Five Minute Friday: Wonder

< i> I am participating in The Gsypy Mama's Five Minute Friday. Each Friday, we are given a prompt and for 5 minutes we write were the prompt leads, no thinking, no editing, just writing.  This week's prompt was Wonder.  </i>

 

I watch her in the rearview mirror as we drive into town. Her hands are clapping along with the music – and I marvel that at 15 months she has the innate ability to stay on the beat.  As the upbeat song changes to a slow one, her attention is drawn away. I watch as she begins to point out her various body parts – head, eyes, ears, nose, and her tongue  - she says the names to herself, somewhat garbled, but clear enough for me to understand.

I study those body parts – the light brown hair, the bright blue eyes, the rosy cheeks, the small ears, and that cute pink tongue.  Only a few traces of her babyhood remain, each day she becomes more like a little girl, and less of a baby.

 

She begins to sing, an incoherent song, but it makes her smile. My heart swells at the sight of those four tiny teeth flashing. As I listen to her sing, my mind drifts back to that hot July day, two years ago, when I sat on the bathroom floor and tried to comprehend my impending motherhood.

 

At that time, all I could think of was sleepless nights, dirty diapers, bottles, and formula – my life changing forever. But now, I know that motherhood is so much more. Motherhood is watching the world thru my child's eyes. It is seeing the best parts of my husband and me coming together into a beautiful being.

 

It is the amazement of her achievements, the beauty of her soul, and the wonder that she has brought to my world

Five Minute Friday: Home

I am participating in The Gyspy's Mama 5 Minute Friday. This week's prompt is Home:

Home is a not the three bedroom, two bathroom house on the dirt road near the county line where I now reside. And it is not  not the yellow concrete block house on the paved street where I spent the first 26 years of my life. Home is more than mortar, stone, lumber…. It's flesh, blood, heart.

 

Home is my daughter's breath brushing against my neck as she dozes while we cuddled on the couch. Home is my husband's arm draped across my hip as we snuggle between the sheets of our bed. Home is my mother's smile, my father's laugh, the crazy antics of my nieces and nephews. Home is long heart to hearts with my sister, sister in law or best friends. It's my brother in law's silly jokes and goofy grins.  Home is my father-in-law's bear hugs, and the gentle grace of my mother-in-law. Home is the wisdom of my 3 grandmothers – 1 by birth, 2 by blessing (marriage). Home is the love of my  myriad of aunts, uncles, cousins,  

 

Home is not a house, but rather the people who I share my life with on a daily basis.

Wordless Wednesday - Doing it on Her Own

15 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

Another month has come and gone, and now you are 15 months old.  With each passing day, we see less of the tiny baby that we brought home from the hospital, and more of a beautiful little girl.

 

This was another month full of exciting changes for you. To begin with, you cut 2 more teeth, bringing your total up to 4 – 2 on top, 2 on bottom.  At daycare, you moved from the baby room to the 1-year old room, where you have already become the “leader” as your teacher calls you. Each morning, you walk down the hall, open the door on your own, and go inside to find a friend.  Then you turn around give me a kiss and say “Bye.”  At day’s end, you blow kisses and wave bye to your teacher and your friends.

In the last month, you have become more adventurous – looking to learn anything and everything about the world around you – which sometimes gets you into trouble.

You love to ride on the 4-wheeler or tractor – and it doesn’t matter whose driving. You laugh so big as the wind blows thru your hair, and you clap your hands with excitement. 

You are learning to point out your body parts. We have mastered head, eyes, and tongue – which you show by sticking it out and wiggling it. And you all say “so big” if asked how big you are.

Speaking of how big you are, here are your stats for this month:

• You weigh 22 pounds, and are 31 inches long.
• You wear 18 month tops, 12 month bottoms, size 4 shoes, and size 3 diapers.

We love asking you various questions and watching your response – either a big head shake yes, a small head shake no, or a quizzical look if you are not sure….and the occasional yes and no.

 

You are changing every day Joycie, and each changes excites us as we fall more and more in love with you!

Love you lots,

Mama & Daddy.