Cookie cookie cookie starts with 'C'!

Okay, the word of the day is NOT cookie, although that does start with 'C', as does confection (tee hee!). Instead, the word that I'm commencing (ha) my blog with today is...

C is for Change

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...ah, how I love Bowie. Sprout will be 9 months old in less than two weeks, and I cannot believe all of the ways in which my life and self have changed. By self, I don't only mean my body. Those changes are painfully apparent, though maybe not to those who see me fully clothed (ie. everyone but my husband and daughter). I am totally floored by the way that I, myself, have grown and changed into a different person.

When you give birth to a child, you are their mother - obviously - but you aren't necessarily a 'mom'. I have found that over the past 9 months, I have absolutely grown into motherhood and become a full-on 'mom'. No, that doesn't mean I've given up my cute jeans for pleated-front, tapered-ankle khakis (smart ass). What it does encompass is me giving up more and more of my younger, less mature self as time goes on. Don't get me wrong, I still like to throw my jammies on and have a Super Mario party with my husband until 2:00 a.m. every once in a while, but I have had to come to terms with the fact that things like summer holidays aren't going to be what they were when I was growing up.

We just finished a week of holidays, which started and ended with two different camping trips. I used to absolutely LOVE camping. Sleeping in a tent, waking up feeling icy cold air on my face with my body snuggled tight into a sleeping bag. Ahhhh. That was the life. Being able to run around, swim all day, go tubing, lounge and tan, eat snacks. It was awesome. Taking a 8.5 month old baby camping in a tent? Still fun, but...different. Less sleep, for sure. Here's where things take a positive spin though. I actually had more fun camping this year with less sleep and freedom and more crying and whining than I ever have in my life! Watching Sprout lose her mind in the lake day after day trying to swim around made me feel so nostalgic and happy. I definitely threatened both Sprout and my husband with leaving early the second night after Sprout had a major teething/lack of sleep/I-don't-know-what-the-hell-was-wrong-with-her meltdown and the man SLEPT through 99% of it all, but when we got up in the morning and went for a walk through the dewey grass in the already-hot sun, all was forgotten.

Speaking of changes, Sprout has gone through some major milestones and changes in the past couple of weeks. I had her measured and weighed at the health unit in town, and she has grown enough in length now that she is just above the 50th percentile for height, and now down to the 75th for weight (she's been in the 90th her whole life so far...). She's slimming down, although to the less constant observer, she's still a chub-monster. Sprout has the backwards shimmy-crawl mastered, and has gotten herself around for the past month and a half rolling, shoving, and back-crawling her way around the house. Yesterday, she forwards-crawled (not super coordinated yet) three feet across the living room rug to me! I whisked her up off the floor into a super bear hug and whispered "just start slowly so Mommy doesn't have a breakdown" into her ear. Already this past week, she cut her second bottom tooth (not going to talk about teething, because it makes me crabby to even think about it) and said her first word ("Mama" - we've got proof on tape! And she almost says "Puppy"...it comes out "pup pup pup pup"). They grow up so fast through the first year, it's really sad to see it all go by!

A friend of mine just had a beautiful baby girl, and going to visit her made me confirm that I want to start trying for a second baby after Sprout turns one in November. I look at Sprout now, and she is getting to be such a big girl, and so much less of a "baby". Sure, she still needs snuggles, and to be fed, and diaper changes, and she certainly isn't walking yet, but I know that those days are numbered. My niece starts kindergarten this fall, and I feel like I blinked and she's so grown up! I'm holding on to these last baby days for as long as I possibly can. I told Sprout that she can wait to crawl, walk, talk, and grow for as long as she wants to - Mommy doesn't mind.

As per usual, I start writing about her, and she wakes up from her nap. Hearing her say "Mama" with the tone of "umm...I'm awake! where are you?" over the monitor makes my eyes tear up. *Sniff sniff* on my way, little Sprout.

xoxoxo

Mommy