my little boy...

oh, this little boy.  there are not enough words in the world to describe my love for this child.  there is just something about him that wriggles into your heart and nests there.  his favorite things to say right now are, "3,2,1...blast off!!!!"  "he-llllooooo mama"  "i loooooove elephants!"  he has quite the obsession with the pachyderm crew...we have no idea how that one got started.  but, as all supportive parents, we have catered to his need for elephant stuffed animals, videos, pictures, books, and especially dumbo.  :)

today i brought him home from mimi's house while ella stayed to play with her cousins.  i went to my room and noah followed me while crying a little.  as i turned to face my child i saw what every mother dreads the most.  projectile vomit stretching across the carpet and onto the wall.  the best part was that my little chihuahua, lilo, was standing in the line of fire.  that's right; baby and dog both dressed in throw up.  i had that 5 second freak out moment where you just stand there not knowing what to do. noah's crying. lilo's shaking. but, then, like clockwork...like i had been training for this moment my entire life...a sense of 'i know what to do' kicked in.  i scooped up the dog, threw her into the tub, put noah over the sink to finish, then stripped him down and threw him into the tub with lilo.  i gave lilo the fastest, most aggressive bath in the history of all doggie baths and carefully drenched my son in soap and water.  i got noah out of the tub first, tiptoed over the nastiness with noah wrapped in a towel, and laid him down on the couch.  then, i had to get the dog out, clean the carpet, the bathroom floor, the wall, the cabinets, wash the rugs, clean the sink, the bathtub.....you get the picture.

noah and i snuggled on the couch for 3 hours.  he did throw up again, but this time i was prepared with blankets over the couch and a bucket at hand.  ella decided she wanted to spend the night with mimi, so it was just noah and i in the house.  this NEVER happens.  i got to spend 15 months with just ella before noah came along.  but, noah rarely gets mommy time all by himself.  i soaked it up for all it was worth.  we sang songs, took pictures of us with my iPhone, watched mickey mouse clubhouse.  i love how noah is most content in my lap with my arms wrapped around him like a wool blanket.  he didn't want to sit beside me...he wanted to sit WITH me.  he would grab my arms and pull them around him if they accidentally slipped and fell.  he would put his face next to my lips and just wait with such anticipation for all the kisses that were about to surround his cheeks.  in this sweet, rare moment i felt the word 'true'.  this is motherhood.  mothers rarely get the credit they are due.  they clean up messes, make lunches, plan outings, get milk, and tend to all the small, needy things of the day.  i want to encourage all you mothers out there to find your 'true' moments with your children.  when noah held his arms up for me to pick him up and snuggle him that was all i needed.  i was ready to do it all over again.  (maybe less throw up the second go round, though)  :)

truly yours,
jamie