Meeting Grandpa W.

We are so excited to be hosting Grandpa and Granny W. along with Uncle Luke & Auntie Stephanie! These folks know how to have a good time! Sonny loves the attention and I love all the helping hands. More soon on our adventures! I might finally get to see San Francisco! We've been living in the East Bay area for 4 months now and I still haven't seen the city! Well, look out San Fran, the W. family is coming to town! I love how company gets you out in your own back yard. Love to all! XOXOXO –Becca

All Dressed Up

Look He Has Eyes!

Juggling

Newborns sleep A LOT. And thank God they do. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when my little man is up and at ‘em. I could spend the whole day gazing into his baby-blue eyes singing him songs and telling him stories. Though, if that was the case I would get NOTHING done. Today is the third day Sonny and I have been home alone. We are all adjusting pretty well. Smoochy has it the worst because spends all day missing us. OK, who am I kidding? He spends all day missing the baby!

Monday was pretty rough. Sonny and I just couldn’t get in sync. He cried and fussed all day; he even refused to nap. I am convinced he wanted his daddy and couldn’t be consoled to Smoochy’s absence. Of course as soon as Jacob walked in the door the baby conked out and slept the rest of the night. Yesterday was leaps and bounds better. Sonny napped fine and didn’t cry as long as he was perched up on my shoulder. Needless to say I didn’t get much done around the house. I was able to type one handed though, so spent a great deal of time working on my birth story. I am on page five…but haven’t made it to the second day of labor yet!

Today I feel like Sonny and I are starting to get the hang of each other. I know, tomorrow could be a different story, but let me revel in what I perceive as progress. I knew it was going to be a good day when I had eaten breakfast and washed up and dressed before 10:00 am! We spent his awake-time cuddling and talking together about this and that. He is such a good listener! We took a walk with his bad-ass jogging stroller. He snoozed for the whole 45 minuet stroll! Plus he’s napped off and on all day so I’ve been able to clean house and pay bills! I feel like a super star.

Smoochy and I really want a bigish family. He’ll tell you he wants as many kids as I can squeeze out. I don’t know about that, but right now I am thinking three or four sounds pretty good. But the last three days I’ve really been thinking a great deal about the logistics of it all. I just can’t imagine how moms and dads with multiple children do it! I try to imagine my days now with a toddler thrown in to the mix; it makes my head swim. And yet I know plenty of moms who do it and do it well…often juggling a job simultaneously! It baffles me. My baby is sleeping somewhere around 16 hours a day and I find it challenging to brush my teeth before noon. I am in awe of all the moms out there with two, three, heck SEVEN children who manage to prioritize, organize, and accomplish more in a day than I will all week. Can I take lessons? Seriously, I would love some advice on how to efficiently run the household AND spend quality time with my kiddo.

You've got to love this face!

Beating the Heat

Catching Flies

The Story of Smoochy

We really call each other Smoochy.


Have you ever known a couple who refer to each other by a disgustingly sweet pet name? Well, that’s us. It all started as a joke but over the years (holy shit time flies!) it has taken on a life of its own. It all started around Valentines Day 2005 when we were in the grocery store. Smoochy found this little book and bought it because it made him laugh so hard. I read it aloud on the way home and we giggled the whole way. It’s Happy Bunny: Love Bites mocks love and dating in a crude and delightful way, like only Happy Bunny can. Check out this review by The Gazette for a perfect synopsis. Anyway, Happy Bunny makes reference to a host of pet names. One of which being “Smoochy-Wootsy-Pootsy-Pie” or something similar. Thus the seeds of Smoochy were planted.



It wasn't long before we refereed to each other as Smoochy more often than our real names. We even stared calling our dogs Smoochies. At first it really annoyed everyone we came in contact with. Most people thought we were being syrupy, but really we were playing along in the sarcastic spirit of Happy Bunny. However, soon “Smoochy” truly became a term of endearment. Our neighbors and dear friends would ask, “How’s Smoochy doing?” Now sometimes, when our daughter calls for us we hear her little voice chime, "SMOOCHY!!!" 


