Dear Peighton,
Today was a wonderful day! You went swimming for the very first time and I have to tell you all about it!
Earlier this week, we were experiencing a bit of cabin fever and I decided it was time we join the YMCA. We spent a few hours there getting a tour and everyone stopped to say hello to you and tell me how beautiful you are. Ultimately, we left there spending $15/month on a membership for you only (which is kind of a strange idea that only you would be a member). Obviously, I am allowed to accompany you on any of your adventures. It really just allows us to use the pool for family swim everyday and go to Sweet Pea Playgroup on Fridays. When you are a little older, there are a lot of activities that a pre-school membership would get you but for now, that's it. I really wanted to join so we could get you in the water as I was certain you would love it as much as your mother does (and I bought you the cutest bathing suit last week so I wanted to show you off in it). I also signed you up for swim lessons on Saturday mornings at 8:30am for the next six weeks for $89.
We went to family swim this afternoon for the first time. As we walked out into the pool area, I felt a little nervous as to how you would react to such a large amount of water (I guess some babies are scared the first time they swim) but you, as always, were a perfect baby. You seemed to love it right away! We were doing great until a very pleasant man in the next lane over, stared at you in amazement and finally said, "that is so beautiful, I wish I had a camera, that is so beautiful". I explained to him that it was your first time in the water and you were doing an amazing job but just as I got the words out, something scared you a bit and you began to wimper ever so slightly. Then, my favorite part of the experience, as sad as it was, occurred. You latched on to my arm as tight as you possibly could and put your head in the nape of my neck and stayed that way for about five minutes. You weren't crying but you seemed a little nervous. I actually loved every second of it though because I knew you were aware of the fact that I was going to protect you. After you warmed back up to the water, you became a fish! It was almost as if you knew how to swim - you were kicking your legs and moving your arms in a doggie-paddle fashion. We splashed and played for about and hour and then I was getting cold so I figured you must have been chilly. As we were walking away from the pool though, you were doing your, "ah, ah, ah" type of talking as if you were saying, "no, mom, I want to stay in the pool, we are having so much fun". I promised you we would go again tomorrow, and the next day. I can tell we are going to have a lot of fun in the years to come in pools, rivers, lakes, and oceans!
I love you.
Mom
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Identity
Dear Peighton,
It is snowing here again! I think we got a total of 5 inches today but that is way more than I can handle considering we got almost 2 feet last week. When it snows, I have to admit, we do not leave the house. We have been inside all day long. I think you might get a little bored as you seem as restless as I do. We had fun doing some exercises, playing, and making beef stew though. I think you spent a little too much time in your exercauser but you were having a blast with it so I let you hang out there.
I took a little time today to make sure your identity has not been stolen but it turns out that the credit reporting agencies make it really hard to ensure you are safe. I was unable to request a report for you because you are under the age of thirteen. I should explain why I am having to do that I suppose....
Well, a few weeks ago I noticed that a social security card was in my wallet and assumed it was mine (and in a stupid place like my wallet from when I had needed it for a W-9). I went to take it out and it was gone. I thought, "hmm, maybe I took it out and don't remember" (yes, I can be a bit of a spaceshot lately) but I also noticed that the cash was missing from my wallet. Again, I though, "maybe I spent it" but I knew full well that I did not. A few days later, I went to take my GPS out as we were traveling somewhere I did not know how to get to and it was GONE. That was when I realized we had been robbed! I also had some thank you notes ready to be sent out on my dashboard that were now in the back seat of the car opened (in hopes that they contained cash). There we no signs of break in so I must have accidentally left the car unlocked. I seldom leave it unlocked and I hardly ever leave my wallet in the car but I must have done both on the night someone was lifting car handles to see what good they could steal. I can't help but think this was a smart thief (if there is such a thing) because none of my credit cards were missing from my wallet - just cash and your SS card. I am still kicking myself for this. We have had to go to the Social Security office (which we promptly left as I feared for my life there), call the Federal Trade Commission, request a credit report, speak numerous times with the folks at the Federal Trade Commission....all because I stupidly left your SS card in my wallet, ignorantly left my door unlocked, and was numb enough to leave my wallet in the car. I like to tell myself that I simply trust people and that is why I did all of that but the truth is, I probably had my hands full when I walked in the house and didn't grab my purse. What a drag!
I think it will have a happy ending but I feel terrible that we will always have to worry about whether or not some schmuck is out there pretending they are you. I pray that everything is okay. Lord knows we have taken all the precautions that we can to ensure your ID is safe since the incident and will continue to do so from here on out.
I love you.
Mom
It is snowing here again! I think we got a total of 5 inches today but that is way more than I can handle considering we got almost 2 feet last week. When it snows, I have to admit, we do not leave the house. We have been inside all day long. I think you might get a little bored as you seem as restless as I do. We had fun doing some exercises, playing, and making beef stew though. I think you spent a little too much time in your exercauser but you were having a blast with it so I let you hang out there.
I took a little time today to make sure your identity has not been stolen but it turns out that the credit reporting agencies make it really hard to ensure you are safe. I was unable to request a report for you because you are under the age of thirteen. I should explain why I am having to do that I suppose....
