Light bulbs

As a teacher, I've experienced the awe and wonder of watching children grow. I've experienced the sense of pride in turning preschoolers into readers, and third graders into young scholars. I know the look in the eyes of a child when something finally "clicks" and the light bulb turns on. It's great. It's amazing. It's one of the reasons teachers become (or shall I say, STAY) teachers.

And yet none of it prepared me for the overwhelming sense of joy from watching my own child learn and grow.

It has been said that the first year of a child's life is "magical." That may be true, and it certainly is filled with countless milestones and changes. But as I approach the end of my second year of motherhood, I must argue that it is equally as "magical," if not more so.

See, that first year, especially the early months, a newborn is kind of like a... lumpy potato. I mean, they are precious and wonderful and smell fantastic, but there's not a whole lot of self-awareness going on there. They don't realize they're learning. They don't care if you approve that they accomplished rolling over, sitting up, or what have you. As toddlers, they THRIVE on it. And let me tell you, it's awesome.

I think toddlerhood gets a bad rep because of the whole "terrible two's" thing. Yeah, it's challenging. But so are the multiple night wakings, complete lack of independence, and 137 diaper and/or clothing changes a day that come along with babyhood.

Here lately, Corbin has amazed me in what he's learned to do. I've been watching light bulbs shine like Christmas lights in a trailer park in the middle of February. Here are some recent moments of enlightenment for Corbin:

#1 Opening doors. Seriously, most annoying thing ever. But aside from the fact that nothing is off limits anymore, it also has its advantages. For example, he can now open his closet door to get out toys. What's even more amazing is that he puts them back in there. Novelty? Likely. But for now, it's pretty amazing.

#2 Playing off #1 is his ability to open the pantry door and get a snack. I keep his snacks on the bottom shelf in self-serve containers so he can just grab one and start munching. Sometimes it's a pain because, hey, it's also a novelty and he likes to feed the dog, but still. Pretty neat.

#3 His ability to copy everything I do, part 1. Every. Thing. I can not stress enough how this one is so important! I have to be on constant guard to make sure I don't always let Corbin see what I am doing, at least nothing I don't want him to repeat. I'm still paying for one that's too embarrassing to write for the public eye. I'll just leave it at that. Moral of the story, if you pick your nose, your kid is going to, too. And maybe other's. You just never know.

#4 His ability to copy everything I do, part 2. Hello, child labor. I sweep, he sweeps. I vacuum, he vacuums. He has definitely learned to be "tidy" from me. He will bring his dishes to the sink, throw away trash, put his books back in the basket, and place things back where they belong, on command but also on his own. Yes he's still a messy, irresponsible toddler, but I think neatness is going to come natural for him. For instance, at Walmart, he will pick things up off the floor and put them back, even if he didn't do it. And today when he spilled a little of his milk, he came and got me, saying "uh oh!" I gave him a paper towel and he wiped it up!

#5 Potty training. So, we aren't hitting this hard, but we're definitely dabbling in it. He'll pee-pee just about any time I remember to set him on the potty (usually during diaper changes). He even told me yesterday he had to go and then went in the potty. Unlike babies, he is totally self-aware and looks at me for praise every time he goes! When I feel proud of him, he feels proud of himself.

#6 TALKING. Oh my goodness, this child talks a lot. But just like when he started walking, he took his ever-loving time, and then when he was ready, took off like he'd been doing it his whole life. First time he walked, he ran. None of that silly 1 or 2 step nonsense. He ran from me to Josh and back again. Then he walked from the living room to the bathroom. With talking, I thought he'd never start. He had maybe 5 words he'd randomly say. Then suddenly, he was saying, "what is this?" and "see that?" and "me do it!" And that was that. Today he said, "you get my zoom?" (his word for vacuum). Yesterday I asked if he wanted a bath and he said "no, I gonna play." Bossy britches.

#7 Affection. This one turns me to mush. When I'm rocking him for naps, he'll reach up and gently rub my face, or play with my hair, or pat my arm. When we're sitting on the couch, he'll lay his head over on me or take my arm and wrap it around him. Sometimes he'll just hug my legs and say "awwww, my baby" (lol - what I often say when he's being sweet). And then my ABSOLUTE favorite is when he grabs my face with both hands and gives me Eskimo kisses. Heart. Explodes.

