celebration

what a face to wake up to.
mother's day flowers from my hubby (and his wonderful mom)

charlie being funny in his pack n' play.
i was laughing so hard.
beach time with my boy.

getting more acquainted.


attempting to crawl, which is more like a creep.

my baby sis and i on her birthday.
who's your mommy?
although it may look like it, it's not her. she's your aaaauuunnnttttiiieeee
my boys...

we celebrated char's 29th birthday last weekend. it was great. family, food and fun. besides hanging out with the girls one night and ted, oliver and i another... char's birthday request was to spend time with charlie. so, that's what happened. charlie loves his auntie so much and it's very apparent that the feeling is mutual. i love how close they are. it's special and touching to watch. happy birthday to my sis.

another reason to celebrate is that charlie is trying very hard to crawl. it's sweet to see. he loves to get up on his knees, rock back and forth and then thrust his body forward, ending in a face plant. not hard enough to hurt himself (most of the time), but still allows him to get to where he wants to go. the result, a continual need to watch him. he is able to get into anything within a couple seconds. childproofing has begun. i had no idea how un-childproof our house is... but it is. so the project: childproofing is underway.

and lastly, it's mother's day today. so many reasons to celebrate this very day. first of all, my mom. i am eternally grateful for her. each day of being a mom allows me to appreciate mine even more. amazing how much i think about this relationship and how charlie has deepened my bond and view with/of my mom. there is this knowing and comfort that follows me through each day, reminding me that i'm loved and supported by the person that brought me into this world. of course i feel this connection with a few special people in my life, but mostly my mom. and now, i'm so lucky to be one as well. being a step mom has been, and continues to be, a gift in my life. i have been able to love without expectation... good training for my life as a mother to charlie. he makes me so proud, so fulfilled.

i want to be a better person, every single day. i want to make HIM proud. i want to do everything with intent and meaning. if it's not meaningful... i don't want to do it. which makes me remember something i wrote down the other day, really an epiphany... i am so grateful i do something i love, as far as work goes. because if i didn't, what would be the point? any time i spend away from my boy better be something i love and better be meaningful or else it's just not worth doing. and... why did i have to have a baby to realize that? perhaps i always knew this or didn't really think about it because i have always enjoyed what i do. i've had that shown to me my whole life through my parents... especially my dad. he fully enjoys his work. so hopefully all us moms (and dads) find something fulfilling to do... besides being parents. because our kids are watching and we want them to do what they love, right?

which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes... "you must be the change you wish to see in the world." - gandhi

as i sit here, on my "first" mother's day, staring down at my sleeping baby beside me... my heart fills up, once again, for the love and appreciation i have for my child and step children and four-legged children... and to my mom.

happy mother's day to all!