Dear Blog,

I guess I should apologize to you for neglecting you over the past few weeks. You see, I've been, well... overwhelmed with some things and it seems that when I have to cut back, you are the first to go. It doesn't mean that I love you any less than all of the other things in my life, it's just that as a mom who works full-time at home, my favorite hobbies sometimes fall on the bottom of the priority list. I should probably go write a letter to my running shoes next as well as all of the half-finished books on my nightstand. And just so you don't think that it's only things that I love that fall to the bottom of the list, you'll be happy to know that similar letters are probably owed to things like the vacuum cleaner and piles of laundry, too. Yes, sometimes I just get behind on life, and before I know it, I've let this little place in the blog-world go weeks without a visit. So again, sorry about that. But just so you don't think I'm making all of this up, here are a few things I've been up to during my blog-absence:

We made an impromptu day trip up to Cincinnati to meet my new nephew, Samuel. And to my defense, I would've posted about this, but I wanted to let his mommy post the announcement first. He also spent some time down here over Thanksgiving and I got to snap some fun photos of the little guy. Oh how I love him so!

In conjunction with Sam's arrival, one of my best friends, Christie, and her two cutie-pie kiddos came and visited for a few weeks to help out with baby and just visit of course.

We've also done a little shopping... both online and on Black Friday, although we agreed it wasn't quite as exciting this year and somewhat overcrowded.

It's that time of year to reconnect with old friends and family, so we've been doing a lot of that, too... catching up with loved ones is always fun.

We also had Thanksgiving of course, which means lots of holiday baking! I had some help in the kitchen this year, even though she was much more interested in sampling.

And what's Thanksgiving without a little relaxing, parade watching, and football?

On top of all of this, I've been a bit under the weather for longer that I would like and my card-reader on my Mac has decided to stop working, which makes uploading photos difficult. Excuses, excuses I know, but when added to the crazy past few weeks, it really does all add up.

So yes, it's been a whirlwind month around here, but we've been having tons of fun, so I hope you'll forgive me? With the holidays coming up I cannot promise to be much better next month, but I'll certainly try. I'm just hoping that with this little break, absence will only make the heart grow fonder, so we'll see. Thanks for understanding and for always being here whenever I'm ready to come back. I miss you when I take these breaks, but always know that I'll never abandon you without telling you, okay? You're my piece of the world that lets me unload, reflect, and flex my creative muscle and I'm not sure I could make it without you. Thanks for being my blog.

Love always,
Kim

Dear Pinterest,

Let me just start by saying that I think you offer a really neat concept... I really do.  I mean, how else would I ever know how unorganized I am or what to do with all of the mason jars I have stored in my pantry?  And even though I think you're great for some people, I just want you to know that you and I will never have a relationship.  It's not you, it's me....

Some people, well, are just born with the gift of craftiness.  Me?  Not so much.  Because of you and all of the fantastic craft ideas you offer, I have more scrapbook paper and acrylic paint that I know what to with, but even more half-finished DIY projects that all look like they were done by a kindergartner.  My mother-in-law may never receive the semi-completed and already very late Mother's Day gift I have been working on due to the fact that I am too frustrated to even finish it.  And while all of these ideas are beautiful and look simple enough on your online pin-boards...

I, for one, just lack the skills required to pull off such things.  In fact, I'm too embarrassed to even post pictures of what I've attempted (much less completed) for fear that my crafty friends may judge me.  Plus, there is a 99% chance that if I attempt a craft involving glue, paint, or sequins, I could find my 9-month-old covered in said materials due to a mischievous 2-year-old who lives here.  You can do better than me... we were just not meant to be.

Also, before you came along, I was perfectly happy with the way the inside of my pantry and bathroom cabinets looked.  Putting my things on the provided shelves seems pretty logical and organized, but then I see things like this and feel, well, inadequate.  Lining my shelves with wallpaper?  Wow... that takes some time and money that I simply do not have!  It's beautiful, yes, but how many people actually even see the inside of my pantry?  Should I be including this on the tour of my home?  Did I miss a memo?

Not to mention the pictures upon pictures of homes that I will never be able to afford.  Do I want my laundry room to look like a place I need to wear a dress and heels to enter?  Sure I do.  Sorta.  Or do I?  See?  I don't even know what I want anymore thanks to you.  I never knew I needed frosted French doors on my closet or striped walls in my mudroom or floor-to-cieling windows in my master bedroom, so thank you for bringing that to my attention.  Last I checked my dream home was the one I was living in, because my family is here inside of it, but apparently my decor is not quite up to par.  And clearly spending hours online finding pictures of said dream home to pin is a means to get me there.  What?  It's not a pay-per-pin thing?  Oh.  Well now I'm just confused.

