Noah P

This week has been filled with ups and downs. I don't know the lyrics to Ozzy Osbourne's song Crazy Train but I think the title seems to fit our household as of late and this mom has been on the verge of bonkers on more than one occasion. The last two nights I have made it a priority to go to bed early (7:30! & 9:30) because a mom who is grouchy and tired is a road to nowhere good. It has made a huge difference in how I feel but by 2:30pm I am still ready for a nap?! How can that be? All that being said, it has been really nice to focus on gratitude each night and shrug off the negativity that may be hanging around.

I am thankful for Noah.

This little guy made me a mom, a role I cherish. He allowed me to feel a kind of love that I never knew existed, my heart literally walking around outside of my body. He arrived on Christmas Eve and was the best Christmas present we could have ever asked for. We were in Boston and all of our friends were away for the holidays and we had no family nearby so it was just the three of us. Our new little family and it was bliss. He zapped us back to reality relatively quickly by struggling to nurse, staying up all night and peeing on everything in sight, especially us. Our master of the house had arrived.

I was determined to be the perfect mom, which of course I now know is impossible. I read and read and read books by experts on all topics baby. We took a zillion pictures and videos. I still remember most little moments, outfits, etc. Like when he slept in his bed in our new house in Minneapolis for the first time.

He grew and grew into this happy, smart, funny little person.

He is a bookworm.

He is silly.

He has no sense of rhythm despite being in music since infancy. I apologize as I am certain it is inherited.

He likes to stay up late and sleep in.

His favorite food is watermelon.

He said his favorite colors were yellow & brown for the longest time. Brown is now out but yellow remains.

He likes Fancy Nancy books.

He loves his little brother to bits.

He asks for family hugs and kisses.

He is an expert in trains and dinosaurs.

He give the best bear hug squeeze.

His laugh is contagious, especially for his little brother.

He tries to cheer up his brother when needed.

He is remarkable.

It is hard for me to believe he will be 4 soon. It seems like a blink of an eye ago that Shawn announced he was a boy.

Today I went to an info session for Kindergarten and during a closing prayer I had to fight back tears. Being an overly emotional pregnant woman may have a teeny bit to do with it and the fact that the principal gave this beautiful prayer about teachers, schools and families working together to make our children into something wonderful we could never do alone. More than anything though, I was stunned by the idea of Noah going to school from 8am-3pm everyday and losing all the time with him all to myself...even the not so great days. I drove home focused on doing my best to make our days together really count. They won't all be perfect but there is so much beauty and reason to be thankful in all the imperfect.

Love you Noah P.