When we were new, my Smoochy was a submarine officer. Before each patrol I (like most wives, girlfriends, and fiancés) would prepare a care package to send with my man to see him through the months without daylight. For Smoochy’s care package I had tee-shirts printed for us. His said “Smoochy” and mine read “I am with Smoochy.” I took a photo of myself in my shirt and wrapped it inside the package with his shirt. It was something to make him smile when he was having a not-so-great Navy day.



Since then we’ve worn our shirts together on far more occasions than I would ever have imagined. The best was the day after our wedding on our way to the honeymoon. (As seen to the left.) We showed up to the sail boat that would see us on a glorious seven-day cruise in our Smoochy shirts. Hence forth our shipmates knew us as the newlyweds, Smoochy and With Smoochy. 


Years and years have passed since we first coined our little pet-name. Since the beginning we have moved six times, bought two houses, had three dogs, eight different vehicles, and brought three children into the world. My husband and I have each grown into vastly different people from the twenty-somethings buying beer and calling it groceries one fateful Valentine's Day of years past. We may have changed but Smoochy has remained the same.  The bottom line is that Smoochy is for life. 

For Zach & Cathy

So Sleepy!

Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

  
~Smoochy

Like Father Like Son

I couldn't resist.

~Smoochy

Happy Father's Day

Having a baby makes your heart explode. I have never felt so full of love and emotion in my life. I feel full to the brim. The slightest little wave and I overflow. Tears and feelings spill over the side like an overfilled cup that sloshes over the top. And of course I am overcome with new immense love for my son, but more than that it is as though the love I feel for everyone in my life, for all of humanity, has multiplied. I look into the faces of my parents with new awe, seeing their lives, their love for my siblings and I in a new light. I look at my husband and my heart feels like it’s going to come pounding out of my chest. The look of devotion and pride on his face as he swaddles his baby boy, the way he hugs and kisses me, all of it feels like high voltage electricity. Our home is charged with this love.

And I feel as though God has just pressed the “fast forward” button on my life. I told my husband last night that I feel like I am hanging off the back of a speeding train, my hands gripping hard to a rail, but the rest of me is being flapped and blown behind. I feel life speeding up, and I am hanging on for dear life. WHEEEEEEEE! This week has passed like a day. And my darling smooshed baby has changed SO much in just these few days. From being a scrunched and squished sleeping little blob of jiggle he has grown into being this round and adorable little wiggly bundle. His eyes hunt for me when he hears my voice and his sweet little lips search for me in his sleep. I am over come. I know each day will bring more joyous changes and more growth…but right now I don’t want him to change a bit. I want him to forever be this sweet smelling rag doll that sleeps on my chest and makes me feel like heaven really is something we can all hold in our hands.

Today is Fathers Day. My husband’s first. I am so proud of him. Big Jacob is my rock. For forty-four hours of contractions he anchored me and held me; bringing me through the storm; bringing our baby out into our lives; giving me strength when there was none left in my body or soul. When I was ready to quit he would hold me and repeat over and over the perfect words to reassure me that I could make it, that this is what I wanted. It was his hands that first reached down and touched our son, his hands that cut the cord, and his hands that held us both once there were two people to hold.

And today he is a father in love with his son. Anyone who sees the tender way he holds his son knows this is a man smitten. I am so excited to be starting a family with him! I know no matter what happens that our children will always be his first priority. He will be the kind of father, just like my own father, who will devote his whole life to teaching his children how to be good people, who will always do their best to show their children just how much they are loved. Funny, try as hard as father’s do to show their children how much they adore them, it isn’t until those children have children themselves that they can ever fully start to understand.

So to my father, to my husband, my grandfather, my father-in-law, my daddy friends, to all fathers, I would like to wish you the most sincere Happy Father’s Day! I feel blessed to have such wonderful men in my life and in the world.

