There's No Place Like Home

Dear Ian,

Whew. What a busy last few weeks and weekends we have had! We have been all over the place with family and friends, and you have been such a trooper throughout the whole thing. I'm kinda sad to say that you havent' had a weekend at home in 5 weeks, and we still have two more weekend things to go! So far you have flown to New York and back, driven to Orlando and Destin, and in a couple of weeks we will drive to Lake Seminole in Georgia for the 4th of July weekend. In between you have stayed at your Grandma and Grandpa Brooks' while we attended the Lenker wedding in Atlanta, and this weekend you will stay with Grandma and Grandpa Davis when Daddy has all of his friends here for their "Geek Weekend." Like I said before, WHEW! You have been one busy baby, and we are so lucky that you were able to take it all in stride with just a couple of restless nights along the way.

Some highlights from your first summer of travels so far...

During our trip to New York you:

* Flew on your first plane ride! And you slept pretty much through every flight. Thanks for that; it made life much easier.

* You got to meet your Great-Grandpa Davis' best friends from school, the Andolina's. They watched me grow up, and it was so neat to introduce them to you. They are neat people.

* You got to see (although you will not remember it from this trip) the barn that your Great-great-great-great-great Grandfather built with his bare hands.

Here's a photo of us in front of the barn.

While Daddy and I were in Atlanta for the wedding, you learned how to pull up in a crib. That's been an adventure since.
During the our trip with Grandma Davis to Orlando you...

* Got to swim in a big swimming pool for the first time. You LOVED it! And it made you nap like a champ.

* Visited Epcot Center. We saved Disney for when Daddy could go with us, but you did get to meet Mickey. You kissed him right on the nose.

* Got your two upper front teeth one night on this trip. Oy. That was a rough night.

* Got to visit your Uncle Gary, Aunt Megan and Payton on the way back home.

Here's a photo of you, me and Mickey from Epcot.

During our recent trip to Destin you...

* Got to swim with Daddy in a pool. He finally got to see how much you love to swim. I think it will help motivate us to get our pool fixed.

* Got to see your Great-Aunt Martha and your second cousins, Sarah, her husband Tim, Erin and Joseph, and you got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Brooks.

* Got to go to the Air Force Museum in Eglin. This was kinda cool!

* Got to go to the beach with me and Daddy. You love all forms of water and swimming, and this time you didn't let a wave knock you over or intimidate you. We had to keep you from crawling into the surf!

Here's a photo of daddy keeping you on shore...

Now all we have left is your weekend with your Grandparents Davis and then 4th of July. Whew. Then maybe we will spend the next few weekends flopping around our house in our jammies! Either way, we are so glad to share our days, nights and weekends with you. Family adventures are the best.

Love,
Mommy

Separation Anxiety

Dear Ian,

In just a few minutes, your Daddy and I will be driving you to your Grandma and Grandpa Brooks' house for you to spend most of the weekend with them. Daddy and I are going to Atlanta to attend John and Haley Lenker's wedding, and we thought it would be a good idea for you to stay here. It's a bit of a long drive, and we figured that after that drive, the last thing that you would want to do is sit on our laps and watch a wedding. Outside. In June. Whew. I'm hot thinking about it. Plus, it gives your Daddy and I the added bonus of getting to spend some time together, just the two of us. We are very lucky to have both sets of your grandparents here in Tallahassee, and we have been able to go on dates, but this is a long trip just for us. I have to admit, I am a little torn about it.

On one hand, I am excited about going away with Daddy and having time to talk without bottles, nap schedules and diapers. Not to mention your very active play-times! But on the other hand, I don't know what I'm going to do without bottles, nap schedules, diapers and playing with you. Remember that last post about me being Karen as well as Mommy? Well, this will contribute to my sense of self, but you are such a part of me, I think I will feel an ache with every mile that separates us. Never have I been more than a 10 minute drive (well, depending on how fast I drive) away from you. This is going to be tough.

I know that you are in great hands with your grandparents, but it just feels weird that you wont be in MY hands. I know you will also have a great time; you love to play and have fun with new people. But I'm your Mommy, and I worry about you, and I will miss you something fierce!
It's only a weekend, and one day you will pack up and head off to college (Furman, young man, on full scholarship), and I will have to deal with that separation anxiety, but thankfully that's still a bit away.

