Natalie Ann is my beautiful blue eyed girl who always keeps me on my toes. She is 3 years and 4 months old right now. Natalie is full of life and she spreads smiles where ever she goes. She has been known to run up to strangers and hug them for no particular reason, that really scares me though. Natalie has a very strong will and lots of determination, much like mom. At times it can be frustrating as a mother to know how to take care of a 3 year who knows exactly what she wants and won't stop until she gets it. I keep reminding myself of how far these qualities will take her when she is old enough to use it in a productive way.
Natalie loves her nuk, dancing, dressing up like a princess, The Nutcracker, her cousin Kyiah, getting her nails painted, snuggling with mom, singing, her friends, the playground, eating ice cream, and overall doing everything independently. She often gets frustrated when things don't work the first time, she is slowly learning the meaning of patience. She enjoys picking out her own clothes and putting them on herself. Sometimes I have to step back to realize that things don't have to be perfect. It is worth it just to see how pleased she is with herself when she walks out of her room with a totally mismatched, over-the-top outfit that you might only wear on Halloween. She is obsessed with tutus and I have to admit that I have taken to the idea myself. I've searched around for different colors so she could match them up with different outfits. There will never be another time in her life when she can get away with dressing up like a ballerina everywhere she goes.
(Natalie's Christmas present last year, a jewelery box with a dancing ballerina inside.)Natalie has an unusual way of remembering where people live and what car they drive, her sense of direction is amazing! She can remember where someone lives even after 1 visit. She'll often point to a road as we drive by and tell us who lives there.
Natalie encourages me everyday just by being Natalie. Her excitement for the little things like blowing bubbles or playing Ring-Around-the-Rosie helps me to slow down and enjoy life a little. She certainly has a way about her and she knows how to wrap me around her little finger. I love the way she gently pinches her hands and sucks on her nuk when she is tired. It's at those times I tell myself that she'll always be my little baby no matter what.
Natalie loves her brother Ryland even though he tends to get in her way a lot. She is learning how to be a "good" big sister to him by sharing her toys and helping take care of him. Natalie's figured out that she can have lots of fun with Ryland playing dress-up and dancing around like a ballerina.
(As I'm finishing this paragraph I can hear the music of the ice cream truck pass by. Natalie would be so excited if she only knew what it was. I'm I a bad mother for not revealing the secret of the ice cream truck?)
Ryland Connor is my second born, handsome little man! I became pregnant with him when Natalie was only 4 months old so he was definitely an unplanned blessing! Before I knew that I was pregnant I remember looking at my sister-in-law Betsy and admiring how quickly she got her waist back after having a baby only a couple of weeks before me. I couldn't understand why I was unable to fit into my jeans even though I had been working out and eating right, little did I know I had a baby growing inside me. The idea of getting pregnant while breastfeeding and so soon after having having Natalie was very hard for me to understand. For some reason I was under the impression that it was impossible to conceive while breastfeeding...boy was I wrong!
My pregnancy with Ryland went really well other than the common pregnancy symptoms. I worried a lot during those 9 months, probably more than I should have. I worried about the delivery because the pain of giving birth was so fresh in my mind. I was nervous about how Natalie was going to respond to not being the baby anymore. I also worried about how I was going to be able to take care of two children so close in age. However, after seeing Ryland's face for the first time, I knew he was exactly what we all needed, he made our family complete! It was a little rough at first taking care of a 13 month old who had just started to walk and a newborn baby but somehow we managed to get through all of the craziness with smiles on our face.
Currently Ryland is 2 years and 3 months old. He has a bit of the "terrible two's" syndrome, his favorite word right now is an emphasized "nnnno!" He amazes me everyday with the new words and sentences that he says. Ryland is very good at listening and carrying out the tasks that I give him. Some of his favorite things are motorcycles or "ycles", swimming, his blanket or "geeky", playing with his cars, picking out his own clothes, playing with shoes, going for hikes, and talking about everything! Ryland is my daring one, my stunt devil. He's always finding something new to jump off of or climb over. It's not very often that a day goes by without him getting a new bump or bruise.
(Ryland loves to roll his cars along the furniture.)
(Notice his "geeky" in his mouth.")
(Ryland's first day at Millie's!)Ryland started swimming lessons last year when he was a year old. He is now in his second year of swimming at the YMCA and he absolutely loves it! The instructor of the Tiny Tots class just moved him up to the Pikes because he is such a good swimmer. As a Pike you no longer need to have a parent in the water with you, instead you swim with a small group of children and the instructor. The other kids in Ryland's class are about 4-6 years old, they are much better at following directions than a 2 year old. Since he was a little scared at first they allowed mom to come in the water with him, that way I can also help him following directions.
We recently moved Ryland into a "big boy" bed, that means we took the side of the crib off and turned it into a toddler bed. Somehow he figured out how to climb out of the crib with a sleep sack on and to my surprise he made no noise at all when doing it.
This post has made me realize how perfectly unique my children are, I'm so blessed to be Natalie and Ryland's mother!
No comments:
Post a Comment