This weekend will be my first Mother's Day with my child to hold in my arms. He was just a Baby-Bumble-To-Be last year when I waddled around in May, trying to get renovation projects around the house and yard wrapped up before all of our finances needed to be devoted to our child. So although he was brewing inside, I hadn't met him yet and so last Mother's Day was more anticipation than enjoyment.
Baby Sammy is now 9 months old. Helping my little boy grow and change hasn't been easy. Many days leave me bewildered and beaten. Thankfully, our family and friends have helped to teach me some valuable lessons. And of course, some fellow moms in the blogosphere have also contributed gifts to help me be a better mom to Sam...
Stacy Helped Sam Learn to Sleep:
Sam has been a good little sleeper from the beginning. He never had confusion between day and night sleep. We worked diligently on creating good wake/sleep patterns and established as much of a sleep routine as possible. The hardest challenge was getting him to learn how to put himself to sleep. Thanks to Stacy @ Stacy's Books, this process became a reality thanks to her gift of a musical "Lullaby Dog" that plays 20 minutes of music and has a glowing moon. This little dog is like a beacon for Sam, capturing his attention and creating a very soothing environment. Best of all, it is portable - meaning that it can be with him in his crib at home or in the Pack N Play on the road. Stacy sent us "Lullaby Dog" before Sam was born, along with some sleep training books that gave us input on structuring Sam's sleep habits. These generous gifts have been a God-send.
Sandy Helped Sam to Stay Warm:
When Sam is with his Auntie on the days I have to go in to the office part-time, he gets to be around his cousins and their friends. This is a LOT more entertaining that sitting around the house all day with me watching the cat steal his toys. He loves learning from his little cousin Grace who thinks he's the only baby in the world. In fact, she simply calls him Baby. Grace's older brothers, Will and Timmy, love to dote on him too. In return, Sammy enjoys going along to their activities to cheer them on. Timmy is a fantastic hockey goalie and his team won their championship this year. Thanks to Sandy @ You've GOTTA Read This, Sam stayed nice and warm in all of the hockey rinks he visited to watch Timmy's games. Sandy sent us this adorable hat from her vacation to Poland last year. The ear flaps kept him nice and toasty and the festive toque made him fit right in.
Kaye Helped Sam Learn to Crawl:
Sam spent the majority of his last two months being extremely frustrated. You see, although he knew how to roll over and sit up, he did not know how to crawl. He didn't find it all that enjoyable rolling all the way across the floor every time he wanted to go somewhere. He would sit there and flap his arms instead, fussing for someone - anyone - to pick him up and move him from place to place. Slowly but surely, he got up on his hands and knees, learned to rock back and forth, and move backwards - then forwards - a few paces before falling on his belly like a beached whale. His falls were made more comfortable thanks to the soft, cushy and beautiful quilt that Kaye @ The Road Goes Ever On made by hand especially with him in mind. Shortly after Sammy was born, we received this amazing quilt in the mail from Kaye, along with a baseball blanket that we love as well. The design matches his nursery theme of Peter Rabbit and is what we use on a daily basis for him to sit on while he plays with his toys. When he finally figured out how to crawl for real, it was on Kaye's quilt.
We have received so many tokens of love and support for baby Sam from family and friends - in our part of the world and through the blogosphere. Some have been books or clothing, toys or gear. Many others have been words of wisdom and humor. They have all made my first year of motherhood easier and more enjoyable. I hope you find a way to enjoy this Mother's Day weekend - as a mom being with her children, as a child celebrating their mother or as a friend honoring someone else's mom. I'll be with my mom, letting her chase her grandson around all day.
6 comments:
Happy Mother's Day!
Wonderful that Sam is surrounded by so many loving, helpful people. He's adorable! What a blessing.
It's so tiring and so much work....and it's worth every single minute.
Happy Mother's Day, pally! Sam is adorable. :)
Happy Mother's day to you and enjoy this beautiful little boy! He is adorable. What a great post too :)
Happy 1st Mother's Day, Molly! I lose track of how old Sam is. These days it's hard enough keeping my own sanity around here. I am so glad that the dog and books were so helpful Sam, every bit helps. You are lucky that he get to spend lots of quality time with cousins, well, really it's Sam that's lucky. Gage didn't really crawl til almost 10 months and now he is running everywhere. Motherhood gets a lot more fun at around the one year mark (at least it did for me).
Sammy is so adorable. I would pick a favorite picture, but they are all so cute.
Happy Mother's Day Molly--the kindness goes two ways. I appreciate all the interest you've taken in helping me to break into a modern world--this old lady needed the help. Thanks.
That boy just keeps getting cuter and cuter. It takes a village to raise a child and it sounds like you have yours! Happy Mother's Day...a few days late!
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