#8 Humor. Corbin hides a lot of his personality around people, but once he gets comfortable with you, he REALLY gets comfortable. He lives for a laugh. He makes crazy faces, puts things on his head, purposely "falls" down, and so many other antics. Sometimes he'll use them to try to get out of trouble. Try scolding your toddler for throwing food on the floor while he's giving you a cheesetastic smile or pretending to smell an imaginary flower. Yeah. We're doomed.

#9 He can put a disc in the dvd player and start a movie. Enough said.

#10 Properly use toys and objects. Gone are the days when every toy was an object in the game Will It Fit In My Mouth? Now his choo choos drive on the track. His blocks make a tower. His shape sorter gets sorted. Puzzles are put together. Crayons make a picture instead of a snack. You get the idea.

So there you have it. Life with a toddler. Well, at least mine currently. Tantrums are just part of the learning process, I have come to realize. Every day he makes me proud as he takes one more step toward independence. It's absolutely bittersweet, and there are times I miss the squishy, lumpy potato stage of babyhood. But then I remember, I like sleep. Oh and the helping-clean-up-after-themselves thing.

Now if only I could train my husband to do the same.

Hello old friend

It's been a while, has it not? I've been meaning to get back to this for a while. I don't know what keeps me from it. Maybe all the sharing on instagram and facebook has temporarily fulfilled my need to write. I tried keeping an e-journal for a while, but it just wasn't the same not being able to share it with the World Wide Web. So let this day mark the revival of my blog!

On New Year's...

2013 was a crap hole of a year for me. You know the saying, "When it rains, it pours?" Well, my version would be, "75% chance of drizzle every other day with a 90% chance of downpours every 2-4 weeks." I went through a lot in 2013. A. Lot. Some things were made pretty public. Others, not so much. But let's just say I was ready to skip on into 2014 with high hopes for sunny days.

Only problem is, just like the weather doesn't care if the calendar says "winter," by golly you can expect it to be 75 degrees on December 21st. That's just how it works. And last night (NYE), life/the universe/forces that be/whatever decided to go out with a bang. My beloved feline baby, Harley, suddenly and unexpectedly went into congestive heart failure and within 7 hours, was gone from my life forever. He was put down just after midnight on New Year's day 2014. To save this from becoming a whole post about Harley (and to save my eyes, sinuses, and head from another sobfest), let me just leave it at this. A college professor of mine once said:

"I truly believe some animals are put on this earth to be your pet equivalent of a soul mate. Most people love their pets and will be sad when they pass. But there are those that take up a special part of your life that, when theirs ends, leaves you with a void that must be grieved over. "

I couldn't agree more. Now moving on before the tears start rolling again...

So last year my resolution was to lose the rest of the baby weight. I guess that was one of those intermittent "sunny days" of 2013. I did lose the weight and then some. I took up running and ran my first and only 5k in "not-too-bad" timing. My running shoes are on hiatus for the winter, because, well, I just don't do freezing temps. Or 50 degrees. Or whatever makes me feel uncomfortable, actually.

2013 was a big year for Corbin, too. He learned to walk, talk, feed himself, turned 1, fell down concrete steps, got 4 hair cuts, grew into a full-fledged toddler, went to the dentist, and became my best little sidekick.

So, for 2014, I have a few ideas in mind for my "official" resolution. I would like to grow my hair long enough to donate to Pantene for cancer patients. I would like to settle into a clothing size/weight and stay there longer than two months. I would like to get more involved in my church and start reading my bible everyday... Even if it means listening to it read to me on my bible app. Of course, I also want to get back into running and do a couple 5k's for motivation.

I'd also love to make some resolutions for other people. But surprisingly, not many people are open to my suggestions. Oh well. Go ahead and vow to eat healthier or save money. You know you wanna.

Corbin had some resolutions, too. Okay, so they're my resolutions for him. I may not be able to pick them for other people, but being someone's mother kinda gives you that privilege. Especially when they don't even know they're being resolved to anything yet.

So for starters, potty training. We're starting there already. He goes in his potty when you set him on it. He claps when he tinkles. He even says "uh oh doe!" when he sprinkles on the seat. For those who don't speak Toddler-ese, that translates to a combination of "uh-oh" and "oh no!" More men could adapt that sentiment, if you ask me. But anyways, I would like to start hitting it hard around his birthday. I don't want to push it, though. So we'll see how that goes.

