Birthday week...

When Connor was a newborn, it seemed as if nursing and pumping consumed my life. I recall being up all night nursing my precious little babe who would only sleep for about 2 hour increments at a time. Every nursing session ended in a lovely poopy diaper—it still amazes me the pooping power this tiny little child could produce. So here I was, standing in the dark in my bedroom every night, trying to unbundle my little boy to change his diaper while desperately trying to keep him covered, so he wouldn’t get cold from the freezing winter air. For about the first month of Connor’s life, I would go to bed with two sets of pajamas set out for him and I. It was a given that every time the cold air would hit Connor’s tiny “wee” when changing his diaper, he would give both of us a lovely urine shower! This time in our lives taught me how to schedule my milk pumping, showering, meals, and daily chores completely around Connor’s schedule. I remember being excited if I got out of my pajamas and into regular clothes before the day was over! Parenthood was only beginning for me...

My calendar was a countdown from day one. I couldn’t wait until Connor was old enough to eat solid food (and give my poor “teets” a break!). Once we reached solid foods at about 4 months old, I was anxious to see Connor sit up on his own. When Connor was 6 months to the day, I will never forget the shock my Mom and I had when we plopped Connor on the floor of his bedroom & he sat on his own for a good 25 seconds!! I remember lots of cheering and immediately jotting down this oh-so-big milestone in Connor’s baby book! The world of sitting up in shopping carts, sitting on playmats, and sitting in his high chair was so thrilling to me! Once we mastered that, I couldn’t wait until Connor could crawl. It started with the ‘inch worm approach’ where Connor’s pudgy arms did all the work, but soon after his legs got the hang of it. The days of laying Connor on his play mat and knowing he wouldn’t go anywhere were officially over. Baby proofing the house was in full force! The coffee table was absent from my living room for many months to avoid bruises to Connor’s noggin’ (and my heart attacks to follow!). I’m pretty sure I took about 20 photos per day through this time period of his life, where he would grin from ear to ear if you even held up a camera in front of his face! I captured many precious, all gum, smiles at this time!

Once the crawling and pulling up consumed Connor’s life, we were on to standing and walking. I will never forget the look of pure pride on Connor’s face when he stood on his own & made those little feet go where he wanted. I was a nervous wreck watching him bobble all over the place, but it took barely a month & Connor was racing you around the house! Connor’s wardrobe expanded with the cutest kicks available for his monster feet at this time! This time in Connor’s life led us to a forward-facing carseat (oh happy day!), climbing playgrounds, tossing rocks into the water, and launching any object he could get his hands on!

Once fully mobile (and quite possibly the fastest child I’ve ever seen), I tried to get Connor more focused on being verbal. I flooded him with books, flashcards, songs, narrating every single thing in our day, and so on! Connor & Nana made trips to the library part of their weekly routine. The excitement when the word “duck” bounced off Connor’s tiny tongue was indescribable! Soon after, the word “that” overtook Connor’s entire vocabulary. Everything and everyone was (and still is) “that!” I know it’s only a matter of time before the sentences start flowing out!

So here I am, with only days until my little boy officially graduates from the world of “babyhood” and jumps into the land of “toddlerville.” The days of counting his age by months are coming to an end. In the past 24 months, I’ve been waiting for Connor to grow up faster and reach each new milestone. Now, I’m wishing I could go back to day 1, when Connor fit into those ever-so-tiny sleepers and would sleep his best while laying on my chest in his little tree frog position. Although I had a different visual of how Connor’s life would go, I can rest easy at night knowing that Connor is happy, healthy, and loved by so many. My heart smiles when Connor lights up at the sight of his Nana & Papa! The random baby bear hugs and open mouth kisses Connor gives to me will forever remind me of why I love being a Mom.

Connor has taught me how to plan for EVERY occasion. He has taught me the importance of having extra wipes, snacks, a change of clothes, and a confined space for him to run & play available at any given time. Connor has taught me how to muster up patience when I feel like I can’t take it anymore. He’s taught me how to run on ZERO sleep, the importance of nap time, and how to schedule everything around his schedule. He’s taught me how to quickly locate the closest restaurant with a playground, how to inspect everything for possible safety hazards or germs, and how to point out every American flag, fire hydrant, rock, airplane, bird, and duck where ever we are. Connor has taught me how to look at life through his little eyes and to enjoy the simple things in life! Connor has taught me how to love more than I ever thought I could.

Here’s to the little boy that stole my heart! May your birthday week be filled with more toys, sugar, ELMO, friends, family, and love than you'll know what to do with!

Happy (soon-to-be) 2 years to the little man that stole my heart!