Well, a few weeks ago I noticed that a social security card was in my wallet and assumed it was mine (and in a stupid place like my wallet from when I had needed it for a W-9). I went to take it out and it was gone. I thought, "hmm, maybe I took it out and don't remember" (yes, I can be a bit of a spaceshot lately) but I also noticed that the cash was missing from my wallet. Again, I though, "maybe I spent it" but I knew full well that I did not. A few days later, I went to take my GPS out as we were traveling somewhere I did not know how to get to and it was GONE. That was when I realized we had been robbed! I also had some thank you notes ready to be sent out on my dashboard that were now in the back seat of the car opened (in hopes that they contained cash). There we no signs of break in so I must have accidentally left the car unlocked. I seldom leave it unlocked and I hardly ever leave my wallet in the car but I must have done both on the night someone was lifting car handles to see what good they could steal. I can't help but think this was a smart thief (if there is such a thing) because none of my credit cards were missing from my wallet - just cash and your SS card. I am still kicking myself for this. We have had to go to the Social Security office (which we promptly left as I feared for my life there), call the Federal Trade Commission, request a credit report, speak numerous times with the folks at the Federal Trade Commission....all because I stupidly left your SS card in my wallet, ignorantly left my door unlocked, and was numb enough to leave my wallet in the car. I like to tell myself that I simply trust people and that is why I did all of that but the truth is, I probably had my hands full when I walked in the house and didn't grab my purse. What a drag!
I think it will have a happy ending but I feel terrible that we will always have to worry about whether or not some schmuck is out there pretending they are you. I pray that everything is okay. Lord knows we have taken all the precautions that we can to ensure your ID is safe since the incident and will continue to do so from here on out.
I love you.
Mom
Friday, January 14, 2011
All's well that ends well....
Dear Peighton,
You woke up this morning with a bright smile and happy to be alive, as usual. I will confess that it was another rough night but instead of letting you cry and witholding feedings, I decided that I would nurse and put you back to sleep easily since you were injured (a bad idea to most parents I am sure but I couldn't resist, I felt so bad seeing you bleed and didn't want you to have to cry any more last night). Your finger seems to be just fine however and even managed to manhandle cherrios and toys all morning without bleeding or opening again. Thank goodness! Now we will just have to figure a way to get you to sleep through the night instead of waking up at 11:30pm, 4:30am, and awake for the day at 6:00am. This type of sleeping pattern is simply not going to work. So, my dear, when you heal, I am going to have to be mean mommy again and let you cry it out and never give you a breast in the middle of the night for this has lead to no sleep in the Mulligan household (resulting in a slightly crazed mother and father). This too shall pass! I love you.
Mom
You woke up this morning with a bright smile and happy to be alive, as usual. I will confess that it was another rough night but instead of letting you cry and witholding feedings, I decided that I would nurse and put you back to sleep easily since you were injured (a bad idea to most parents I am sure but I couldn't resist, I felt so bad seeing you bleed and didn't want you to have to cry any more last night). Your finger seems to be just fine however and even managed to manhandle cherrios and toys all morning without bleeding or opening again. Thank goodness! Now we will just have to figure a way to get you to sleep through the night instead of waking up at 11:30pm, 4:30am, and awake for the day at 6:00am. This type of sleeping pattern is simply not going to work. So, my dear, when you heal, I am going to have to be mean mommy again and let you cry it out and never give you a breast in the middle of the night for this has lead to no sleep in the Mulligan household (resulting in a slightly crazed mother and father). This too shall pass! I love you.
Mom
Thursday, January 13, 2011
A little more than a boo-boo....
Dear Peighton,
Lucky 13, that's what they say. Well, my dear, apparently not for you. Tonight was your first real injury...but I think your father is scarred worse than you are.
Lucky 13, that's what they say. Well, my dear, apparently not for you. Tonight was your first real injury...but I think your father is scarred worse than you are.
Your father and I realized that boo-boo's are part of life but it's difficult for us to see you in any sort of pain at all. That's why tonight was a real drag. Your father had suprised me with a trip to the day spa for an hour long massage. I think he realized I was on the verge of my breaking point due to cabin fever setting in after mother nature decided to dump over eighteen inches of snow on us yesterday. We had not been out in two days (must make sure we don't make a habit of that!) and I was feeling very, shall we say, restless. The massage was fantastic and it was nice to get out of the house for an hour. I returned home to see that you were pretty upset but, sadly, your father was even more upset. He announced that you cut your finger as he was holding your hand up in the air with a piece of tissue paper wrapped around it. The look on his face made me think that it was much worse than it actually was. I took a look and was immediately so proud of you because if I had cut my finger the way you had, I surely would have been crying much harder than you were. I tried not to panic, grabbed ahold of you, and tried to calm you down a bit. We put a band-aid on your finger in the hopes that the flap of skin that was hanging down would stay attached. I began nursing you in an effort to get you to relax and forget you had just sliced your finger. It seemed to be working like a charm until you decided the band-aid was something fun to chew on. In less than an instant, I pulled your finger out of your mouth only to see that the band-aid was gone. You began choking on it as I fished my finger around in your mouth. At this point, I really hit the panic button and decided we needed to call the pediatrician. They told us to keep an eye on it tonight and if it bleeds at all throughout the course of the night, then we will need to go in tomorrow and possibly get a stitch or some glue. Yikes! I am hoping that will not be necessary.
You are such a little trooper. After a while you acted unphased by any of it and wanted to nurse and go to bed as usual. It was your parents who were the ones that were all freaked out. I called Auntie Jess and Uncle Pete for some added reassurance that you were going to be okay and they made me feel much better, as usual (experienced parents are your best asset in times like these).
I have been so cautious since you were born, maybe to a fault, so it's a bit ironic that within the span of a weeks time, you have fallen off a riding toy, bruised your eye (you fell down when I let go of you and you let go of the table that you were holding on to while standing), and cut your finger. Any time you hurt yourself, I realize how difficult it is to see you in any kind of pain. Hopefully, we can do a good job limiting the pain you have to suffer but it's all part of growing up. Here's to hoping your finger doesn't bleed tonight and heals miraculously overnight.
I love you.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)