Even Scooter is in Love

My Two Jacobs

Finding Our Rhythm

Please bear with us! We are all trying to find our stride. Soon we will be up and running, with news of Sonny and much better pictures. The ones previously posted don’t do the cutie-pie justice in my opinion! Right now we are pretty busy hosting visitors and figuring out the whole nursing thing. Once again, we can’t possibly express to everyone out there how touched we were by your comments throughout our labor. The joy, love, and encouragement you gave us was monumental. Thank you for being with us.

After his first bath!

Mrs. Smoochy will soon again take the reigns of A Day in the Life of Smoochy. She's working up to posting. For all of you who took the journey with us, thank you. I have talked to numerous people who commented that they were just wiped out after the two day ordeal. Even though they were just participating through the blog. In any event, all of your messages and kind words of encouragement were a blessing to us. They kept me motivated. Alright, i'm off to go play with my kid.  

 

8.5 lbs, 21"

 

Proud Grandmother and displaced Chihuahua

 

Our home birth group minus a very important grandmother

This woman on the right was with us from ~ 2230 on Sunday evening until the birth the next day. The woman in the middle was our origional midwife that shattered her foot 10 days BS (Before Sunny). All I can say is it was a wild ride. 

 

Meet our son...

JFW... 2118...6/12/06

The final countdown...

She's pushing... Could be minutes, could be hours. 

The water offically broke!!!!!

This time her water actually broke. I was actually in the bathroom when it happened. It scared the shit out of me. Ok, got to go, don't want to miss anything. Baby's heartbeat is great... No black/brown stuff in her water... that's good. All lights are green. This is going to be so cool.

Real quick update....

Turns out her water hasn't broken... but it will any moment. She is dialated to 7 - 8 cm. So that is good to go. Having really, really strong contractions. I thought the other ones were strong but these are like exorist meets jerries kids contractions. got to go my baby is comming soon

Right now

  

Little by little...

Still moving forward... inch by inch... Early this morning the midwife checked her and she was no more dilated than she was yesterday evening. Big time bummer, but she didn't get down. She's stayed with it. We puffed out of chests, said we wouldn't be discouraged and set off for yet another walk. The midwife said that a front bag of waters had developed and was in the way of the baby's head. The baby's head is needed in order to force the cervix open and this damn thing is in the way. On the way back we decided since her cervix was being such a bastard we would give it a name. So from now on when we take a name in vain it is the name of Sam the Cervix.

Anyhow, on the way back from the walk the front bag of waters broke. Thank goodness. This way the baby can now engage and start pushing Sam open. Right now she's in the shower calming down. In essence, now the labor has actually started, 33 hours after the first contraction.....

All the comments are excellent. Keep your fingers crossed.

I don't how she's still alive but she is!

She went all night... she's way over 24 hrs... Between the midwife, me, and her mom. We took turns walking with her and getting her in the shower. She said there was about an hour that she slept between contractions. She's tough. I hope she just doesn't give out. I'll know she'll make it. It's just rough to watch.

Hangin' Touch

Those of you who grew up in the early 90's remember this as a New Kids on the Block song. This will be our mantra through the night. She is wrecked... mentally, physically; if you've been there I’m sure you know. She's behind me now on the couch trying to catch some Zzzzz in-between contractions. She finally has broke down and let go of the pain. I know this because now instead of crying out when a contraction comes on she closes her eyes as they roll back into her head and she almost appears at peace, or dead, depending on your point of view. Now the contractions are regular and long... let's just hope the cervix got the negotiations taken care of and is ready to play ball.

The midwife is on her way back here. At this point I am no longer comfortable w/o a trained professional in the house. I don't care if she doesn't have the baby till tomorrow afternoon, they are getting paid to be here and take care of my wife.

Anyway for any of you who are still up, I wish I had better news. I don't want to find out again how dilated she is... It really wouldn't change anything anyway. I will say that I’ll be very surprised is this goes into the early morning. Then again, what the hell do I know?

Regrouping

Finding out she was only ~ 1cm really crushed her spirits. She would tell you she became a little depressed after that. The midwife has left, to be called later when things get closer. This is all such a bummer, albeit completely expected and understandable. You see, she was having the kind of contractions that they tell you to call your midwife or to go to the hospital... 1 min duration, 5 min apart. However her cervix wasn't ready to play ball yet. I guess he's waiting on contract negotiations.

