A mother's love

As if I needed any more proof that I love Piglet beyond all measure, today the depth of my love for him was tested once again.  

We were at the A.pple store (also known as Mecca) early this morning to get my i.Phone fixed (read: replaced).  I'd had wayyyy too much coffee and had the shakes, so on our way out, I stopped by the Golden Arches to grab me a little McMuffin love and side of hashbrowns.  I NEVER get a fast-food breakfast because really, who wants to drag a one year-old out the door at that time of day? No craving is worth that!  On this very gloomy, rainy day, this was JUST the pick-me-up I needed. The Golden Arches were my beacon in an otherwise very dark day.  I could not WAIT to eat my tasty indulgence when we got home. A little treat all for me. All MINE!  

Piglet, however, has developed and honed his ability to smell fried food.  And he LOVES it.  (I swear, he got every bad gene I possess).  He's never had a fast-food breakfast, but the hashbrowns smell suspiciously like french fries, a Piglet favorite.  He started demanding some of whatever was in my concealed bag from his plush throne (carseat).  And as you might recall, he demands things loudly and with great persistence. (Go here to see.)  

In the back of my mind I feared the worst.  I clutched my little red, yellow and white bag and hoped Piglet would relent.  He did not.  I cracked the windows in the car so the smell would dissipate and he would forget.  He did not.  I willed him to be lulled by the falling rain and fall asleep in the car.  He did not.  When we arrived home, I lifted him out of his throne and he immediately pointed at the bag containing my breakfast and signed "eat."  EEK!  Given his picky eating habits, I knew the sacrifice to be made.  I dejectedly broke up the hashbrown and breakfast sandwich and set them in front of Piglet.  He shoveled it all into his little craw and demanded "more."  A slow tear rolled down my cheek as he spit out what was in his mouth in favor of the new tasty morsel I doled out.  

A mother's love knows no bounds.  Or gets treats apparently.  You'll have to excuse me now while I go have cold cereal for the 300,067 time this year.  

Some days.

Some days Piglet is so moody, he quickly goes from one extreme to the other, barely taking a breath between the two spectrums. Those days are challenging to say the least. I remind myself over and over how ridiculously lucky I am to have him and forge ahead. Sometimes I stop to eat chocolate in between -- because chocolate's better than vodka, right?

These pictures were taken within seconds of each other.  Seriously, look closely, he's barely even in a different position (except for his facial expression)!  

Rituals

One of the things all new parents come to know, love and respect is the mighty SCHEDULE.  The first few months of Piglet's life were spent trying to decipher some semblance of a schedule just so we could, you know, SURVIVE.  

As Piglet's schedule began to reveal itself - naps "around" two hours after waking, awake for three hours, naps again etc.  The obsession with a schedule began to fall away and many of the things we would do together each day became less routine and more RITUAL.  Some things remain just part of our daily routine like diaper changes, eating Cheerios and nail trims.  But some things are RITUALS and they are PRECIOUS.  For instance,

Every

morning

I 

wash

and 

comb

the

baby's

hair.  

~~~~~~

Every

weekend

we 

go 

for

a 

family

walk.

~~~~~~

Every 

day

we 

sing

the

Hello

Song

from

music

class.

~~~~~~

Every

Saturday 

we 

go 

to 

the 

Farmer's

Market

and 

share

a 

tamale.

It's these RITUALS and not SCHEDULES that define our relationship and our family.  It makes our interactions memorable and sacred and anything but mundane.  So the next time you're marching through your day like the good soldier you are, stop and think about your favorite bits and pieces of the day or week and consider sifting out the RITUALS from the SCHEDULE. The little things you do all the time that might seem like just part of your normal routine may actually be little rituals that you'll look back on with so much fondness one day. 

I am also a huge fan of TRADITIONS but that's another entry all together, particularly with the holidays approaching. :)  

Piglet takes home the gold...

*Warning and disclaimer: the following could be construed as (gasp) bragging.   Avert eyes if such things are found offensive.

Yesterday I took Piglet to see his pediatrician for what I feared was more than just teething symptoms.  He has been cranky, feverish and then yesterday started coughing (saddest sound in the world).  I chalked it up to teething but the advice nurse told me some startling news - fevers are NOT a symptom of teething!!! Everything of course is, but not fevers.  I was shocked (and felt quite bad). Anyway, we go in to see PD (Piglet's doc) who is by all accounts a wonderful person, but pretty reserved and not overly effusive.  Piglet despite feeling terrible, was shockingly good throughout all the poking and prodding.  This prompted PD to say things like "he is a very charming baby" and "what a wonderful disposition this little fella has" and "Piglet is a delightful boy."  Piglet of course,  just ate that up smiling and cooing at the good doc. Btw, turns out the only disease he has is the disease to please, that and a tooth about to come up. ;)

To Piglet, you have brought honor to our family with your highly favorable performance at the office of the healers.  Our great many ancestors are smiling upon you. With that said, I bestow upon you, the gold medal for "Happiness & Harmony While Being Poked and Prodded." Carry on little Grasshoppa.