Another goal is to lose the paci. I try to keep it away during the day, but the little smarty pants has learned all my hiding places. I caved and bought him a new pack this weekend. Enjoy them, buddy, for you only have 4 months left then I'm cutting you off!

And lastly, my... er... I mean Corbin's resolution will be to turn 2, probably get a few more hair cuts, and just grow and do his thang. Seriously, this kid is so smart and amazing, pretty soon he'll be training me. He can already operate the dvd player better than his grandparents.

So, there you have it. 2014 has gotten off to a terrible, no-good, really bad start. My head is killing me from all the crying but I'm trying to remain thankful for all the good things I do have in life. And to refrain from a secondary post of all my thankfulness, I'll just hum you a tune from Katy Perry's "Roar" and you'll get the picture... Song... Sentiment. Whatever.

Corbin turns one year!

I am now the mama of a TODDLER.  Somebody hold me, please.

Has his teddy bear and is ready for his check-up!

Waiting the ridiculously long wait.  Sheesh.

Seriously, what's the point in the paper?

"Parents, please do not let children play with instruments."

Really?  So you put them WHERE?!

I own this room.

Yes, Corbin is now 1 year old.  His birthday and party were last Saturday.  I did my very best to not overwhelm myself and get so caught up in hosting that I couldn't enjoy myself.  I'd say it was better than my wedding reception, but still not as "enjoyable" for me as I wish it had been.  Hindsight is 20/20.  Next year, rent the facility for longer than actually intended so we aren't shoving people out the door as they're shoving cake in their mouths.  Just sayin'.  Sorry y'all.

Anyway, I wanted to give a quick little update on my 12 month old (there, doesn't that sound better than 1 year old?).

At 12 months/1 year, Corbin...

• weighs 20.6 lbs.
• is 29 inches long
• is a peanut
• can fully walk
• points at everything
• follows simple commands, such as "go get _____."
• takes a sippy cup 2x a day
• takes a bottle for naps and bedtime
• drinks 15-20 oz of formula a day
• hates whole milk
• is tolerating sweet acidophilus milk
• sleeps 10-12 hours solid at night
• takes one 2-4 hour nap in the afternoon
• has 5 teeth
• likes to hold your hand and walk with you around the house
• wears 6-12 month clothing
• wears size 3 diapers
• wears size 3-4 shoes
• can drink from a straw
• is starting to feed himself with a baby fork
• loves scrambled eggs the most
• loves brooms
• loves, loves, LOVES playing in water
• HATES swinging and being forced to sit in hard plastic seats
• says "mama," "bye-bye," "hey," and "duck"
• can wave bye-bye
• knows to hold the phone to his ear to "talk"
• mimics everything I do
• throws temper tantrums when you shut a door he wanted to go through
• waves his hands around in the air when you tell him something is "shooey" or "stinky" or "yucky"
• likes to water the flowers with his little watering can
• likes to kill the flowers with his little shovel
• uses his crib mattress as a trampoline
• loves Veggies Tales and Blue's Clues
• "whispers" to himself while he plays
• is loving, cuddly, and affectionate
• is the apple of my eye
• is mine.
• all mine.
• forever.
• sorry, ladies.
• is very, very loved.

If you want to see more pictures from his party, check out my FB page or the previous post which links you to the birthday photo book I made on Shutterfly!

Workin' 9-5...just kidding.

Because I'm absolutely NUTSO, I'm here updating my blog at 12:37 am.  Why am I up at this hour?  Well, I've sort of developed a night-owl routine.  Childless ladies and moms-to-be, you'll find you cherish these precious moments when that sweet little angel is in bed and you can finally have a minute or two to yourself.  You'll also find that using the bathroom alone is a grand luxury, as well as finishing an entire meal without stopping to pick up a sippy cup off the floor 863,372,994 times.  You'll forget what it's like to contemplate the grand questions of life in the shower because you're shaving your legs at a speed that makes you look like you just ran through a field of broken glass.  I'm sorry to burst your fantastic little pre-baby bubble, but it's just a fact of life.

Anyhoo, the whole reason I'm up tonight is because I've doing a little dabbling in marketing for a new fitness center.  I manage email communications, update the website, and promote the business through advertisements and social media.  I also do a little writing (glee!) for their weekly newsletter and will possibly be taking on some health and wellness blogging in the future.  It's really a great gig and I get to work from home.  I'm learning a lot about health and fitness, too!  Now if I could only get my rear in gear and actually attend the classes I write about!  Oy!

