Well, its officially Mardi Gras time, and we will be celebrating our first carnival season with baby! It's traditional (both locally and at our house) to wear costumes on Fat Tuesday, and this first year with Nathan will be no exception. I was at a complete loss about what theme to choose, so I hit the thrift store with no expectations and an open mind. There were lots of Halloween costumes, and I was in for a rude awakening when I tried on a skeleton jumpsuit, and saw my post-pregnancy body illuminated by the fitting room's harsh fluorescent lighting. I had to laugh, but it was painful laughter :/ Back to the racks. About a half hour later, I stumbled across a gorgeous silk kimono-style robe, reversible, black with an embroidered dragon on one side, and bright red print on the other. At a mere $6.99, it was a steal- I bought it with Lucas in mind. The next costume piece I found was a ladies' silk blouse, Chinese-style with a mandarin collar. I tried it on and, miracles, it fit! Now it was time to find baby's costume, and fortunately I was able to find a bright orange hooded cape with a dragon's face printed on the hood, and wings on the rest. Feeling like I had struck gold, I brought everything to the checkout and left $16.00 lighter and with a complete family theme in tow: Chinese Food For Thought :) We'll "Carnivalize" it with beads and our masks. And while we won't be going out on Fat Tuesday- the weather reports are predicting all-day rain, and baby is still too young- we will dress up and have a photo shoot to document the day, and eat king cake, and watch parade coverage "front row" on t.v. And I've planned a 2013 mask design based on the above shot of the king cake- an abstract translation.
Life with Nathan is becoming a big adventure, now that the colic is almost over. Now, we are in the beginning stages of teething! Never a dull moment ;). In all seriousness, I love my baby so much, and he has transformed my world. My life is all about taking care of his needs, and doing what I can to make sure he's not only comfortable but smiling and happy. Some days, that's a bigger job than others! (Case in point- I'm rocking his baby seat with one foot while working on this blog- once the rocking stops, the crying begins. It's a balance!) These days, I'm starting to feel more confident in my parenting. My biggest challenge is that balance- I'm performing my mommy chores and housewife chores with success, but at a frantic pace. I would like to get to a point where I get everything done, without breaking a sweat. Still not there yet! But every day is an adventure and a learning experience, and Nathan and I are on this journey together. And baby is growing so much, both in appearance and personality! He is starting to really talk his "baby talk", and I can practically hear the exclamation points in his baby sentences. He also has discovered a new, piercing shriek that grabs you by the hackles ( no idea where that came from, lol). That shriek means business!
Another challenge is eating healthy. I'm a big fan of chocolate and sweets, and its been tough to cut back due to breastfeeding. I need more fruits and veggies in my diet. We are looking for local and nearby farmer's markets to stock up on healthy, organic produce for our family's dietary needs. It might be a good way to meet other young families in the neighborhood too.
Now that the weather is getting milder, we are finally able to venture out of the house together, and have been taking strolls around the neighborhood. I love the stroller, and the fact that it has a little "sunroof" that I can keep an eye on Nathan while we walk around. I've been introducing him to our neighbors and the street where we live, and its been fun! People stop us to admire li'l man, and when he's not sleeping on the walk, he's charming them with his big smile and waving hands. And we're meeting other families with babies of their own. The other day, we met a young couple with a five month old baby girl named Riley. She was so gorgeous, and looked the quintessential baby fashion plate with her crocheted hat and pierced ears. I couldn't help but wish we could set up baby dates and put the two little ones together- maybe develop a friendship, or find Nate's future girlfriend lol.
While we are on a "bedtime routine", a "feeding routine" and a few others, there are always new experiences tucked in each day. We are working on exploring our world more, and not getting stuck into too much of a "routine". I give Nate different toys to snuggle and play with each day, and have finally mastered the art of the burp. And whoever said that girls are more fun because you can dress them up, obviously never had a baby boy. This little man has a wardrobe fit for a prince, and I get a kick out of changing his outfits and dressing him up for our outings and visitors. Almost makes me forget how much I miss my own fashion sense, lol.
The big payoff of having a baby: it's gratifying when Nathan looks directly into my eyes and smiles at me. Makes every drop of blood/sweat/tears worthwhile! And Beau, our furry son, has been so good with the baby boy- keeping a respectful distance but very sweet tempered when he is nearby. People are already asking when we'll have our next kid. What next one? We have a baby boy and a furry son, and as far as I'm concerned our family is complete.
I have a baby calendar that has a block of space in each month for "dreams for baby". It helps make me mindful of what I want to accomplish, and what to bring to Nate's life adventures each month. This month's dreams are: (1) Take baby to the park where we got married; (2) Dress up and celebrate our first Mardi Gras together; (3) Sort through and organize baby's clothes- he is slowly growing out of the "itsy bitsy" wardrobe and into the 3-6 month range. And we are contemplating baptism, and Easter outfits, and age-appropriate toys to let Nathan play with. I am also keeping a baby memory book and trying to document all of the important stuff along the way. I don't think I'll forget a moment, but its good to have it in a safe place.
Life is awesome, no matter how hard the road. I am honored to be the mommy of this special little person. I look back at the ultrasound photo posted on my memory board, and remember when Nathan was just a wish, then a "li'l sprout" in the womb, and Lucas and I wondered and imagined what he would look like and how life would change with a new addition. Then he was finally here, and he exceeded every hope and dream we ever had. He is truly the light of our life, and every smile, every kick of those happy feet, makes my heart burst with love.
