Today I had one of those days as a mommy, that felt monumental, without actually having any significant event or "memory" if you will attached to it. How will I remember today if I don't write it down? It's no longer 11-11-11, it isn't a holiday, we aren't on vacation and it wasn't any one's birthday. But, somehow, so many amazing memories happened today and I don't want to forget any of them. Some truly heartwarming and others just downright funny.
Just to give myself and other readers (if there are any!) a little background (for when I go back and read this years from now...this is why I created this little space after all), Carter is 19 months old. He is talking up a storm, but not much of what he says is understandable to others, except Justin, myself and maybe Nana and Papa (my parents). So when a new word comes out that is very distinct and I'm 99 percent sure a stranger would get it, I get VERY excited. Today Carter said "draw" over and over. He is obsessed with his Magna-Doodle lately. We've had the thing for several months now. We actually bought it for him when we went on our first flight with him to New Orleans back in May. He slowly lost interest in it over the months, but recently will sit and draw on it for close to an hour. He also loves coloring in his coloring book or "writing" on a notepad. Very cute. Anyways, he kept requesting that I draw for him and then I would hand him the Magna-Doodle and he would draw on the picture too. Then I would erase it and we would start over. We did this probably 20 times, back and forth. After awhile, I started drawing balls for him. He would say "bayball" (baseball) or "baball" (basketball) or just plain "ball" and I would draw it. Then after several times, he asked me to "draw a ball". OKAY, that was a sentence!!!! Listening to him put words together and form sentences is SO much fun. He's making connections too. He is starting to figure out that we can draw things we know about it and not just making random movements with the pen. I LOVE it.
Another memory today I want to remember, really warms both my "mommy" heart and my "teacher" heart. While making dinner, Carter came up to me with a block that had a "C" on it and wanted to me to look at it. I said "it's a "C"...like your name...Carter" and Carter immediately stopped and looked at the refrigerator and pointed to the magnetic letters I have on the fridge that spell out his name. OH MY STARS!!!!! This time there were tears and jumping for joy and LOTS of praise. Maybe I overreacted a teeny bit, but come on...talk about making connections!!! He gets it! He remembered that the magnetic letters on the fridge spell Carter (we go over it anytime we get a snack or drink out of the fridge and he plays with the letters every day). I tell you, it is FOR SURE the little things in life that get me going these days. I am head over heels in love with being a mom to a toddler. Watching him make these connections and putting things together is the best part of my day and why it is so, so hard for me to leave him during the week sometimes...most of the time. :( I want to be there for every, single thing these days. I always wanted to, but lately I feel like sometimes I come home to a different kid. May be a slight exaggeration, but Carter is changing and growing and developing OVER NIGHT and I am SO thankful for my 3 days each week of completely undivided time with him. Even more thankful Daddy now has part of those days off with us too! :)
Another heartwarming moment from today happened while snuggling before bed. Carter and I were laying on the sofa and watching part of Shrek Forever After...it was on cable. Carter was playing with my hair and it was in a huge messy pile on my head...and Carter kept trying to straighten it out. He must prefer his mama to not look like such a mess. Haha. He then just grabbed the sides of my face and leaned in for a kiss. Such a sweetheart. I told him how much I loved him. It was one of my best moments in the last 19 months with my sweet boy.
Now onto my funny story from the day (but I have to warn you, there's a lot of potty talk ahead). Well, it stems from maybe a not so funny story. Poor Carter has several bouts of constipation from time to time. His pediatrician has ruled it out as normal, but Justin and I are keeping a close eye on it. We've upped his water and fiber intake and lowered his milk intake (as well as the fat content of his milk) and praying it helps. According to Carter's diet, his ped feels he should be more regular, so she's chalked it up to just anxiety about going potty. Great, potty learning should be tons and tons of fun (sarcasm here). He had some terrible bouts of constipation after turning 1 and since then he will hold it for days. We'll know he has to go, but he'll fight it and won't go until the next day! Poor baby :( I'm doing everything I can to ease his anxieties over going to the potty. Recently, I started pretending that his stuffed animals have to go potty and when they do, I give them big hugs and lots of praise. Well, Carter has caught on quick to this. Although it's not really helping much (at least not yet), Carter finds the entire thing hilarious. Today, when he woke up from nap he wanted to still cuddle with his stuffed dog Max. I was changing his diaper and Carter pointed to Max and grunted (which is Carter's way of telling us he has to go potty, and then this will last a DAY of him telling us and not going). Anyways, so I said to Carter, "Max has to go potty? Okay, let's put a diaper on him so he can go." (am I the only crazy mother who has put a diaper on a stuffed animal in efforts to get my own kid to go! Haha). And so the rest of the day Max the stuffed dog had on a Huggies jean diaper! Before bed, I was changing Carter's diaper and getting him ready for bed, so I decided to take off Max's diaper too before bed. I handed Max to Carter and said, "Max went potty Carter! No more diaper!" and Carter immediately hung Max upside down and looked under his tail to see where or HOW this all happened...hahahaha. Oh, it was priceless! I put Carter in his crib along with Max and said goodnight to him, kissed him and Max...all awhile Carter had the MOST perplexed look on his face. Too funny. And too cute. :)
Thanks for keeping up with us and hope you enjoyed our little moments from today. xoxo