Anyway, after the midwife left we decided to go on a walk again to get her mind off of not being very far along and the amount of pain she was in. Before we left she went to the bathroom (which I hear is excellent, we've been forcing water upon her) and lost her mucus plug. This was a most needed moral booster, a definite step in the right direction and a perfect lead in for our walk and pep talks.

She is now on the couch trying to relax and maybe get a little shut eye in-between contractions. She has been up since 1AM this morning!

All your comments are awesome, you guys are excellent. When things slow down, I take the laptop and read them to her. She loves/needs them. You mothers know how that is. Anyway, for that I thank you.

~Smoochy

Man she's pissed...

Only about a centimeter so far... it's gona be a long night. Long heavy contractions too. Over a minute. Pretty close together. Say a prayer for me... I mean us.

Time for a rinse

 
Things have been progressing pretty well. The walk was good for her. We went about a mile and a half, down our street and back. We got back and called our midwife. She offered some advice much like all of you have been. It's so funny, as many things as I have heard parents say about labor it's obvious that there is only one universal truth. Your labor will be completely unique to you. Certain things might help, some might not.

Anyway, enough of me ramblin'. My lady is kickin' ass and takin' names. She is taking on the contractions like a champ. Not tightening up or clamping down, she does her best to completely relax all of her body and let the wave go back out to sea. She was on her birthing ball for the last hour or more. She found that she had real heavy contractions if she rested her chest on the ball while she was on her knees.

She's been having pretty regular contraction ~ every 5 min at least a minute or more. However we are afraid they were a result of the position she was in vice actually being ready to give birth. In any event the midwife has been called again and she is on her way, should be here in about an hour.

With Smoochy decided she wanted to get in the tub before the midwives got here. I've been informed that, "We are totally getting one of those birthing tub things next time..." Guess that means that it's comfortable for her in water. The only thing I’m afraid of is that the relaxation of water will slow the birth. I know it's silly because the baby will come when it's ready... yada, yada, yada. But I’m ready now and I know With Smoochy certainly is.

Come on Sonny!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

The Beautiful Face of Determination and Perseverance

Hello sports fans, a brief update… Well, the labor has slowed. This is very normal and not something to get your under drawers in a bunch about. So we are taking it moment by moment, enjoying the last hours we have together as Mr. and Mrs. Smoochy. I think secretly we’ve both had enough of that and just want to meet Sonny Smoochy. She’s eaten a little and we’re about to go on a walk and see if we can get things moving South. If for nothing it will be nice to get out of the house and get some fresh air. Stay tuned, the show’s just started…

Here we go!!!

Okay, everyone… Smoochy, here. It appears that Mrs. Smoochy is in the early stages of labor. She woke me up about 4AM and said… “Smoochy, I’m in Labor…” I said what any loving Smoochy would have said at 4AM, “That’s great honey… wake me up when things get crazy…. ” In any event, I was informed that I would not be going back to sleep.

She seems pretty surprised at how painful these early contractions can be, in which I think, “Oh hell, this is going to be fun”. It’s almost 5AM here, we’ll keep everyone posted. If your family; remember; we’ll call you.

Hanging in There

Greetings to all! Yesterday was Smoochy’s birthday and he got to do exactly what he most wanted: to lie around being lazy and watch movies! We watched 4 DVDs yesterday! This sort of marathon movie watching makes him such a happy boy. Though, I suppose what he would have most wanted to do yesterday was meet his son, but since my pregnancy has gone into overtime, that wasn’t an option. Yesterday was a blast anyway. We had dinner at our new favorite Mexican restaurant complete with a 6 man mariachi band! After stuffing ourselves there we still managed to make room for the homemade cheese cake I prepared for the celebration. Who can’t make room for cheese cake?


