Happy 1st birthday, Wyatt!!

One year ago my life changed in an instant. Everything about that day is still so vivid. I can remember Haley walking in early that morning carrying flowers for me and being instantly put at ease. I remember thinking all the parents were going to get there entirely too early when nothing was going on simply because the anticipation was just too much. I remember sitting there with Ryan in our last few minutes as a duo. I remember the look on Ryan’s face when he first saw our baby. Those are moments that I truly never want to forget.

It’s hard to believe that for 9 months I prayed for, loved, and cared about someone so completely and I had never even had the pleasure of meeting them. The moment that I laid eyes on Wyatt my heart was forever changed. He was mine. I was his. He was the little boy that God so confidently knew I would be able to care for. The one that not only I would love unconditionally, but also his daddy. The one that would not only teach me what love as a parent felt like, but the feeling of fulfillment. I feel so honored to be his mother and I thank God each night for that perfect little baby that he trusts us with.

Wyatt has taught me so much over the past year. For starters, patience wasn’t one of my strong points. In fact, being impatient ranked highly on my “needs work” list. Since Wyatt was born I have learned to keep calm, to wait, to shall I say it…be patient. It actually came naturally and I’m not exactly sure where deep down it was even hidden. (Don’t be fooled…unless it has to do with Wyatt it’s still on my list of improvements. Ask Ryan.) When I have a screaming baby in the back seat, amazingly I can still say in a very loving, calm voice, “It’s okay baby. We’re almost home.”

I didn’t know that I would love all the “firsts” as much as I do. The first real smile, the first laugh, rolling over, crawling, clapping, fake sneezing, all of it tucked away in my little file cabinet in my mind. I know that we have so many more ahead of us and I am eager to tackle them all, but also sad it is slipping by so fast.

I love being a mother. My heart is full. I have enjoyed the fastest year of my life more than any words could ever begin to describe. I love the good days and I love the bad days. Granted the good days are 10 times more fun, but on those bad days I know that God is teaching me something. I know that after those bad days that I still have a baby to hold and kiss, to love and cuddle. I still have a baby that even after those bad days we can wake up the next day with a new start, a new adventure, a new attitude.

Wyatt,

I cannot believe that my squishy 8lb, 13oz baby is now a hefty 26ish pound load. I cannot believe that a year ago we were bringing you home, introducing you to Marley, and falling into our roles as parents. You are such a joy to our lives. We love you so, so much and are so honored to be your parents. There is never a day that we don’t exclaim what a cute baby we have or how sweet and loving you are. You are such a funny little guy and you keep us laughing all the time. We survived our first year and we look forward to what the next year has in store for us. We know one thing is for sure…you are going to continue to bless our lives more than we could ever wish for. We love you so much baby! Happy 1st birthday!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Traumatic Experience

My baby needs friends.

Just putting it out there.

He needs little people to play with. I can’t deny that he is getting bored playing at home with his grandmas and me. I have to think of lots of things to keep him entertained during the day and it’s getting harder. I think he needs a playmate or 3 or 4. I’m very willing to have a play date with anyone who has a baby even remotely close to Wyatt’s age. He needs it.

Thus, the horror that occurred yesterday.

I knew once Wyatt turned one I would enroll him in a Mother’s Day Out program or daycare 2 days a week simply to have other stimulation and of course begin working on his social skillz. (Skillz with a z because he’s hip like that.)  I had two places in mind (won’t be naming any names…I don’t think…) that I wanted to check out.

Now, I have heard lots of good things about both places, don’t get me wrong. If I had heard one bad thing I most certainly wouldn’t have even entertained the thought of taking my kid there.

I arrived at the first place at the most horrible time of day. No joke. It was lunch time for the kiddos, which to all you non-parents, it means the time of day when people are probably questioning why they even had kids. You think adults are impatient? Get a hungry kid and see how well he takes it. The cries are blood curdling. Seriously. Not to mention Wyatt hasn’t cried for more than 10 minutes in his life, you can only imagine the pain I was experiencing as I was sitting in the director’s office that shares a wall with the “baby” room. We were in there for a little more than 10 minutes going over things and the only thing I could really focus on was the crying baby. I just honestly remember shaking my head up and down saying yes, okay, and uh-huh. She could have been asking me to be an accomplice to murder for all I know. I just wanted to say eh, I gotta go and high tail it out of there to swoop up the crying baby. Instead, we just went to “visit” the rooms. The first room (the room where I later found out my precious baby would be in) was the “baby” room. Like, baby-baby. 3 months+. All I saw were cribs, bouncies, jumperoos, swings, and babies lying on the floor. My heart seriously broke into 1 million pieces and just as I begin to start picking the shards of brokenness off the floor she moved me on to the next room. The room I thought he would be in. The one I even assumed and asked, so this is the room he’ll be in? Shot down…No, actually he will be in the baby room. WHAT? The baby room where my child is 7 times the size of those babies? In the room where there is a shopping cart like his that he slings all over the place? The room where my baby would pulverize the children in there? Wait a second…shouldn’t he be in here with the kids that are his size…eat like he does…sit like he does…seem to have more in “common” with him. From that moment on I was holding back the tears. I was pretty much done with the experience. I wanted nothing more than to be home with my baby promising him I wouldn’t take him there. I’m telling you my heart was very, very heavy and lots of tears were shed on the way home.

