Wednesday, July 25, 2012

f

So, like, we went to Finn's year "well child" appointment today and he's doing great overall - healthy, happy, sociable, etc.
But he sort of "failed" (like there was a red "X" on his chart). And it kind of stresses me out.

To summarize: Finn's not crawling, not walking, not "creeping", not pulling up to stand, and to be totally honest, hasn't even really ever rolled over from back to front.
We make excuses like he didn't get a lot of tummy time, he was swaddled, he's carried everywhere and gets all of his needs taken care of without having to move. It makes us feel better and sound like super doting parents (which we totally are).
When I tell people that he's not really moving around yet, they tell me, "Oh just wait - he'll be all over the place in no time" or "Thank your lucky stars", both of which make me feel better because
a) I don't really want him moving around yet. Our house is SO the opposite of toddler-proof (like glass bottles arranged all artful-like on top of free standing bookshelves).
and b) I've heard SO many stories from parents who say that their kids took their time, too and wound up being upstanding citizens and all that.

I like the idea of Finn marching to the beat of his own drum.

But I worry.

I guess that's what parenthood is all about.


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

one!

 It's a birthday boy!


What's that, you say? It's been almost a month since his birthday and I'm just NOW getting around to writing the post about it?
Details, details...

Finn's first was celebrated surrounded by family at our new home (man, we really need new siding).



 His birthday cake was one I adapted from a diabetic recipe and contained only 1/4 cup of sugar. Add a little maple whipped cream and organic raspberries, and I'd say that's a pretty tasty cake (even the other kiddos didn't seem to mind the lack of toothachy sweet cake).


I've been saving Finn's placenta to plant with a lilac, but wasn't sure at the time where I'd plant it or how long the thing would be taking up space in our freezer. 
Well, as luck would have it, we now have a yard to plant it in (yup, that's the placenta in the hole in the first photo), and have now started a new garden bed that we'll add to every July 3rd. The rocks in the photo were placed around the lilac (which is one of those new-fangled ones that blooms several times a season...yes...), and family members wrote little messages to him during his party.

We also started the tradition of setting off fireworks on his birthday, but as his bedtime is 7:00, it was a bit of a non-event in full daylight.

The birthday was all I wanted it to be - small, simple, and meaningful.  Oh! And I did manage to whip up his birthday crown, and he kept it on the WHOLE TIME. That was present enough for me.

...
plus, there was this...  :)


Sunday, July 1, 2012

mission accomplished.

so for months now i've been planning to make finn a crown for his first birthday, not knowing if i'd actually get it done. once we bought the house and i wasn't even sure where my sewing machine was (much less where it would fit in my eventual "craft room", i had kind of let it go.
but over the past couple of days, all the stars aligned long enough to make it. using felt, elastic, and a piece of leftover fabric from his closet curtain, the crown is ready and waiting for the price to wear...
only two more days!

thinking back over the last year, i don't really wonder where the time has gone. i feel like i've been in it, you know what i mean? IN. IT. i feel like i've spent most of my waking moments with this little guy and that i've really taken it in - maybe more than i've necessarily wanted to sometimes. those first few months were a challenge, that's for sure.

but now that we're here, i really, truly, honestly can't remember life without this little guy. he's the first thing i think about when i wake up and the last thing i think about before i fall asleep. he's got a smile that can brighten the darkest day and a sense of humor with perfect timing (not to mention those dashing good looks!). no one day is the same as any other, and i feel myself stretching and growing to be the mom i want him to have.

it hasn't always been perfect, and i doubt it ever will be, but there are glimpses of perfection every once in a while and that's enough for me.

thank you, finn, for being everything i never knew i was missing.