Lastly, while I find your clever ideas on what to do with my toddler on a summer day fantastic, I realize that all my 2-year-old really needs is to be stripped down naked and set free in the backyard.  It's a "Lord of the Flies" type thing that seems to work with him, and all males I'm sure.  While I appreciate your suggestion that I should spend some more of my time making his lunches into clever shapes and taking him on a nature hike, chances are the most joy he's going to find all day is when he plays in the toilet bowl when I'm not looking.  And oddly enough, I have not seen any of those suggestions on your site. 

Listen, I'm sure you're not all bad and I know a lot of people really enjoy you for lots of reasons, and that's okay by me.  To each his own.  I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings between us because quite frankly, I just don't have the time or energy for you.  Even as I type this letter I am thinking about how messy my living room is and how there are two loads of laundry that have been sitting in baskets for four days now... in a laundry room that is filled with unpacked boxes because we don't have enough storage space in this house.  Or maybe the storage space that I do have is just not organized correctly into brightly painted shoe boxes or something like that.  What I'm really trying to say is that you are exhausting.  I don't have time to pin things that would make my life "easier" but in essence depress me because I don't have the time, talent, or resources to make it happen.  So how about this?  Someday when I find that I have plenty of disposable income, all the time in the world, and have moved into my my perfectly organized dream home decorated by the beautiful crafts that I have made, we can try to get along.  Can we make that work?

Thank you for understanding and for allowing me to distance myself so that I can feel like I'm not a complete failure at life.  If you would like to create an online space for me where I can post pictures of all of my failed attempts at crafting and cooking as well as pictures of my messy house, that might be something I can get in line with.  I think I'd find comfort in networking with others who like me did not get any of those necessary genes.  Until then, I think it's best that we see other people.

Thank you for your time... that you apparently have more of than I do.

Sincerely,

A very busy mom

Disclaimer: I have nothing against Pinterest or anyone who uses it.  I do see its merit for some things, but this answers the "why don't you use Pinterest?" question that I'm asked on occasion.  Just FYI!


PS - I probably should have included the sources for these photos but I honestly do not know where they came from.  Ironically, they were swiped from (gasp!) Pinterest since those of us without accounts can still get limited access.

Dear Sweet Lilly-Bug,

I am baffled... how has it been six months already?  I am convinced that with every child that comes into a family, time speeds up exponentially... and if I could, I would keep you just as you are for awhile longer.

I never really had the fear that some moms get before their second child is born.  I have heard of mothers who worry that they will never be able to love a second child as much as they love the first.  I somehow knew all along how capable of loving you I would be, even if I had to "share" the love with your brother, but I am in awe of how much I can love you.  Boys and girls are different... I already knew that.  And I love your brother to bits, but with you it's just... well... different.  When you came along I just wanted to hang onto you and never let you go.  I want to protect you from the world by keeping you all to myself.  I want to cuddle you until you won't let me (which is what I fully intend to do) and squeeze those sweet cheeks until they turn red.  You are so incredibly cute that I could eat you up... and I can never get enough.  You're a borderline obsession for me, and I'm okay with that.

I think a big part of this has to do with your personality- talk about laid back!  I used to say that your brother was an easy baby, and I still think that he was in a lot of ways, but you redefined what an easy baby is for me.  Nothing ever ruffles your feathers and all you want in life is to be talked to and smiled at.  If you do get fussy, it's usually because those things aren't happening and even if I just pass by and talk to you for a minute, your whole face lights up.  And your smile is just about the prettiest thing I've ever seen... and we see a lot of it.  You are so very alert and watch everything that goes on around you.  I am always impressed that you can spot me from across the room and know who I am, even from far distances.  It melts my heart every time.  You also love to watch your brother, and he makes you laugh the most.  In the rare moments (that are becoming more frequent) that he comes over and talk to you or pats you on the belly, you giggle yourself into fits.  I'm still trying to catch it on video and will hopefully be successful eventually.  You are truly his biggest fan and nothing makes a mama happier.  We've already taken you on a long car trip and an airplane ride and you've proven to be a champ at world traveling.  Aside from pooping up your back (which is your favorite thing to do apparently), we hardly even knew you were with us!  You even fall asleep when you're being carried through the airport in the Moby wrap... now that's impressive!