So yeah.  I have this vacation at Myrtle Beach coming up in about a month.  I've pretty much given up on my 30 Day Shred dvd.  I simply could not bear to stare into the cold, heartless eyes of Jillian Michaels one more day.  I did see a teeny bit of results, but just not enough to justify the former.  I really would like to start walking, but this asinine Tennessee weather can't make up its mind if it's going to be summer, spring, or winter.  I know, I know - excuses, excuses.  But I'm a working woman again!  I still have to keep house, tend to baby, and do my job.  I can't waste time all willy nilly on a walk if it's just going to rain on me.  Then again, that might give me motivation to start running!  Ha!

In case you haven't noticed, my baby is almost ONE. YEAR. OLD.  One year old.  Gah.  I just can't wrap my mind around it.  He's walking, too!  That started Easter weekend.  He really didn't try walking prior, at least not without a walker toy.  He just stood up one day and was like, "Yeah, I think today's as good a day as any to start walking.  Well, off we go!"  He's been walking ever since.  It's the most adorable thing, really.  He looks like an old geezer.  He holds his arms up at his chest and takes high steps like he has a wedgie.  Here he is "walking" Sammy. Totally precious.

And yes, I know it's been a while since I last updated you on Corbin.  To make up for it, I'll make another post with a photo montage of the last however-long-it's-been collection of cell phone pictures!  Cheers!

P.S. My birthday was the day before yesterday (4/13).  I turned 26.  Adult birthdays are non-monumental, especially when you have a kid.  Especially when his birthday is the week after yours.  Another fact of life.

Birthday girl

Her date

Her BFF

Her dinner

Her coolness

Her true self

YOLO YOLO YOLO

So today, yesterday, the other day (I told you I hardly had time to blog anymore!) I told you how Corbin had started standing on his own.  It wasn't for very long, but I was proud nonetheless.  Well I have an eager beaver who decided that standing wasn't enough and took a WHOLE STEP by himself!  It happened so fast that, of course, I didn't get a picture of it.  Insert: sad face.

So, here I am all excited and updating his baby book (which I've been awesome about, by the way), when I flip over to his growth page to write down the stats from his 9 month appointment.  I start looking back and realize something startling.  My child has been wearing the same size clothes and diapers since he was 6 months old.  He is now 10 months old.  The reason being? He only grew 1 inch and 1 1/2 pounds since he was 6 months old!  IS THIS NORMAL!?  I mean, he was never a big 6 month old.  So, does that mean he's a tiny little 10 month old?  IS MY CHILD GOING TO BE SHORT THE REST OF HIS LIFE!? 

Whew. Mama problems up in here.

You want to know what I decided wasn't a problem, though?  Corbin demolishing my house.  Seriously, I've just decided YOLO.  I call him Destructor for a reason. Mainly because he just can't seem to differentiate what's a toy and what isn't.  He's a little obsessed with sticks, rods, hairbrushes, remote controls, and pretty much anything he can use to beat various objects in my house.  He has learned that if he pulls hard enough on the curtains hanging from my back door (they're in place with a magnetic rod), the whole thing will fall and he can victoriously confiscate the rod and use it to beat the tables, door, cat, etc.  It's actually quite amusing.  Here is a picture of him conquering the curtains:

Actually, in this pic, he somehow managed to slide the bottom rod out without pulling the whole thing down.

Genius.

That's all the adventures I have for today.  In case you forgot what I look like, here's a quick reminder:

Beauty at its finest.

Valentine's Day and the resurrection of this blog

Um, okay.  So, pretty much I thought that nobody was really reading my blog, so I sort of lost interest for a while and stopped writing.  Then, out of no where, I get like 3 or 4 requests from people I hardly know asking if I'm alive or been abducted by aliens and such.

I'M BACK!!!

(this is gonna take a while)

Okay, so yeah.  It's been since mid-January since we last conversed.  Since then, I have left Corbin not once, but twice, to go on a date night with Josh.  I do recall that being one of my New Years Resolutions - one date night sans Corbino every month.  So far, I've held up to my word.  I really loved it and hated it at the same time.  Part of me felt completely void and empty.  All night I felt awkward - like as if I forgot to put on a bra.  Which, duh, I was missing my 18 pounds of warm, squishy hip augmentation!  But I feel bad to admit, at the same time, I sort of loved it.  Because for a few hours I wasn't toting around a diaper bag, baby, stroller, etc.  I didn't have to worry about how much time I had before the next feeding. I didn't have to guestimate just how much longer until we entered way-too-long-between-naps-because-my-child-doesn't-sleep-in-the-car meltdown mode.  But each time we pulled up in the driveway to pick him up, I was like an over-active hyper Labrador licking the window of the car door and pawing at the handle!  It is most definitely safe to say, I missed Cor more than he missed Mama.  Maybe I'm the one who needs to cry-it-out, hmmm?

