Precious Moments

Fast pace doesn't even begin to describe our life right now.  Not because of jobs or busy schedules, but because we have the busiest/fastest/most energetic child on the face of the earth.  I think when I say this to people, they blow it off and think "oh yeah you have a toddler!" Thats the not the case.  She goes non stop from the time her feet hit the floor to the time she closes her eyes.  I think this is why she sleeps so well.  She sleeps a good 11-12 hours every night and takes 2 good naps during the day.  We joked when she started crawling, that when she began walking, it would be a run.  Well, we were right.  She takes off and is GONE.  She inherited mine and Tyler's energy and just can't stop.

She babbles all.the.time.  Non stop.  She's not really talking yet.  She says dada and dog and cat.  She loves giving kisses.  She opens her mouth as wide as she can get it and lays it on you.  She has started hugging so tight, which is the best!  She is nosey nosey.  Loves pulling everything out of drawers/purses/bags.  When she wakes in the morning or after a nap she picks up the teddy bear in her bed and kisses all over it.  If you pick her up before she does this, she's mad.  She is very very strong willed.  Who in the heck does she get that from?  If she has something and we take it away, she lets us know that is not what she wanted us to do.  It amazes me that she is as smart as she is. Not that I didn't expect it, but it blows my mind that she understands so much.  She knows so many words and exactly what they mean.  Tonight she took my phone.  I told her to go get her phone.  She turned right around, walked over to her little car and got her phone.  It's crazy that she is that big. 

Every stage seems to get a little better.  She is so loving now.  She buries her head in my legs when she wants to be picked up...Lays her head on my shoulder and kisses my face...Runs to me when I get home from work...Squeezes my neck right before I lay her down at night...It's better than I ever imagined.

My goal for the new year was to have more patience.  I feel like so far I have been successful.  I'm not saying I haven't lost my patience at all, but I think I've done better.  Tyler is so much better at this than I am.  He is so calm, and even if he's about to pop, no one knows it.  Me on the otherhand- everyone knows it. 

So often at night when I'm rocking her or even after I have put her to bed I stay in her room and do a lot of thinking.  I think about how far I've come in a year.  I think about how I love her so much it hurts.  I think about how lucky and thankful I am to be her mother, but more than anything I think about how scary this job is.  This is a life, that I'm in charge of.  There is so much I want to do.  There are so many things I want to teach her.  It is without a doubt overwhelming. 

I look around at school at all of my 9 and 10 year ols and think about all the wonderful traits that they have.  Their parents worked hard for that.  They have turned into wonderful children with so much to offer.  My prayer is that someday one of Liza's teachers will say the same.  One of the most important traits is kindness.  I will do everything in my power to teach her this.  To teach her that we are all equal, but in order for her to truly understand this, she has to see it in me. 

I've said this before, my life has so much more meaning with Liza.  She makes me want to better in so many ways.  I never knew I could love anyone so much.



XOXO
Liza's mom