Another "rumor" about the second child is that they get the short end of the stick a lot.  While it is probably true that I do not have fourteen thousand of the same picture of you sitting in your bouncy chair like I have of Jake, you are so much more spoiled in other ways.  Because I've done this before, I have parented you without fear that I would do something wrong.  I have gone with my own instincts, even when they aren't "by the book."  I also understand now how quickly you'll go from being my baby to a non-stop toddler, so I try and cherish the baby-moments before they're gone.  So with that, I rock you to sleep just about every night, and if it spoils you to the point that I'll be paying for it later I'm okay with that.  When you fuss in the middle of the night I pull you into bed with me, and you sleep soundly between me and your daddy until the morning.  On many occasions, you even start out there.  I know it might develop bad habits later, but we'll deal with that when the time comes.  Waking up right next to your smiling face is worth it... and you smile the biggest in the morning!  Someday you may not want to snuggle so I'm going to get it all in while I can.  You are a night owl and generally don't go down for the night until close to 10 (which would explain why I am always exhausted!), get up around 4 to eat, and then love to sleep in until 8 or 9.  You are definitely my kid in that way.

As for what you're up to these days, well, you're moving at your own pace.  Another benefit of being the second child is that we're not always "pushing" you to do the next thing.  Nope... there is no rush at all.  For the longest time you were just content laying in one spot.  There were days when I thought you would never roll over.  And then on your 4-month birthday, you did it!  Both ways!  And you've been rolling back and forth across the living room ever since.  You recently enjoy sitting up to play with your toys, but cannot get into the position on your own.  You'll topple over occasionally, so we usually put the Boppy pillow behind you for support.  And over this past week you've spent a lot of time on all fours rocking back and forth.  I'm not quite ready to have you crawling all over the place, but it will happen before I know it.

Let's see... what else?  Oh yes, those deliciously chubby thighs... we say that you have rolls on top of your rolls... and everyone loves them so much.  I'm curious to see what you weigh (we have our doctor appointment this Friday) and am impressed that you are so round on breast milk alone, with an occasional bottle of formula.  We've put off solid food only because you are so content with the milk, but we'll probably introduce it in the coming weeks.  The only other thing you have tried is some rice cereal and peas, and you liked both.  Your roundness has you wearing 9 month clothes already and I'm trying to use up the rest of the size 3 diapers so that we can move you up to 4's.  Your brother is in 5's, so the thought of this is killing me.  Your eyes are still a mystery color and I think they'll be gray-ish like your Aunt Mindy's.  Your hair is always in your eyes, but it is a beautiful auburn color that looks red in the sunlight.  As the only girl cousin on this side of the family, you're admired a lot.  I feel like this will always be the case and might cause some problems in your teenage years, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  For now, I'm okay with everyone fawning all over you... you really are that cute.  You have your daddy wrapped around your finger and it doesn't help things that the only sounds you really make are "da-da."  Yep, he's smitten... and it's the cutest thing ever.  Speaking of smitten, both of your grandpa's and your uncles are, too... you are one lucky little girl.

Sweet angel, I could go on and on and on for days about you.  You have proven that second babies are just as special and loved as first ones are, in some ways even more so.  I cannot believe how in love with you I am, and that love just grows bigger everyday.  Thank you for being so sweet and loving all the time.  Thank you for making my day everyday.  And thank you for being mine.  I am one lucky mama.  Happy half-year birthday, baby girl.  Now do me a favor and make sure the next half goes by a little bit slower.

Forever and ever (which is how I sign letters to your daddy, and now to Jake and you!),

Mommy

6 months

4 months

1 month

My Dearest Jacob,

Today you are six months old and I absolutely cannot believe it. It seems like just yesterday that we were anxiously awaiting your arrival, wondering what you would look like and who you would be. I can honestly tell you that we did not even have a fraction of a clue how much we would love you until you got here. I think my heart doubles in size daily with you around. In honor of this milestone of a day, I figured that I could rattle off your current stats and compare your pictures from the past months, and even though I still may choose to do that later, I really wanted to write about who you are at this stage in your life. It's just as much for me as it is for you because I want to remember you exactly as you are right now. Sometimes when we're playing or I'm holding you I close my eyes for a moment and think to myself, "always remember this," and I am honestly not sure if I do remember all of those times. Only six short months have passed and I already have so many of those moments stored up, so by writing it all down I will be sure to not forget.