***

Corbin turned 9 months January 20th!  He weighed 18.5 lbs (50%) and was 27 inches long (25%).  He has the gross motor skills of a 12 month old (according to the doctor) and is off the charts in adorability (according to everyone on the face of the planet, and if you don't agree with me, get off my blog!)

***

Valentine's day was fun.  I bought Corbin some balloons and a stuffed bear.  Corbin gave me a really cute Fossil watch.  Gah, I love that kid.  Oh yeah, and Josh was there too.  With flowers.  He's good.

 And here's some cute-baby-crack for those of you who reeeeally missed us and need your fix:

***

So lately my new obsession has been Pinterest.  Usually, I'll peruse the "humor" section of Pinterest for eCards and Grumpy Cat pictures when there's nothing interesting going on on Facebook or Instagram.  And then I'll pin, like, 5,000 funny pictures that I'm certain everyone wants needs to see.  Then I'll go back and delete a few because they were slightly off-color and that's not how I roll, yo.

Where was I going with this...? Oh yeah.

(Yes, I literally forgot my point.  Yes, I literally typed out my question to myself.)

ANYWAY.  I've been really into fashion/clothing again.  Once upon a time, I was trendy and stylish and looked like I walked straight up out of an American Eagle advertisement.  That was before pregnancy.  Before weight gain.  Before spit up, sitting on the floor, dinner time, bath time, and back-to-bed time.  Then I started realizing that I was rotating the same 3 or 4 shirts and 2 pairs of jeans weekend after weekend.  So, I started looking at outfit ideas on Pinterest and rediscovering my style, which, was no longer head-to-toe American Eagle.  From there, I started reading fashion blogs and discovering ways to work with what you have.  By that point, I was ready to shop.  Problem was, we had no money.  So, I decided to have myself a little cyber yard sale.  I took pictures of all my clothes and listed them on Facebook.  Within a week, all my stylish smaller-than-me friends were sporting a new American Eagle and NY&CO wardrobe, and I had money to buy new clothes! That, my friends, is called a win-win.

Here is an example of me conquering my fear of 1. skinny jeans and 2. colored breeches: 

Here I am on Valentine's day rocking an infinity scarf I knitted myself:

Here is Josh. He likes button-up shirts:

***

Corbin turns 10 months!  On February 20th (Or 19th.  Evidently my brain doesn't function anymore and I posted his 10 month stats on Facebook and Instagram a day early. Whatev.)

I don't know how much he weighs or how tall he is or all that jazz, but I can tell you he:

• wears mostly 6-9 or 9 month clothes.  He's starting to venture into some 12 month territory.
• can crawl, pull up, and walk with a walker or anything he can grab onto and push across the floor (laundry basket, dog, etc).
• can stand momentarily on his own when feeling brave.
• dislikes the feel of grass.
• eats anything and everything you put in front of him.  Prefers carbs.
• is starting to get a bit of a mullet.  Party in the back.
• has two botton teeth and the workings of two top teeth.  
• enjoys beating random objects around the house with a drum stick, hair brush, or remote control. 
• is really growing a sense of humor.  Likes to laugh at me when I tell him "no."
• is becoming a real little person.
• is the most loved baby in the entire universe!

Bonus post: s'ghetti time!

We decided it was time for Corbin to enter into the rite of passage every baby should get to experience:  first time eating spaghetti!
 

Hmm...this tastes different.

Yep, this is definitely food.

Slurp!

Double fistin'

Spaghetti facial, anyone?

Fresh out of his oregano and garlic infused bath!

On a side note, we did notice he developed some sort of minor patchy/flushed rash on his cheeks and chest after eating the spaghetti (which couldn't have been much, since 9/10ths of it wound up in his seat).  It went away the next morning, but it's something we will have to keep an eye on.  Could've been the tomato, the seasoning, or just his excitement from it all.  He didn't seem to notice, though!