Two

I honestly can not believe I'm writing this blog...

Already?!

TWO!?!??!

A lot has happened in the last two years, maybe that's why it has literally flown by. I'm sad about that. Maybe it's because I know there are no other babies in my future, and I LOVE babies. Maybe it's because Maddie was such a happy, easy, cuddly baby and selfishly, I don't want to trade that in for the "terrible-two" year-old she's becoming. Tantrums, tantrums and fits, oh-my. Well, like it or not, you're growing up, my dear and here is what I want to say to you on your second birthday.

My sweet baby girl,

You are two. You are beautiful, so beautiful. You are silly. You are affectionate. You are strong. You are fearless. You are independent. You are very smart. Very, very smart. You are just truly remarkable in so many ways. Your smile is contagious. You make friends everywhere you go (that smile is infectious, let's be honest here). Your courage is admirable. Your will is strong.

You remind me so much of me. Your daddy tells me all the time, "She is YOUR daughter. She is just like you!"

I don't know if it's supposed to, but that makes my heart smile. BIG.

Oh, little M, how you love and adore your brother, even when he tackles you and you get a boo-boo on your head, you still love him. You want to be with him all the time, you want to do what he's doing, you want to be "big" like him. You ask about him all the time, "Where Hudson is?", "Hudson seeping?" "Hudson school?" "WHY?!?" (Oh...the "why's" already....) I am so glad you have a bond with your brother, there is really nothing like a sibling. Especially one you're close to. I am so glad we have given that gift to you. He's a pretty great brother and he absolutely adores you. I love watching you two together. The sound of your laughter is the best part of my day, every day. I can't imagine anything better.

You LOVE your daddy. You wake up very, very early, every day (no matter what we do), so you get to spend a little time with daddy in the morning when the rest of the house is still trying to sleep. You love your time with Daddy and when he gets on the "city bus" in the morning, you wave goodbye to him and say, "bye-bye daddy!" Then, every time we see a city bus you say, "daddy's bus!" I think you think he rides around on the bus all day long until it comes back to our house and he gets off the city bus. You are always so excited to see Daddy. He gives you your bath every night, puts you in your pajamas and sings to you at night. He adores you and would do anything for you and your brother.

Maddie-loo, to me, you will always be my baby girl, my little tiny, carry-you-everywhere, rock-you-to-sleep, speak-on-your-behalf baby. You love your mommy, love to kiss me, hug me, and snuggle with me. You ask to play with me in your playroom every day, "mommy, cook!" "Mommy, yay-gos! (AKA- legos)"...oh, the list could go on and on.

Precious girl, I have such a special bond with you, and I hope that as you grow and become even more independent, you'll know that you can always come back to me. I will always be here, for you, to carry you, rock you, and speak on your behalf. I will always, no matter what, unconditionally, without judgment, love and respect you and who you are. I am so very proud of you. I'm proud that you're MY DAUGHTER. Proud when people see you and smile, and comment on your overwhelming amount of cuteness, your confidence, your independence, that you are mine. You are mine, you are daddy's, you are Hudson's sweet baby girl. We love you, so, so much. Happy, Happy 2-year Birthday, angel girl.

XOX
Mommy

Kayaking

Hudson started kayaking last weekend.

Just kidding. 

We stopped by REI this weekend. Always a good stop on a rainy day.

Discovery Park

Just another day at the beach...

The End of an Era

Well, okay, that may be overstating it, but try telling Hud that. T- ball season has come to an end, super fast it seems. Hudson loved it, we loved it, and we'll be back again next year-unless Hudson's already playing in the Minors, which, with his enthusiasm and love for the game, coupled with Scott's full support, could really be a possibility.

Life IS Good

Especially when you're a kid, and the sun is shining (in Seattle) and you have lots of your brother's friends to play with.

And, seriously... How cute are these boys?!? 

And then, just 'cause they looked so cute this morning, I'm including this one. I know that "looks aren't everything", "beauty is only skin deep", and "it's what's inside that matters", but GOOD GRIEF... these two are downright adorable (if I do say so myself)!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day... It seems to me there should be more than one of these a year. Call me biased, but really, is there a tougher job on the planet? No. Tough? Yes. Rewarding? Yes. Challenging? Yes. But, there is nothing else, no other experience, that even compares to parenting, or more specifically, to being a mom. We give it our all. No one does it perfectly, but we moms do it out of our pure desire to be moms, out of our genuine, unconditional love for our babies, and every single one of us would do it again and again, it's THAT wonderful.

There's no denying that daily I have questions. I worry, am I doing this right? Could I do it better? 

Then I come back to this: I LOVE my kids, more than anything, more than I could have imagined I was ever capable of. I truly can't imagine not being a mom, and though there were times in my life I thought parenting was not in my future, today I am convinced it IS my reason for being. There is no greater love, no greater reward, no comparison to anything else anywhere. At least not for me, in my life thus far.

And so, Mother's Day, for me, is about celebrating the amazing privilege of being a mom to two little human beings who amaze me every day, who give me joy beyond words and who teach me something about me, about life, every single day.

When you're young you see things differently, though, and then something happens when you grow up. You gain perspective through your experiences, through your realities and then you start to see things differently, and through all of this, you start to really appreciate those who have loved you all along, your parents, your grandparents, your siblings.

When you become a mom, your perspective changes again, because you never really understand what your mom has done for you until you become a mom yourself. The sacrifices and the selflessness, it takes daily. The strength and courage it takes to be a mom, to teach your kids, to love and respect them, to be there to support them, and help them become the amazing beings they're meant to be.

Mother's Day is about celebrating the person who believed in you all along.

Me and my mom, circa 1975?

I had an amazing Mother's Day, it was relaxing, there was a lot of sleeping (on my part- thank you, Scott) and time with my family, my mom and my sweet children who I am thankful for every single day. 

Mother's Day, 2014

With the grandparents, Mother's Day, 2014

Maddie's 1st Haircut

Before:

During:

After:

Our take home souvenir:

The Fireman

I am convinced, there's just nothing cuter than a little girl who idolizes her big brother. 

Feels like Summer!

I was thinking today, as I was driving out to Golden Gardens for a play date with friends, about how much happier I am (we all are) in Seattle, how much I love this great city, especially on a day like today, and how incredibly wonderful it is to be there when your kids find happiness in the little things, like toes in the sand, or seaweed in the water. It's yet another reminder of how fortunate we are in so many ways, how the most simple, most ordinary things can be so, so incredibly beautiful. How being a parent lets you see the world this way, and how even on the hardest days, I wouldn't trade it for the world.