Jake, if you stayed six months old forever I would be one happy mama. Then again, I said that when you were my little "squishy newborn," and then again at months one through five. Around four months your little personality started to shine through and it gets bigger every single day. You are an incredibly active boy and you never stop moving. We call you our little wiggle worm (or just Wiggles for short) because you are absolutely incapable of sitting still. The only time we see you do so is when you're so completely worn out but don't want to go to bed for fear of missing anything. For some kids this would mean overtired fussiness, but for you it means a completely calm demeanor, your eyes slightly glazed over, and you just try and take everything in. Although, on extremely rare occasions, we have seen overtired fussiness, too. In general, however, I can probably count on one hand the number of cranky days that you've had (when Senor Crankypants makes his appearance) and in comparison to some tantrums I've seen from other little ones, I will take your crankiness anyday! You are an extremely happy boy 99% of the time.

Although I'm your mommy and therefore very bias, I do think you are just the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. When people meet you they generally either comment on your beautiful blue eyes (where did those come from by the way?) or your great big smile. When you smile you use your whole face... even your eyes sparkle and both of those dimples show up. Oh how it melts my heart! And your laugh is my favorite noise in the world. Daddy makes you laugh more than anyone, but my favorite thing is when something just tickles you the right way and you just find it hilarious. I think you're going to have your father's sense of humor, but then again, you seem to take after him in almost every way possible.

Let's see, what else can I share? Oh yes, you are one determined little boy. When you were only 7 weeks old you rolled over the first time and you have not stopped trying to learn new things since. When you were 4 months old we were pretty certain that you would crawl any day, and when you got to the point that you could move your little hands, you accidentally figured out that you could sit up. After that, you lost all interest in crawling because you love your new trick so much. And it wasn't but a week after that when you began to try and pull yourself up on anything you can find... furniture, our legs, you name it. You still do your "inchworm" crawl (and quite quickly I might add) when you really want to get somewhere, but for the most part you spend your time sitting up and playing with whatever you can get your hands on. It's funny to me that you have so many toys, but your favorite things are cups and paper. Both of those things can entertain you for hours. Speaking of cups, you have already imitated us with how we drink from them and have no interest in the sippy cup; you would much rather drink from a big kid cup. I sometimes share my water with you, but you get just as much on your shirt as you do in your mouth. But you sure do love it! You also love to be outside, even if it just means sitting on the porch and watching the cars go by. You also love watching the puppies run around in the backyard and make several attempts each day to get your hands on them. So far they are much quicker than you are, but it won't be long before that changes.

Your appetite for life is only matched by your appetite for food (tha's my boy!)! So far you love everything you have tried. That list includes rice cereal, oatmeal, strawberry yogurt, peas, green beans, peaches, bananas, apples, squash, corn, cherries, strawberries, and a little nibble of a Dove chocolate bar, which you loved! Although you like everything, you seem to prefer the fruit and we think you might end up with mommy and daddy's sweet tooth. I wouldn't be surprised in the least, but you certainly are a kid who will not be having sugar much based on your energy levels! I have to be able to keep up with you somehow! You still wake up once in the middle of the night for a snack, but sometimes I wonder if it's really because you cannot possibly go that long without human interaction. You are such a people person (and a ham!) but you come by that honestly on both sides. I don't complain about getting up at night with you because I know that one day when you sleep consistently through the night I will actually miss it. It's our special time and I can never get enough of cuddling you!

Although I wish that you would stay little forever, I already know that you are going to grow up in the blink of an eye. Both of your parents were always a bit anxious for the next thing in life and you take after us both. You will fuss if we even attempt to hold you like a baby and you get frustrated if you cannot master something right away (hmmm... sounds familiar). I know that these qualities will bring you much ambition and success in life and that God is going to use you to do some big things in this world. I would say that I cannot wait to see how He uses you, but I very much can wait! In fact, every time you do something new I am a little bit sad, even though I am incredibly proud. It's just all happening way too fast for my liking.

Well son, I could go on and on and on for days without a doubt. You are already such a character and to describe you in words would fill up pages upon pages. I just wanted to do this so that a little bit of you would freeze in time since I cannot actually manage to make it stop. But before I end this letter, I especially want you to know that I have more love for you in this heart of mine than you can possibly imagine. Mothers try and tell their kids how much they love them, but it's definitely impossible to describe. I just hope that with every kiss, hug, cuddle, snuggle, and giggle we share you will see it and know that it's an infinite amount. And then one day when you have a kid of your own (let's not even think about that... I'm already in tears just writing about you being half a year old!) I know you'll understand. Thank you for giving me that gift. Aside from marrying your daddy, being your mommy is by far the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and the thing that I am the most proud of. I love you to the heavens and back.

Forever and ever (because that's how I sign letters to your Daddy),

Mommy

This is the perfect picture to capture you at 6 months... always on the move with places to go! You don't want to miss a thing!

