.  He gets up off my lap, walks to the fridge and says:

“Mama milk please”

which actually sounds like-

“Mama milt pee” But I knew what he meant.  He knows how to melt my heart.

 

I also may have created a monster who can get WHATEVER he wants from anyone.  Instead of the typical toddler whine or scream when they need help or want something, I taught Tanner how to say “Help please.”

I don’t know how many times a day he looks up with his baby blues and says “Help pee”..even if it is with something naughty or that he is not supposed to have.  Hard to resist that. 

Doppelganger

Tanner is young but he already has his little doppelganger in Emmy Lu.  Here are some pictures of my two kiddos at about the same age:

 

 

 

 

Crawling??? Who needs Crawling??

It has been about a week since Tanner started getting more and more brave with his walking. Still he was doing a combo of walking and crawling. Each day he has been gaining more and more confidence. There is more walking and less crawling. The last 2 days, it has been nearly all walking...He's figured out how much faster/easier it is to be up on two instead of all fours. Probably WAY easier on his knees too (the kid would crawl through ANYTHING). I was not stressing about him walking and figured that he would do it in his own sweet time without much prodding from his pesky mom. That is EXACTLY what he did. One day he felt like walking so he did. What a kid. Here is some video of him walking.

Sorry it is a little dark, but you get the idea.

Also Note: When I point the camera down, I couldn't avoid the GIANT belly. It gets in the way sometimes :) 2 days overdue and counting!!

Little Boy Buzz Cut

Tanner’s hair was…well…slightly out of control.  I felt like I was cutting it every few weeks and it was still SUPER long.  We’ve been talking about buzz cutting it for the summer but just hadn’t gotten to it yet.  I also didn’t want him to have that “fresh” haircut look when we take family pictures with Deuce soon.  Convinced that this baby it not coming for at least 3 weeks and that his little buzz will be grown out just the right amount by then, we took the plunge and Daddy cut Tanner’s hair yesterday.  He sat there perfectly still letting Daddy just clip away.  We were surprised at how easy it was.  Here are some pictures.  (**NOTE: At one point during the process Tanner had a baby mullet that was soon corrected.**)

       

The finished product!!!  He looks like such a little trouble maker  now…Watch out world!!

He WILL walk soon

Tanner is 13 months old and is still mastering the art of walking. I actually think he is just afraid of it. He stands by himself unsupported by anything but just won’t seem to take that first step. His latest and greatest trick is just to sit down whenever he hears the word “walk”, as if to say- “You are not gonna rush me lady, I’ll do this when I want.” This morning at the laundrymat he found a new fun toy that kept him busy the whole time we were there…the laundry cart. Here is video of him practicing walking with the cart. I can’t wait til he can do this unsupported…I don’t know if he realizes that I have another baby coming in less than 2 months and carrying two around on my hip isn’t my idea of the best time. He’ll just do it when he is ready…I am just getting nervous. I should note that his daddy- nicknamed “Putzy Paul” (by me of course) didn’t walk until he was 15 1/2 months old so maybe Tanner is just going to take his sweet time too.

Tanner turns 1

Tanner is officially a 1 year old!! *tear* Yesterday we celebrated at home which meant I got to spend the whole day with my favorite 1 year old.  It was actually really nothing extraordinary but a nice little quiet celebration.  His BIG party is this weekend at Maple Grove Community center where he will be able to play in the indoor playground and go swimming with his cousins and friends.  Here are some pictures I captured yesterday of my Tanner’s BIG day!!!

We had a FANCY dinner of Tanner’s favorite foods.  Cheddar Brats, Fruit, and chips!!!  Tanner’s great aunt Pam and great uncle Terry (who live across the road) came over to help celebrate.

Time to open presents!!! 

     

 

(Cup) CAKE TIME!!!!

His hands were full so he figured out the next best way to get it in his mouth!!

 

“Oh wait…I can pick this bad boy up!!”

    

Our HAPPY birthday boy!!!!!

 

Also, because I just HAVE to share.  Yesterday while Tanner was napping I made his barnyard cake pops for his birthday party this weekend.  CHECK THEM OUT!!!!   CUUUUUUUUUTE!!!