A Summer of Firsts

Have I mentioned that I'm not ready for my summer to end yet? Well, in case I haven't... I AM NOT READY!!!! It's been such a wonderful summer with friends, family, and lots of time spent with my Jack Norman. I am so blessed to have a job that allows me to have this time each year. I could never be a full-time stay-at-home momma (bless you all, you are Wonder Women!), so I'm thankful to have the best of both worlds: a job where I can be a working mother for nine months of the year and a stay-at-home momma for the other three. 

This was my first summer as a stay-at-home mom, and it was everything I imagined it would be. It was fun. It was exhausting. It was busy. It was hectic. It was stressful. It was wonderful. It was unforgettable. I was lucky to experience a lot of "firsts" this summer with my little boy, who keeps getting bigger and bigger right before my eyes. Every time I look at him he looks just a little bit older, more like a little boy, and a little less like a baby. It's exciting and heart-breaking at the same time.

Here are some of the "firsts" I witnessed this summer:

Standing tall.

My baby is pulling himself up. He started sometime in June and has been standing at every opportunity ever since. Lately he's been letting go and standing on his own for a few seconds before plopping down on his little diapered bum and it's the cutest thing ever because he is so dang proud of himself. As soon as he sits, he looks up at me to see if I saw him. And I did. Every time.

 

Cruisin'.
Jack loves to cruise along the furniture. He walks from the couch to the chair and back again. He cruises kitchen cabinets, dining room chairs...just about anything. He started doing that in June, too.

Walk hard.
A few weeks ago I bought Jack a walker, and after a bit of a wobbly start, he has taken to that thing like a fish to water! He loves pushing that thing around and will plow right through a pile of toys with no problem. If he's headed somewhere, look out! He has no problem running over your toes. I know this from experience.

 

Finger foods.
Before the summer began, Jack was just learning how to eat Puffs. Most of them ended up all over his highchair and on the floor, with only a few actually ending up in his mouth. Since the summer began, this kid has gotten good at feeding himself. Not only is he eating Puffs, but he also nibbles on peaches, banana, cheese, spaghetti, mac n cheese, and bits of hamburger. And that's just what he's feeding himself. He definitely takes after me... he's got an appetite!

 

Waterbaby. 

I bought an inflatable pool for Jack and me this summer. He loves the water. Loves. It. He could literally spend hours in the pool or tub, just splashing his little heart out. I love seeing his face light up when he hears the bath water running and he gets just as excited when I pull out his little baby Speedos for an afternoon swim.
 

Ballin'. 

Aaron always said he needed a kid who loves sports. Well, I don't foresee that being a problem because Jack is in love with his Melissa and Doug ball that his Pops bought for him. He loves rolling that thing around and gets the biggest smile on his face watching me bounce and dribble it. I think he's going to be into sports when he's older.

 

Park it. 

I got to take Jack to the park for the first time and boy did he love it! He giggles nonstop when he's on the swing and has even let me and Aaron slide him down the slide a few times. Most of the time we're there we just sit in the grass. He loves feeling it between his fingers.

 

Summer nights. 

With Aaron busy at summer nights each Thursday, there's really nothing else to do but take Jack downtown to go and visit him. While he's not crazy about the loud music, he does fine once his earmuffs are on and he can sit and people -watch while munching on some Puffs. I can't wait until he's a little older and we can go to the Kid Zone for some bouncy-house fun and face-painting.

 

I scream you scream.
Jack had his first taste of ice cream this summer. He noshed on some pistachio and absolutely loved it! Unfortunately for him, that will be the last time he eats that much sugar for a while, especially so close to bedtime!

Tiny dancer.
I think my favorite thing of all was when I got to see Jack dance for the first time. He has a couple of toys that play music and the first time I saw him bounce to the Fisher Price tune on his walker, I about died. He was in the middle of walking across the living room and had to stop where he was so he could dance. It was literally the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Toofers.
Jack got three teeth this summer - two on the bottom and one on the top, so far. The teething was no picnic, but it wasn't as awful as I expected. He still slept at night, but he ran a couple of fevers and was a bit of a cranky pants. He was extra snuggly, though, which made up for it.

 

So, there you have it. I didn't go on a vacation this summer. No trips down South or out west to Bellingham. No tropical islands. Not even a weekend trip to Denver. But I did enjoy my time off and all the time I got to spend with Jack. Yes, he went to daycare once a week so I could get a break and he could interact with some other kiddos, but when we were together I made an effort to put down the tv remote, let the laundry go, and worry about the vacuuming later. I wanted to enjoy every minute we had together because he will never be this little again. Next summer, he'll be running around and talking, and it will be all I can do to keep up with him. We'll have more adventures and our summer will probably be a bit more exciting because he'll be able to DO more things, but it'll never be like this one was. So I'm going to do the best I can to remember what this one was like and to appreciate the time I had with him before I go back to work and meet my 22 new second graders.