A Mother's Day Letter to Lauren

Dear Lauren,

On this Mother's Day Eve, we spent the evening with some dear friends and their three week old baby girl, Katherine Kendall.

As you were holding her, it occurred to me how quickly the time has gone.  How you were once that small, and yet I only have pictures to remind me. 

This Mother's Day, you are now almost three years old and yet I feel like I’ve loved you forever. I now completely understand how my own Mother feels.  A complete longing to be near you child, and the reminder that our journey together is going all too fast.  I hope I can do as well by you as she did for me.

Being a Mom is not always easy.  But the days are more blissfull than not, and I thank God every day that our path to parenthood brought us to you.  Had I known, I wouldn't have shed a single tear.  There is no doubt you were born to be ours.

Words don’t even begin to express how much more beautiful you make our life together. As you grow and take in this world around you, know that you are loved today and EVERYDAY all because you’re you! Sweet precious little you.

All my love,

Mommy

Bedknobs, Broomsticks and a BIG GIRL Bed

Well we did it. 

After spending almost three full years trying to keep our child captured (aka: safe) in her four-sided crib, Lauren now has her very own BIG girl bed.

It seems like just yesterday that we waking up every 30 minutes to keep her from rolling over. 

The fear, excitement and anticipation of this big day was tremendous.  Lauren is growing up and this transition HAD to be really special. 

So after eight hours of hard labor, we removed the front of her crib to create a toddler bed.  We toggled all of the furniture to the walls, ensured all of the electrical outlets were covered, removed chocking hazards from the drawers, added some fun new decor, organized the closet, added more lighting and bought Lauren a bright pink flashlight to keep the scarey monsters, shadows and bugs away.

Lauren just LOVES her new room.  She loves her big girl bed.  And her new pillow and decor.  She loves that she can access her books and toys.  And she is thrilled that she now only has "three walls" in her box (crib) instead of four. 

She loves it so much that she's failed to take a good nap since Friday.  She refuses to go to sleep until after 10 p.m. And thusfar has slept most everywhere in her room EXCEPT her bed. 

Night #1 - Lauren is found asleep face down on the floor using a book as a pillow. 
Night #2 - Lauren is found asleep half way on her bed and half way on the floor. 
Night #3 - Lauren is found asleep on the diaper changing table atop her dresser.  Say what?
Night #4 - We can't remember where she slept as we are both too tired now to notice.

The upside is that we will stay strong!  That we will not re-assemble the crib and admit defeat.  That this too shall pass.  That we can sustain on coffee until she goes to college.  Oh, and at least Opus the cat loves the bed.