So here's a hug, a kiss and your snuggle before each nap or bed time. Here's your lullaby, your prayers and your tuck-in as you get ready to sleep. Here's your pat-pats as you fall asleep, and here's the part you don't know, because you are already asleep... I kiss your head and whisper, I love you. Because I do.

Love,
Mommy.

Introducing: Mommy!

Dear Ian,

Although I'm your mommy, and we spend practically every waking moment together, I don't know that we have been properly introduced. Some days it's also hard to remember that I am an independent person separate from you. I have a tendency to forget about me, since I focus so much on your needs and happiness. It's important for mommies to remember their individuality. Some mommies continue working, and that helps them set themselves apart from being lumped into the "my-name-is-so-and-so-and-this-is-my-child" thing. Some mommies develop new hobbies or delve back into old ones to keep their sense of self. I have to admit, I catch myself sometimes when it seems like you are my sole purpose of existence, and I have to remind me that I am me first. Don't take that the wrong way; you complete our family, you are part of me and I would feel such a hole in my heart if I didn't have you. It's hard to explain, but Mommy needs to take care of Mommy in order to be a good Mommy. Does that make sense? No? Well, maybe when you are older it will...

Anyway, I wanted to make a list of things about me that you may not know, may possibly learn on your own or maybe not know at all. It will also be a way of helping me remember me, too. Here goes:

1. As I write this I am 31 years old, and typically I don't feel this old. There are days when I feel younger, and there are days when I feel much older.
2. I have done quite a bit in those 31 years that I never thought I would experience. I have traveled to foreign countries, eaten weird foods and met the man of my dreams, your Daddy. I'm going to try to create a list of 31 things about me; one thing for every year...
3. I am terribly obsessive/compulsive, and I am a rule follower; I think things should go in a particular order.
4. Tardiness and being interrupted are my pet peeves. I am never late, but I, too, sometimes interrupt, and that's something I need to work on.
5. I love to wrap presents.
6. I love to buy presents for people. Surprises make me happy. But not surprises to the order of things...
7. My favorite colors are red and blue. (you seem to like them, too.)
8. I have major fear of spiders, lightning and heights.
9. Roller coasters scare the bejeesus out of me.
10. I am a major control freak, and that's probably why roller coasters scare me. That and flying. Maybe if I was a pilot I could get a grip on that fear.
11. I love to read. When I was growing up, 99 percent of the time, my nose was in a book. This is still true today, but with a smaller percentage of time.
12. I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon when I grew up, but instead I became a teacher. Medicine still fascinates me.
13. I love random trivia. I am a font of random knowledge.
14. I am terrible at math. Please ask your father for any help with this subject. He had to tutor me.
15. I love horses, new crayons, and for some reason, going to Office Depot. I think it's all that potential for organization.
16. I hate doing laundry.
17. I can play the french horn and the piano (so can Daddy)
18. I am a former national champion baton twirler. I coach new twirlers now.
19. I can juggle.
20. I met your Daddy when I was 13 years old. We started dating when I was 16, and we got married when I was 23. We have known each other and been together for a LONG time.
21. I have little patience for people who don't exhibit common sense. Thankfully, though, I have more patience for children than I do adults. So get it together before you reach adulthood, ok?
22. I can bait my own hook.
23. I can handle the sight of blood, vomit and poo, but DO NOT show me a wiggling tooth. Once it comes out, I am ok with it bleeding, even profusely, but I can not handle wiggling teeth.
24. I love to learn. Anything and everything I can get my hands on. Except Math.
25. My favorite household chore is mowing and edging the lawn. I don't like to weed-eat though.
26. Cajun food, a good steak and ice cream are among my favorite things to eat. Well, really I love most foods.
27. My weight as of my 18th year has been a constant issue. I was 18 when my blood sugar decided to get a life of it's own.
28. I sometimes worry too much. That's a bi-product of the OCD, I'm sure.
29. Tulips and roses are my favorite flowers. Carnations remind me of funerals, so I am not fond of them.
30. When I was working, my work space was always neat and organized. I couldn't function if things were not in their places. Our house, however...
31. I would use the word "dependable" to describe myself. In all aspects of my life. I was a good, efficient employee, I am a trusted friend to those who know me, I am a loving and faithful wife, and I will be there for you.

So there I am, I guess, in 31 sentences or sentence fragments. There's much more about me that you will get to learn and discover. And though I started this post to remind me of myself, it's all of those things that make me your Mom.

I love you,
Mommy