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| Then... |
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| ...and now! |
It's been one full year since I first launched this blog, and I'm still kind of amazed that I've actually done it. I have so many unfinished projects in my life, and although I haven't been writing as frequently as I'd prefer, I have to recognize that I am still writing, even if it's only once a month. (Side note: if you follow @scoopsofpoops on Instagram, you'll get way more updates from me there!)
A few quick highlights about Scoops:
She's almost 15 months old.
She's walking! Took her first two steps on Nov 24, just a couple days before Thanksgiving. Then she took a break from walking for a while (LOL), but by now she usually takes a few steps in a row a few times each day.
She signs "milk," "more," "please," and "thank you" regularly (sometimes needs a little coaching), and often says the word as she's signing.
She loves owls, and knows that they say "hoo, hoo!"
She loves dogs, and knows that they say "bar bar bar bar bar bar bar bar!" (Thanks, daddy.)
Even if she doesn't know how to say the names of other animals, she knows many of them and can point to them when we ask her to.
In her special, sweet, toddler-speak, she says "eyes," "ears," "mouth," "nose," "knee" and "toes" and points to them all.
Her favorite food is toast, and she asks for it by saying, "tooooooast?"
She loves to play peek-a-boo.
She dances like a rockstar.
She gives kisses to any and every thing and person she likes.
Her hair has grown so much, and I refuse to cut it because I don't want her to have bangs. She refuses to keep clips in her hair, so it's pretty much always in her eyes. She doesn't seem to mind.
And a few quick highlights about mommy:
I went back to work a couple months ago.
More accurately, I got an entirely new job. It was, and continues to be, very bittersweet. I'm working part-time for a local small retail business. The hours are great (except for having to work weekends) and the pay is a little better than you might expect in a retail environment. I work with a group of other awesome moms with kids around the same age as Scoops.
I still don't feel like I have my shit together...
Some days I'm just rockin' it, but most days I try to do marginally better than simply surviving. I still have a hard time managing all the laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, and general household affairs while raising a decent human being and maintaining my sanity. I'm trying to be accepting of my reality on a day to day basis, and continue to adjust my impossibly high expectations for myself.
...but I'm really doing OK.
Some days are easier than others, and I try extra hard to keep track of all the really super awesome days. Celebrating my wins makes it easier to face my struggles (sometimes [usually]). When I feel motivated, I try to give myself reasonable goals to work toward, like vacuuming my entire apartment in one day (!). When I feel overwhelmed, I try to sit still and breathe, and just hold and play with my baby girl. Sometimes the universe conspires to help me get the housework done before I have to rush off to work all weekend. Sometimes the universe tells me to slow the eff down, take a chill pill, and just be in the moment. Noticing that I have a regularly tendency to be aware of all that seems to be an indication that I'm not overall failing at this parenting and life thing.
And now for some self-care: off to bed I go. (Oh, who am I kidding? I'm about to screw around on Pinterest for another hour before I finally shut my eyes.) Sweet dreams, mommies and daddies, and babies, and everyone else heading to bed now. I'll catch you on the flip side!