We had thought it would be neat if we had Sonny on Jacob’s birthday. That was the day three years ago we had our first “date” and then two years ago it was the day we became engaged. It would have been fitting if that was the day our first child was born. Oh well. In a way I am glad that each of my Jacobs will have their own birthday; their own special day. As far as my mental health, I’m dealing with the extra inning of this pregnancy in far better spirits than I would have predicted! I think having my Mom here has gone along way to keep me sane and occupied. Enjoying her company prevents me from obsessing about my due date come and gone.


Due dates are such crap anyway. What’s the statistic? Something like only 5% of babies are actually born on the magical day the doctor’s little spinning wheel indicates. I’m grateful to be working with a midwife who is patient and trusting in my body. There will be no talk of inducing this little baby. However, I will have to go to the hospital for a non-stress test at 41 weeks. No big deal; that will just be to make sure Sonny is hanging in there and that the placenta is still functioning at maximum capacity.


Smoochy and I can’t wait to have good news for everyone! We really appreciate all the calls and inquiries into our parenthood status! It is so nice to know everyone is as excited for our new arrival as we are. We promise to get out the word as soon as there is something to tell. Of course we will post on the blog as soon as we’re sure we are in labor and we will call everyone as soon as we have a baby in our arms!

My Mommy's Here!

We're busy having so much fun I don't have time to blog!!! Perhaps I'll catch up this afternoon, after we hit all the antique shops we have planned to peruse! Life is good in California!

My 50th Post...Deep in the Heart of Blogland

I have to be honest. I have become a blog addict. It started innocently enough. My brother keeps a blog, and I loved (still do) checking in to find out the happenings and musings of his life. When Smoochy and I decided to move from the South East to the Far West (at six months pregnant) I decided to start a blog of my own, to keep our far flung friends and family abreast of our happenings. Little did I know what an outlet it would be to type up the silly stories of our adventures (or lack thereof).

As most of you know, I haven’t worked since we found out I was pregnant. My job was mindless and unfulfilling; we were moving; and Smoochy adores me (spoils me) so in November I found myself with A LOT of free time. One day I was absently clicking the “Next Blog” button on Blogger when I stumbled across Antique Mommy (her’s is one of four blogs Smoochy checks daily; he’s hooked too!). I spent hours reading back through all her posts, and laughing my ass off at each one. Thus my addiction to the blogsphere began.

This is a common entry into a blog addiction I have discovered. Soon Antique Mommy wasn’t enough; after I had read through her archives! I started checking out her blogroll and discoverer low and behold; there are TONS of incredible writers out there! Being newly pregnant and starved for info about pregnancy and parenthood the blog world provided me with a feast!

The main course turned out to be an incredible site hosted by an incredible lady. Babes in Blogland is a site dedicated to bringing pregnant folks and new parents together. Mama Monkey has scoured the Web for pregnancy and parenting blogs and grouped them by due dates; this is a great site to read birth stories and get parenting tips! It has been an incredible joy to check in on the other moms due in June and follow their pregnancies; and now to watch and see who will go into labor first! Congratulations to Superhero Girl and Quarter Rest… I am so freaking jealous!

Every day I sit down and go one by one through my bookmarked blogs. I am just finally coming out of my shell and commenting on some of these sites. For the longest time I was what in the blogsphere is commonly referred to as a “Lurker”, someone who read regularly but didn’t speak up much. But after reading about these people’s lives day after day I am starting to find a voice and I want to let these folks know that I appreciate them sharing their stories and a bit of their lives.

So it is in that vein that I find myself putting up a blogroll on my site. I was hesitant at first to do so because I really didn’t know the protocol and I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. However, after some encouragement from Milliner’s Dream and her assertion that this sort of thing is a complement to a bloger, I am finally making public all the blogs that have been listed in a folder titled “Blogs Becca Likes” on our PC for months now. And for the record, my blogroll is in completely random order! I’m too lazy to alphabetize it!

I just want to say thank you to all of you kick ass blogers for sharing so much of yourselves. I have learned volumes about pregnancy, parenting, and life from so many different perspectives through reading all your posts. This crazy new form of expression transmits an amazing amount of warmth and humanity through such a technological medium. I am glad to be a participant.

A June 6th Baby?

