Swimming!

Avonlea Overheard, Vol. 4

Favorite toddler phrases:

When she wants you to stop: "Sop it."

When she wants you to pick her up: "Hold you?"

When she wants a hug: "Give you hug more?"

When she wants something and I ask her to ask politely: "Say please?"

If we go to Panda Express, or have pasta for dinner, she'll announce with joy, "Panda time!" or "Pasta time!"

Avonlea Overheard, Vol. 3

Avonlea is holding a mini magna doodle, walking around the house saying, "A...V...O...N...L...E...A...Avonlea!"

Avonlea Overheard, Vol. 2

Yesterday, in the car.

We see a stalled vehicle on the side of the highway, and a tow truck is there with flashing lights on.
Avonlea: Siren, mommy!
Me: A siren? Oh, no that it a tow truck.
Avonlea: (trying the words out) Tow truck?
Me: Yes. It is there to help that car that has stopped running. It will use a special cable to pick up the car and take it to get fixed.
Avonlea: *silence*
(A couple of minutes later)
Avonlea: Like Mater!
Me: What? Where do you see Mater? (It had been so long, I had forgotten what we had talked about. It took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about.)  Oh! Yes, the tow truck was like Mater. Mater is a tow truck, too!
Avonlea: Tow truck like Mater!  Oh, how cute!

To My Secondborn

Dear Aria,

I feel like I need to apologize to you.

Yes, you are only 4 months old, but this is a big one.

I'm sorry I didn't want you.

Before I got pregnant, while hanging out with my 13-month old, I would have dreams that I was pregnant, and I dreamt about how I would get rid of it somehow (I think I had a "baby in a basket in the Nile like Moses" dream). Then, when I found out I was pregnant, I actually had several days where I considered not telling anyone and giving you up for adoption. There are so many people out there who want babies, and I. Did. Not.

It's no secret I had a hard time with Avonlea. I had postpartum blues, I had trouble breastfeeding, Avonlea cried all the time and ate all night long, and it was exhausting. We were pretty happy being a family of 3, and I knew it would take a lot of planning (or a lot of booze) to get me to want to be a mom to another baby.

But God had a different plan. And when Avonlea was 13.5 months old, we got pregnant again.

And I was MAD. And sad. And frustrated. And scared. Boy, was I scared. I didn't think I could do it again. I didn't WANT to do it again.  And that feeling lasted much longer than it should have. For about 5 months, I really didn't want you.

And for that, I am sorry.

Because beautiful baby girl, you are an AMAZING gift. You are an incredible baby. Nearly perfect, if I say so myself. :) Sure, you have crying fits. Every baby does. But you spend most of the day in a lovely, smiley mood. You're super-easy to put to sleep. You sleep in my arms with a swaddle or without, and you're pretty content in your own bed with a good tight swaddle. You take a pacifier. You take a bottle (though, I haven't tried recently). You wake up only a couple times a night, and go right back to sleep without needing to be rocked or shushed. You take LONG naps during the day. You are happy and cheerful, and you smile at everyone.

With Avonlea, I was super-excited all pregnancy, and then spent the next 6 months wondering what in the world I was thinking. With you, Aria, I spent 4 months wondering what in the world was I thinking, and then have spent every minute since you have been born marveling at how incredible you are.  I'm sorry I didn't want you.

Because now, I can't imagine life without you.

Love,
Mommy

Clappity Claps

Avonlea has taken to clapping whenever she is super happy about something, or when she is really excited about something.

It's adorable.

For My "Other Mothers"

Mother's Day is hard for me. That's easy to understand. I miss my mom. I miss my Mamaw Campbell. I am sad I don't get to celebrate with them, and share my own girls with them.

But I would definitely be remiss if I didn't take time to comment on the fact that I still have FOUR amazing women that I can call "Mom" on this day. And I want to take a few minutes to share how they have impacted my life.

First, "Aunt Sunni". When I talk about my life here in Los Angeles, it is nearly impossible not to mention Sunni. She is our next door neighbor, and our landlord--but she is so much more than that for our family. She has taken over the Mom/Grandma role for us ever since we moved into our current home. She watches the girls. She loves Avonlea like she was her own granddaughter. She makes Avonlea amazing gifts, like "pimped out Cozy Coupe" that looks like Minnie Mouse:

She lets our guests stay at her mother-in-law apartment. She brings food and does my dishes and hangs out with the girls so I can take a nap. She is the Mom that I don't have here. My friends all exclaim, "*I* want an Aunt Sunni!" We don't ever want to move because of her.

Secondly, Great-Grammy Klimis. We don't get to see her often, but she loves and cares for my girls so much. She sends them beautiful dresses for the holidays. She cared for her husband through his many years with Alzheimer's disease, and was an incredible example of self-sacrifice and spousal love. And she raised a wonderful son, who cares deeply for my mother-in-law, and that makes her an All-Star Mom in my book.

Thirdly, my Mother-in-Law, Gaydene. I know of friends who have horror stories of their mothers-in-law, but I have absolutely no concept of that fact. My Mom is loving and kind. She has a heart to serve and love others. It was one of my first impressions of her when we met when Nick and I were dating. She just wanted to make a difference in other's lives, and I can say first-hand she has done that. She absolutely loves her grandkids. She doesn't get to see them as often as she would like, but she stays involved in all of our lives. Avonlea is growing up with a love of her Grammy, even though we are several states away from each other. She didn't have the easiest time as a mom herself, raising Nick on her own for a period of time. But she did an amazing job raising a son of integrity, who values hard work and quality, who provides for his family and is a source of strength for us to lean on. She helped to make Nick the man that I married, and for that I am forever grateful.

Finally, Grandma Hume. I have so many amazing memories of Grandma. Of Saturday mornings eating Cream of Rice cereal with her and Grandpa. Of Sunday afternoons at the pool at Kettering Rec Center and falling asleep on her couch afterward while the water dripped out of my ears. Of dressing up in her old nightgowns. Of croquet matches in her backyard on the hill. Of climbing her magnolia tree and picking roses in her backyard. Of putting up her tree together. Of epic family dinners with enough desserts to feed an army. Of beautiful handmade linens and drapes. Of photos and cameras and memories in handmade books. Of Tupperware containers filled with treats after every college soccer game, and earning the nickname of "Cookie Grandma." Of 63 God-filled years of marriage. Of countless matches of Rummikub and Monopoly and Memory and Chinese Checkers. Of endless service projects at church and hosting missionary families and friends in a never-ending sea of hospitality. Many of the best moments of my life include my Grandma, and I know thousands of others who would say the same. She is going to need a wheelbarrow to carry around her crown of jewels when she eventually gets to Heaven. She's 89 and a little slower than she used to be, but she's still a spitfire and a woman I love with every bit of who I am.