one year later

So I missed the official one year anniversary of this blog (yesterday)!

Go figure.


I must have a toddler in the house taking up most of my time ...

Or something.

mini-marcher

This weekend, my little family of three joined a high school friend at the March for Babies in downtown Cleveland.

Having a healthy child of my own (who was carried full term with absolutely no problems or complications to speak of), I find myself wanting to give back and support organizations like the March of Dimes that can make my reality a reality for every mother-to-be.

There isn't a moment that goes by where I am unaware how how unbelievably lucky I am ... Lucky to be the mother of a healthy nineteen month old boy. Lucky to be married to such a loving and supportive husband (who agreed to wake up earlier than usual on his Sunday morning and be the wagon-puller). The list is endless ...

From the moment we walked out the back door, Malcolm was ready to go ...

Fleece jacket: Circo ($1.75 at Target)
Overalls: Genuine Kids (thrifted for $2.50)
Socks: Circo (gift)
Shoes: Stride Rite (thrifted for $3.00)

Layered and bundled from head to toe, not even the drizzly, dreary day could stop him (or us)!

I think it's safe to say we all had a great time walking through the city in support of an old friend and a really important cause.

Shark Hat: The Children's Place ($6.50)

I wouldn't be surprised if we made it back out next year!

the freckle

As I give him a bath each night, I can't stop staring.

No, not at his sparkling gray eyes ...

Or his chubby cheeks ...

Or his mischievous grin ...

Or his long, skinny legs ...

Or his baby-sized feet and toes ...

The thing that catches my attention most is a freckle.

A single freckle that has magically appeared on his back, almost perfectly centered between his shoulder blades.

It is small and brown.

A mere speck.

Practically insignificant and unnoticeable to the average bath-giver ...

But not to me.

To me, it is a sign that he is changing.

Not so long ago, his skin was white. Alabaster. Smooth and soft and smelling of powder and baby shampoo.

Today it is different.

The freckle is just the first little blemish (of many).

Soon there will be more ... More freckles, cuts and scrapes and bruises from rambunctious toddler play, imperfections and scars from a childhood well-lived. They will appear, one after the other, time and again, taking him farther and farther away from his days as a baby.

While I wouldn't have it any other way, I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around how far we've come ... How, in only a year's time, we've gone from cradling, to sitting, to crawling, to walking, to running, to climbing (but not talking). How he's blossomed from an easygoing little lump, into someone bursting with attitude and personality.

The freckle reminds me.

It's proof that, in the blink of an eye (Look now or you'll miss it!) a phase of our lives has come and gone.

Proof that, just as my son grows, I grow too ...

With each new freckle, each mark that graces his skin, time ticks by.

He is changing.

He has changed me.

the easter buddy

When you're as popular as Malcolm, holiday weekends tend to be a busy affair ...

There are people to see, places to visit, and (of course, since this past weekend was Easter) eggs to find!

And what better place to hold an Easter Egg Hunt than Gramma and Grampa's wild and wonderful (and muddy!) backyard?

Polo shirt: Cherokee (thrifted for $1.00)
Jeans: The Children's Place (thrifted for $2.00)
Shoes: Sketchers (thrifted for $0.50)

attitude is everything

I used to spend hours on end stalking my friends on Facebook. I'd look at photos, read status updates, see what everyone was up to ... You know, the usual time sucking activities.

Today, I find myself using it less and less.

I'm not sure if it is just my group of friends, but there are just too many complainers on Facebook.

If it's not one thing, it's another ...

This weather is the worst!

I had such a bad day today!

My kid is screaming through her nap!

I can't believe how terrible my family is!

I'm ready for this pregnancy to be over!

I hate my life!

Why can't I get a break?

Seriously. At one time or another, these are the things that show up on my newsfeed.

Now, I have been known to complain as much as the next person (who hasn't?), but I've come to a profound realization since birthing my child over a year ago ...

Yes, life can be hard (difficult, stressful, maddening at times), but it is seriously what you make of it. If you make the conscious choice to focus on the negative, that is what you will always see. It will cloud your vision. It will infiltrate your memory ...

But, if you choose to find the good in every situation (the so-called silver lining), a bad day can seem not-so-terrible ... And maybe even like a small triumph!

Another blogger, whom I love to read each day, has summed this very notion up perfectly in two posts about her daughter. Here are the links for one and two, because they are so good. I highly recommend them!

They just go to show that, as a mother, I can enjoy my time with my child (or my life, if you're looking at the "bigger picture") for what it is. I can take the good with the bad, but strive to focus on the good of every situation.

Sure, Malcolm is a rowdy toddler ... He gets in to anything and everything. He makes a mess to conquer all messes. But it is up to me to decide if I want to look at that mess as a negative thing (My house is in shambles!) or a positive one (My son is so industrious!).

The question here is: How do I want to perceive my world?

It really is up to me.

I, for one, am making the conscious choice to look at each day through a positive filter. There are no do-overs. Before I know it, my baby will be a grown man and I will be wishing to live these moments all over again ... So I have to be sure to enjoy them right now.

Constant negativity on my Facebook feed be damned.