Well, my guess is that I am going into labor tonight. How do I know? Do I have bloody show? No. Did I loose my mucus plug? Nope. In fact, other than the constant barrage of Braxton Hicks contractions and the bowling ball sensation in my pelvis there is nothing physical to suggest labor is upon us. The thing is tonight/tomorrow would be the most inopportune time for Sonny to make his world debut. Because Murphy’s Law is sorta’ like my family’s curse my hunch is tonight is the night! ;-)


We got a phone call from my midwife yesterday. She has broken her foot in three places and sprained her ankle! Today she had surgery on the foot to have a pin put in to repair the break! AHHHH! Of course we have backup midwives in place. Therefore, if labor strikes tonight or tomorrow the show will go on! But, not with my wonderful world renowned midwife! She and I have spent months cultivating a trusting open relationship, and I just can’t imagine anyone else filling her shoes! Smoochy isn’t worried though. He says, “We don’t need no stinkin’ midwife!” He’ll catch this baby all by himself if he has to! I am oddly comforted by his bravado.


June 6th would be an inopportune birthday for my son for a couple other reasons. The big one is that my Mom flies in from Florida tomorrow and I don’t want for her to be stranded at the airport because Jacob is busy trying out his newfound midwifery skills. She would be terribly bummed to make it so close without being present for the birth or have a chance to rub my gigantic buddha-belly for good luck at least once!


The last reason for not wanting a June 6, 2006 baby is pretty obvious. But, I’m not going to spend much time writing about it because #1 it really annoys my Dad when I mention it. And #2 it really isn’t a valid concern because Smoochy and I are not superstitious. I just wouldn’t want Sonny to ever get teased about something stupid like being the son of the devil. It’s bad enough his middle name is Francis! ;-)

So, I guess we’ll see! My Blogging Buddy over at Milliner’s Dream predicted June 6th was going to be the day. It would be fun is she won the still-to-be-announced and much coveted Smoochy Baby Birthday’s Right Grand Prize!

The Weekend!

It’s the WEEKEND! Sure, I don’t work so the days are pretty indistinguishable for me. Except of course for the glorious two days a week my Smoochy is home and happy! We’ve got quite a nice little ritual. Saturdays are the one day a week Jack and Scooter are allowed up in our bed, so we usually start the day with puppy snuggling. After we’re all good and awake it’s off to the dog park. Today was no exception. We skipped the snuggling because we woke up late, but man the dog park was a riot. You should see Scooter run with the big dogs! HE’S FEARLESS! The whole thing is hilarious. There are probably at least twenty or thirty neighborhood folks with their dogs that all meet each weekend at the park for some socializing. It’s amusing because though most people don’t know all the humans’ names everyone seems to know all the dogs’ names. When we walk up usually someone says, “Hi Jack and Scooter!” It’s like the owners are the inconsequential ones for a couple hours. People are referred to as “Spot’s owner” or “the lady with Fido.”

Oh well, I’m sure I’ve written about the butt-sniffing-bonanza that is the dog park before so I’ll move on. Jacob’s stepdad, Greg, is here for the weekend. He’s dropping off a load in LA, so was able to pop in and spend sometime with us. It’s nice to see him, and it will hopefully help keep my mind off waiting impatiently for labor to begin. I love Greg, and I am very glad he’s here. It's nice that he can stop by for the occasional visit. We don't have any other family with that capapbility. Greg’s youngest sister lives close (35-45 minuet drive) so she, her husband, and baby son will be coming for a visit tomorrow (Sunday). Very nice.

Well, I suppose I’ll wrap up this EXCITING post. ;-) Greg and Jacob are at the Mecca of all electronic stores, Fry’s (it’s BIGGER than Best Buy!) and I am ready to finish up the last pages of a great book I’ve been into the last two days, Clive Barker’s Abarat. (If you follow any link in this post, take this one!) It’s a dark and slightly twisted Alice in Wonderland story. It’s not heavy reading at all, but a perfect escape.