Thank you, Gramma

Dear Gramma,

Thank you for helping Mommy take care of me while Daddy was away in New Orleans. It was so very nice to have you here and I loved spending time and playing with you. I am so happy that you got to see my new smiles and giggles while you were here. Hopefully we will be together again soon. I love you so very much and miss you lots.

Love,

Jake

Dear Baby Jake,

After a lot of hard work, your room is finally ready and waiting for you. It's come a long way from where we started and we think you will love it. We look forward to laying you down in the crib that grandpa built and wrapping you in the quilt that sweet Connie at church made just for you. You are already so loved around here and everyone can't wait to meet you... you are the talk of this town for sure! With that being said, our bags are officially packed for the hospital, the car seat is in the car, and all that we're missing is you. And boy are we missing you. We think about you all the time, talk about you constantly, dream about your sweet face, and talk about what you will be like, what kind of personality you will have, and how wonderful it will be to finally hold you in our arms. We know you'll come when you're ready and when it's your time, but make that soon, okay??? We are already so in love with you... see you soon.

All our love and more,
Mommy & Daddy

PS - We really hope you like monkeys!

To our dear nephew,

Welcome to the world, little buddy! Since me and your Uncle Josh cannot be there to meet you, I thought I would write a little note to tell you how excited we are that you are here. You came into this world on Wednesday, January 28th, but I know that your mommy and daddy have been dreaming about you for a long time. I'm actually glad that God chose to give you to them now because your little cousin is on the way and you will be such good friends! From the pictures we've seen of you, you are such a precious little angel... you look just like your daddy, but I know that we'll see hints of your mommy as you get older. Both of your parents have such a wonderful way about them, so there is no doubt that you will grow up to be very smart, sensitive, and kind-hearted. You are a very lucky boy to be born into that family and they are going to love you so much more than you can even imagine, no matter what. And then on top of that, you have a ton of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents that are going to keep you covered up with love as you are such a blessing to all of us.

As for your Uncle Josh and me, we probably will not meet you until the late spring after your cousin is born. I know that you have lots of aunts and uncles, but I think you're going to like us best. :) Uncle Josh loves to fish, play football, and will definitely introduce you to the "toe-hold" and I will play just about any game with you that you request. I know that you and your cousin Jake will get into lots of trouble together, but we are so excited that you will always have each other to pal around with us. Our family lives all the way in Illinois, but if you come to visit, we have all sorts of fun things we can do up here. On the day you were born it snowed just about all day long, so make sure you visit in the summertime! We look forward to many, many fun times with you and your family.

Well little guy, be good to your parents and we will meet you just as soon as we can. In the meantime and throughout your life, just remember that you are loved by so many people in this world and are such a special little boy. Grow big and strong, laugh often, make good decisions, and love others as much as you are loved and we will see you soon. We love you so much.

All of our love,

Uncle Josh and Auntie Kim (and coming soon... cousin Jake)

Adam Robert, 1/27/2010 @ 12:40 PM, 7 lbs. 10 oz.
Congratulations Michael and Mindy!!!

Procrastination

Dear Baby,

Mommy is sorry that she keeps putting off painting your room, but you need to understand where I'm coming from. The previous owners thought that it would be super fun to paint your room a hideous orange sponge-painted mess... even the ceiling. As if that wasn't bad enough, they then proceeded to paint the window frames, doors, and base boards hunter green, and once you learn your colors you will understand that those two colors do not really go together. On top of that, they chose to leave screws in all of the walls as well as some damage that Mommy and Daddy get to spackle. Do not worry however, because we still have plenty of time before your arrival to get it all squared away. But just so you know what we're dealing with, here are a couple of pictures for your viewing pleasure (someday)...

Exhibit A and B... what were they thinking???

On the plus side, we have picked a bright, happy shade of green to put on the walls and will be painting your base boards, doors, and window frames dark brown to match the bedding we have picked out for you. When you arrive in March, you will have a room full of the cutest little monkeys dancing around you and keeping you happy. Since Mommy and Daddy both liked it so much, we knew that you will, too, no matter if you're a boy or a girl (and we can hardly wait to find out in just a few more weeks!). So stay tuned for an update of your NEW wall colors, which will hopefully get done by the end of the month. We can't wait for you to get here to enjoy the home we have made for you.

More love than you will ever know,
Mom and Dad

Oh and PS - Even though I signed this letter that way, you are not allowed to drop the -my and -dy from our names until you are at least eighteen. That is the first rule we have for you. :)

PSS - Kick me harder... I still can't feel it and am waiting everyday for you to say "hello"!