After I got home, held, and loved on my baby I went to visit place #2. The place that he will most likely be put on a waiting list and may not even get to go to. The place that I absolutely fell in love with. (Yes, I instantly had pictures of me with my college-aged son, visiting a campus thinking how wonderful, perfect, and fitting they all where. The college where Wyatt would meet my future daughter in law, the place that I loved. The place that ultimately Wyatt would hate and want to go somewhere else. This is what happens as parents, I think. You get glimpses of the future all.the.time. I digress.) The place that I would have ran home right then, just to bring Wyatt back, and kiss him goodbye and never look back. The place that I felt was baby daycare heaven.  I guess the thing that I loved was that 6 months+ is as young as they get. Wyatt could actually hang with these babies without completely abusing them. Don’t get me wrong, my baby isn’t abusive he is just that kid. The big, kid. The one who is probably about 26 pounds and eats like a 5 year old. I got to visit the two rooms that he could potentially be in. People, it was nap time at this place. There was nothing but silence in the two rooms. Is that what won me over? Probably so. Or, in the first room I instantly fell in love with it because right next to the door was a little crib with a little boy that reminded me so much of Wyatt just curled up with his knees tucked under him looking so scrumptious that my heart instantly felt at peace. This is what I want for my baby. This is where he needs to be napping alongside his little friends. The next room was just that too. Peaceful sleeping little babies. Everything felt so right. I hope and pray that he gets to attend this daycare, even if he gets put on a waiting list, I can handle that because it’s worth it. And, like my MIL said, it’s not like I am having to “fire” my sitters or that they are “quitting.” In fact, when the time comes for him to be going to “school” they will probably have just as hard as a time as I will…

So there it is…the horror that is having to have put your child in the care of some “facility.” It’s a big scary deal and I am definitely not a fan of it. I know it will get easier and the perfect place for Wyatt will rear its head soon I am sure. Until then, we wait…keep researching, keep enjoying the baby who has never been sick.

But still, any playmates for my kiddo, I am always accepting…

That, and I am drawing up my business plan TONIGHT to open my own daycare. Maybe my Econ/Finance degree will come in handy finally.

Feeding a 10.5 month old

It is no surprise that Ryan and I have a baby that likes to eat. Actually, like is an understatement. Homeboy loves to eat. Anything actually. He has started to snub his nose at the pureed baby food here past couple of weeks. We went on our weekly shopping trip together the only "baby" food item was his little pouches.

Being a first time mom I was a little confused at to what to be feeding my almost 11 month old child. It's tricky. You have to decided what is good for them and how much.

Tricky isn't quite the word for it either. I was slightly stressed at first, but now am I definitely in the rhythm I believe.

Here's what Wyatt's diet consists of....

For breakfast he has formula and Cheerios. He also has blueberry muffins, pancakes, biscuits, blueberry Eggos, and mixed berry nutrigrain bars sometime during the morninig. His second cup of formula he has oatmeal and fruit yogurt. We feed him an afternoon snack of Sargentos Cheddar and Mozzerrela cheesesticks with Club crackers, Whole Grain Goldfish, or something else. His third sit down meal is a fresh fruit- apple, banana, strawberry, kiwi, avacados, mandarin oranges, etc. with another cup of formula.

For dinner, regardless of what we are eating I always throw some of these frozen veggies-sweet potatoes, potatoes, green beans, corn, peas, black eyed peas, etc. on the stove and cook for him. Depending on the meat we are having, we cut it up for him, but he likes everything. For his dessert at dinner he gets more yogurt.He ends the day with another bottle.

Of course, all of the foods, if not bite size already, we cut up and he is a great little picker upper of food.

Those pouches are so great on the go, when fruit and veggies won't be readily available. Also, Wednesday I discovered Chick-Fil-A's kid meal with grilled chicken nuggets. Awesome! I get that for him and eat the french fries. Wyatt apparently doesn't like french fries either. Whhhaaat? I know, but I am very thankful for it.

I think that is the gist of what we feed him. I know that we are setting examples so I'm happy to say that a lot of the "junk" we have always bought is beginning to dwindle. The sweetest thing in our house is probably pudding cups and jello. And, we have started eating a ton more veggies so yay for us!

Any more suggestions?

Introducing Payton Reese

My best friend Haley went in to labor on Christmas.

Seriously.

While at mom's I got the text that she was in labor and would end up having to have a C-Section so Payton would for sure be a Christmas baby. This was 3 days after having dinner with Haley and the girls and her saying she didn't want her to come on Christmas. Payton, on the day she was born showed her mom who was boss. Ha!

Around 8:40 Payton Reese Townsend made her debut weighing 7 lbs, 5 oz and was 20 inches long!

We headed up to the hospital this morning where we just fell in love with her.

There is nothing sweeter than a newborn baby. Nothing.

Haley looks great for just having a baby! I am so, so proud of her and Jay!!

So sweet isn't she?

I cannot wait for her and Wyatt to be the best of buddies!

Haley I know that you and Jay are going to be the best of parents to little Payton! You know if you EVER need any help to pick up the phone and call!! Love you guys and that perfect baby girl!