And YES! The beard is gone! I didn't think it'd come off so soon, but I am very happy to have my butt-chinned-baby back! His experiment with facial hair took a turn for the worst last weekend when he shaved off half the beard leaving only the mustache and a goatee. It was all over after that. The poor guy looked pretty silly; notice a picture didn't even make the blog! It was just a matter of time until the rest would come off!

Time is a Tricky SOB

It’s Thursday. I love Thursdays. They mark another week in my pregnancy. And this isn’t just any Thursday. It’s the 39th Thursday! Thursday June 1, 2006. Good Lord! Where did this year go? Time is such a tricky SOB. I’ve been so hung up on the baby count down that every minuet has dragged by, and yet 2006 is half past. Weren’t we just celebrating New Year’s Eve? Jacob was officer on duty, and so was stuck on the submarine all night. I was pregnant and not feeling festive. I had dinner with the Booths' and was asleep before the ball dropped. Wasn’t that just a month ago? Surely it couldn’t really have been SIX MONTHS AGO!

The scary thing is that everything indicates time is only going to continue its pattern of seeming acceleration. EVERY parent I know, without exception, claims that the years literally FLY by. For example, my parents were my age when I was born, and they will swear that they blinked and I grew up and moved away overnight. One day they were in their late twenties holding their new baby girl the next they were fifty-something chatting with her on their weekend phone call. I’m not sure I am ready for that.

Of course the plan is to dig my heals in and take every single second and hold on to it as tight as I can. I won’t fall victim to the mundane! Each moment with my baby, each little baby smile, each little squirm he makes, and even each diaper will become a treasured second engrained on my mind!!! *Sigh* I wish. I just don’t want life to pass us by. I don’t want to wake up 25 years from now, turn to my husband and ask, “Where did our babies go?”

Of course, it seems that each step along the way holds its own joys and rewards. When the babies are little I guess you live for first smiles, first steps, and OH GOD, the first “I love you, Mom.” Next come kindergarten plays, chaotic Christmases, and family picnics. By the time you have teenagers, if you haven’t killed them or they haven’t driven you out of your mind, there can be National Lampoon style vacations, cheering your kid on in sports competitions, and the obligatory summer college tour.

By this time, as a mother and a woman, I had best developed a career of my own outside the home or I will go CRAZY! I can’t imagine dealing with the empty nest without something else fulfilling to devote my time and attention to. Provided I have done so, by the time the kiddos are in college hubby and I can really start having some fun. Top on my list of priorities is TRAVEL! I wonder if it will be the same by the time I reach that point in my life?

The stage my parents are entering seems blessed in many ways. Watching the kids become adults has got to be rewarding, thrilling, and sometimes a bit frightening! The career choices they make, the person they take as their spouse, the adventures they undertake are the fulfillment to the question and wonder parents have when they look into their little baby’s face. “Who will this tiny person become?” And of course the ultimate reward to parenting well done; THE GRANDCHILDREN! I really want grandbabies! (Is anyone chuckling that I haven’t even had my first kid yet?)

If I could make one wish for my family…both for my parents, siblings, and In-laws as well as for our new nuclear family, I would wish that despite any distance that may physically seperate us, that we always make the effort to be involved with each other’s lives. Have you ever seen the movie The Family Stone? EXCELLENT MOVIE! Jacob and I have seen it several times now and always laugh and cry at each viewing. But that’s how I want my family to be. A big boisterous unit, obviously very involved with each other’s lives. They aren’t afraid to speak their mind to one another and share exactly what they think of the other’s business…with hilarious consequences in the movie. I’m not sure it would always come out like that in real life, but I think it shows a real love and dedication to one another. I’ve come to believe that if you can’t talk about it with your family, who can you talk about it with? (Thank you, Jacob)

So there you go. If I’m going to blink and life will have sped me along 25, 35, 40 years, I hope it has sped me along to a huge Christmas dinner with my four, no FIVE kids and their wonderful spouses. We will be drinking a little too much wine and laughing at and with one another, all the while hollering to the “kiddy table” to sit down and eat their turkey and cranberry or Santa just might skip right over this house!

PS: Mom, do you recognize the house in the picture?