Sunday, October 23, 2011

It’s great to be a mom

So I have had some really great “mom” moments lately.  My kids are at a stage of life right now that is just so fun!  I often .get restless as a young mom.  I miss adult conversation during the day.  I miss going to a job and feeling like I am contributing something to society.  I miss having something to get dressed up for.  But lately, there is no other place I would rather be that at home with my precious little boys.  My heart just feels like it is overflowing with love for the little rascals.  We had a lesson in Relief Society today about parenting and I found myself wishing my boys would stay the ages they are now forever.

Austin is 3 and a half years old.  I often have moms say to me, “isn’t 3 the best age?”  The past few months I have come to full heartedly believe that it is.  Here’s why.  Austin is able to comprehend concepts really well now.  I feel like I can tell him to do something and he will do it.  If he doesn’t want to do something, or is angry or sad, I feel like I can reason with him.  I can explain why it’s time to go to bed and a tantrum doesn’t immediately follow.  I can tell him to put on his shoes and get in the car…and he actually does it.   It is so fun to tell him we are going to go do something fun and see how excited he gets.  When going into a store I can say, “stay right by mom, and don’t touch anything” and, for the most part, he does it.  I love that he is talking so much better now and can tell me what he wants and what he likes and dislikes, .   The whining and tantrums have reduced to at least half simply from the fact that he can express to me his points and he can understand mine. For example: a few days ago I needed to go to Walgreens.  Austin was outside playing in the yard.  I went out and said “Austin we need to go to the store”  He replied with “In a minute?”  So I said sure, we will go in a few minutes when he is done playing.  About five minutes later he walks in the house and says, “Okay mom, all done.  Let’s go!”  Then once we got to the store he saw something he wanted to look at and said, “Just a minute mom”.  I stopped and he looked for a few minutes and then we continued on our way.  Just 6 months ago that whole experience would have been filled with tantrums and nonstop whining.  I really feel like his is growing up and able to express himself so much better now.  Love it!!!  But my all time favorite thing that Austin does is holds my hand when we are walking somewhere.  He has never done that.  In the past, it has been me chasing him down, holding him back, and strapping him to some sort of restraint.  I love that he will just walk beside me and hold my hand like a sweet little boy. 

Kaleb is 7 months old, and is one of the happiest babies I have ever seen.  He  has grown quite attached to me lately and reaches for me whenever I walk in the room.  Sometimes it can be a little annoying if I am trying to get something done and he won’t go to anyone else, but most of the time it just melts my heart.  He is at that really fun stage where he is alert and aware of his surroundings, but is still little enough that is not yet mobile.  He is so close to crawling and is going to take off any day now.  But for now, I can sit him on the floor to play and he just stays there.  He doesn’t get into things he not supposed to and I don’t have to constantly watch every move he makes for fear he will fall down the stairs or get his head stuck somewhere, or bring something toppling down on himself.  But my all time favorite thing about Kaleb right now is when he curls up against me sucking his thumb and falls asleep.  Not many things in this world are better than a baby sleeping in your arms. 

Now this is not to say that there aren’t hard days.  There are.  And I have no delusions that things are going to stay like this forever, but for now, I love the stage of life I am in.  I love that I can stay home and watch my boys grow.  I love that I don’t have to miss the first time Kaleb crawls or when Austin learns a new word.  I love that right now, I just get to be a mom. 

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