Lesson learned.

A few totally awesome things I have learned over the course of the last 17 months.

1. The baby calendars that lazy people like myself use to track all the progress our children make over the first year, really need to be extended. So far it looks like Wyatt has done absolutely nothing since his first birthday since I have nothing (on hand, easy to get to, with cute stickers included) to write anything down on now.
Some note-worthy dates we have missed but should not be forgotten...

• Flew for the first time to visit cousins in Colorado- July 28
• Went poopoo on the toilet- August 15
• Pacifier removal- August 26
• Found out you were going to be a big brother- August 29
• 2 Ridiculously annoying K-9 teeth appeared- October 1

I'm sure there are more that I have since forgotten but I think this represents the majority of the big occasions that have taken place over the last 5 months.

2. Spoon feeding a baby past the age of one is super frustrating. Not just for me, but Wyatt hated it too. It was like he knew that by opening his mouth like a baby bird he was acknowledging that he was still an infant. I discovered that the majority of the things he would need to be fed could easily be mixed or blended with some sort of liquid and be turned into a drink.
Examples:

Yogurt+Milk= Delicious smoothie

Strawberries+Bananas+Blueberries+Orange Juice+blender= Instant Jamba Juice

Small Curd Cottage cheese+Peaches= Lumpy, yet still drinkable and tasty smoothie

The only one I just couldn't handle blending to a mushy mess was mashed potatoes so instead I just set a few of the boiled baby red's aside and served them chunky instead of mashed so he could easily pick them up. No spoon required.

3. Shopping ahead for the next stage (or 2) is the only way to shop! By the time Wyatt was born, I had accumulated clothes from sizes newborn up to 12-18 months. Now at 17 months, were almost fully stocked up to 3T! Everything I bought was on clearance and I loved that whenever I discovered that he was ready for the next age range, rather then having to go to the store and stock up, I was just able to pull out the next tote. My only suggestion would be to keep track of what you have bought along the way so that you don't end up with 14 pairs of 12-18 month jeans. Whoops.

4. Live in the moment. I have said it once and I will say it forever. I have found myself over the course of Wyatt's life looking forward to the next stage. Then at certain points, we get there, and I wish we could go back. I couldn't wait for him to turn 1, but that was about the age he became daddy's boy, which is fine, for dad, but somewhat saddening for me. I wanted him to start talking, but at around 15 months I found that talking for whatever reason came hand in hand with temper tantrums. All of these things I wanted him to do, but at the time wasn't fully appreciating what he was already doing. Lesson learned, now living in the moment, especially since the 'terrific? twos' are looming ahead.

This hardly begins to sum up what I have gained from becoming a mother. I have learned to love, learned to let go, and learned to listen. I have learned what is important and what can be ignored. I have learned about family and friends and how the two go hand in hand. I have learned so much, more then I will ever be able to write about, or really more then anyone cares to read about. Most of all I have learned that no matter how different I do it from all the others, I am a mother, the best mother I can be, and Wyatt will love me regardless. And in the end...

that's the most important lesson I could have ever learned.