A bad day turned good

Jayson woke up today with a smile that lasted about two minutes and then morphed into a terrible two's type bad mood. I realized this would probably be an all day type mood so we skipped playdate. I don't regret missing the Oktoberfest celebration. Jayson's bad mood continued through lunch when he threw all his food on the floor and into naptime when he insisted on falling asleep in his mini armchair instead of his bed. He woke up in a bad
mood and barely touched his dinner even though I made his favorite chicken nuggets. We had to go to Target and I was relieved to find him in a better mood at the store. He convinced his daddy to buy him a movie replica woody doll from A Toy Story. He came home and watched the movie with his new woody doll. As the movie began to end I started dreading our usual nighttime fight before bed. I got him his toothbrush as the credits were rolling and let him watch to the very end, hoping to delay the kicking and screaming match a little longer. Finally, I shut off the TV. He took off into his room and I followed preparing for a chase. I finally got him onto the couch and changed his diaper while he screamed bloody murder. Once his pajamas were on I grabbed his woody doll and two books and set his twilight turtle in it's usual place. The first book was shot down immediately. It is not a dinosaur night. The next book followed a firefly as he met different types of bugs. I counted the bugs in the book. When I was done Jayson grabbed the book and counted the bugs himself. Of course they were all his favorite number, two. When the book was done I asked him to put woody to bed and to my surprise he gave woody a kiss, tucked him in and then laid down himself. I shut off the light and turned on twilight turtle, soon the ceiling was covered in constellations. Jayson leaned over and gave me a kiss, then we sang twinke twinkle little star while gazing up at the "night sky" on his celiling. He grabbed my hand and asked for a belly rub and quick as anything he was sound asleep. I couldn't believe how peacefully he went to bed. I laid next to him for a while just basking in the happiness of his sweet litte face, free of tears after not crying himself to sleep for the first time in weeks. I thought about Jay and what an amazing job he does as a husband and father. My hear overflows with love for him when I think of all he does for our family, of how he is always there for me when I need him, despite his own busy schedule. I think of how lucky I am to have him in my life, how lucky Jayson is to grow up with a loving, doting father. I think of Jayson and how sweet and thoughtful he can be. I know he will grow up to be a sensitive and loving man, even if he is a little stubborn. I think to May when the new baby is due and I am so excited for this new addition to our family. I look forward to Jay's excitement and can't wait to see him holding his second child for the first time. I look forward to Jayson becoming a big brother because I know he will be a wonderful older sibling. And I know I am blessed with so many wonderful things in my life because I have this family that is perfect in my eyes and that I love with a depth indescribable. It's nights like these that make me anxious for the morning, when I can sit between these two wonderful gentlemen and know that everything I could have ever hoped for is sitting right next to me, my amazing husband and wonderful son, my whole perfect world in one room.

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Jayson's Birthday Part Two

Birthday Party (Day before his actual birthday)

We weren't going to throw a birthday party for Jayson this year, choosing to take him apple picking instead, but when Grandma mentioned that she was having all the kids over for pizza the day before his birthday opportunity struck and I could not ignore it. I told Grandma I'd like to bring a cake by that night, and that's exactly what we did. We order a cake from LaSalle Bakery and met everyone at Grandma's for pizza. Afterwards we had a cake for Jayson. The cake was exceptional... it had his favorite Disney characters on it (from the CARS movie). It was a chocolate cake with fresh strawberries and french vanilla custard inside, my favorite! Before we cut it Jayson yelled "Don't cut the car!".

By the way, Dominic at LaSalle's Bakery makes the most amazing, yummy cakes.

Then Jayson opened all of his gifts, lots of fun toys and adorable clothes. It's almost midnight and I will admit that he is still up playing with some new trucks and his new Vtech laptop. It's his birthday (kind of), so he's getting away with it. Tomorrow he'll have all day to play with his new things, plus he's still got one awesome toy from Grandpa & Grandma coming to him!

Jayson's Birthday Part One

One of the greatest joys of parenthood is the privelage of watching your children grow, learn and develop their own unique personalities and traits. In about 12 hours Jayson will officially be two years old. Two years from the very moment he came into this world, and time seems to have gone by so fast. I still remember sitting next to his incubator at the hospital, counting the days until we would be allowed to hold him - and later on counting the days until he would be able to finally come home with us. Jayson was stubborn from the very day he was born, something he's never grown out of. He's also kept his silly sense of humor (apparent by his continues insistance to wear a cupcake shaped hat everywhere for the last week) and his bright blue eyes. But there's no doubt he's growing up more quickly than I anticipated. It was clear tonight when he quickly ran over to help his fallen cousin up, and continued to do so even after she made a game of falling down and calling to him for help. He was such a little gentleman.

His birthday always makes me reflect because it's another year gone by before I can even properly document all of his milestones in my scrapbook. I remember his first steps like they were yesterday, just a few days before his 1st birthday he teetered across the living room floor on his very own. Now he runs through the living room, jumping over the coffee table, onto the couch, doing somersaults (a skill I was shocked to find out he somehow taught himself) and jumping through the air. Yet beneath all the rough and tumble of a two year old boy I can still catch glimpes of the sweet, quiet baby he once was - the times when he wraps his tiny arms around my neck and says "I love you too, Mama", or when he surprises me by running by, grabbing my face in between his hands and giving me a big kiss for no reason at all.

Well, I suppose time will always run at this speed - slowly when we are anxious for something, but two quickly when we forget to pay attention. In the meantime, I'll do my best to enjoy every moment of this year, because soon enough he will be graduating from toddler to child and I'll probably sit up late one night wondering where all those precious toddler years slipped away to...