Saturday, December 7, 2013

Celebrating Baby Arlis

I hate to say it, but I'm one of "those" moms.  I love talking about my baby.  I love showing people pictures and videos of him.  I love posting on Facebook every last adorable thing that he says or does.  I'm sure I've been blocked by lots of my cyber-friends due to my motherhood.  I always said I wouldn't be one of "those" moms....when I was single and childless.  I think the fact that I waited so long to get married and start a family makes me even more one of "those" moms.  I'm excited to be doing this.  I'm in love with being a mom.

I am blessed with a little man, Arlis James Kelley.  He is now 2 years old.

When Arlis was first born, a week would go by and I would panic.  Newborns are newborns for just a flicker of time and between figuring out what in the world this little creature needed from me and how to feed him and dress him and keep him from harm...I felt like I was rushing all the time.  Then I would sit and cry as I realized how I rushed through the week and my newborn was a week older.  He wasn't going to make those precious, squeaky sounds forever.  He wasn't going to let me hold him while he slept for the rest of his life.  On top of it all, when you are a new parent, you get SO much unsolicited advice from SO many people....you better enjoy this and you better enjoy that because they won't be this young/cute/cuddly/sweet/small/good/nice-smelling forever....as red strobe lights and alarms explode in your head and more sand empties from the proverbial hourglass.

Finally Jonathan and I sat down and decided we would take every day and live it for what it was worth. While Arlis was a little slug, we would enjoy him being a slug.  And when he got older we wouldn't regret that he wasn't a slug, but celebrate that his personality was emerging...and then he was smiling....and then crawling, creeping, walking, talking.  On each step, instead of mourning the loss of the last step, we were joyful about his accomplishment and the new chapter.  Yes, they do grow up quickly.  But instead of regretting this fact that we can't change, we decided to embrace it....which is why I'm one of "those" moms.

And now my little spawn...Baby Arlis...isn't a baby.  I have to be honest, part of me is like, hm!  You embracing this?  How's that working for ya now?  He's a little boy and the Baby is almost gone.  I had lunch this week with a friend I hadn't seen in 10 years.  She wanted to see all the pictures of Arlis that I had.  As she scrolled through them it was kind of like a review of his little life.  I was both incredibly happy and proud of my boy but I'll admit it, I also was a bit wistful.  He's my baby.  The little human who made me a mother. It's tough to say goodbye to these precious days.  But I'm choosing to embrace it.  So here is a little review of Arlis's second year.  To CELEBRATE!



December 2012

Learned To Dance 
                                           

                   Had Too Much Christmas               




January 2013

First Football Practice

Jammed On His Keyboard

February 2013


First Solo

First Baby Powder Incident

Trip To The Florida Aquarium With Meme & Pepe




March 2013

Had Some Disney Fun

                                                         Flirted With The Ladies


First Haircut



April 2013

                   Read Some Books                   
  
Got Ear Tubes :(

Played In the Rain

May 2013

Danced The Polka In Germany At Epcot

Said "I Love You"

Learned What The Letter "D" Says

Enjoyed Playing His Instruments


June 2013

Counted To 6

Took Pappy's Truck For A Spin

Played Piano With Amelia

Got In touch With His Inner Cowboy

July 2013

Spent Time With Amelia

First Time On The Slip N Slide

Lived It Up In Miami

August 2013

Had A Nuclear Baby Powder Incident

First Coconut Race

Enjoyed The Sunshine...In Daddy's Glasses

Swept Up With Amelia

September 2013

Sat On Pappy's Harley

Attended Pappy's Last Kidtricity Service

Spent Lots Of Time With Pappy & YaYa

October 2013

Painted A Pumpkin

Was The Count For Halloween

                                                          Got His First Soccer Ball

November 2013

Flew Planes With Pepe

Super Baby!  Big Boy!

Used the potty! (No pic needed)

December 2013

Became a little boy.  Happy Birthday, Arlis!  We love you!




























2 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful story of the love for your sweet little boy. He is adorable and I am so glad that you have decided (as hard as it might be at times) to just celebrate and enjoy him at every stage of his life. That is actually GOOD advice and something people could learn from. Absolutely cherish those sweet sounds and the way he does certain things when he is so young and just learning, but the future is filled with great memories and sweet things as well. Neither should be seen as having less value. Enjoy Arlis, :)

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