celebrating motherhood

19 reasons why i love being a mom....

why 19? a reason for every month i have been privileged to have "mom" as my title. one of many, i suppose.
i have been feeling especially nostalgic lately (my last post was evidence of this) and as mother's day creeps up on us, i'd like to reflect on the beauty of my experiences being peyton's mama.

1. from poppy seed to watermelon, my sweet girl grew in my belly and i anxiously waited her arrival. i still remember those first kicks and never thought hiccups could be more beautiful. i had an amazingly awesome pregnancy....no morning sickness, no heartburn, no complications. pregnancy was good to me. i will hopefully share my birth story someday, as it was just as beautiful. 

2. the first time i held her. the emotional rush is indescribable, that no one else understands, unless, they too, are a mother.

3. the moment i witnessed the first time she smiled at her daddy. my heart doubled in size. we were standing in the pasta aisle in Fareway and he was a few feet ahead of me with her in her car seat. i will never forget the look on his face (he didn't know i was watching) and it felt like time stood still. i may not have had a camera, but that moment will be locked away in my memory bank forever.

4. nursing my little love for the first year of her life. all those late night, early morning feedings seemed daunting at times, not gonna lie, BUT, i would never give back those moments i had to cuddle and bond with her. she needed me in a way that she will never need me again and i will forever cherish that first year. breastfeeding was one of the hardest parts about becoming a new mom, but ended up being one of the best parts.

5. first time she rolled over. i cried. it was the first of so many milestones and it hit me all at once.

6. peyton has changed the entire dynamic of our families and it's a beautiful thing. there are baby gates and high chairs in our parent's kitchens and toys under their christmas trees. they no longer come to visit their children anymore....it's all about the grandbaby! her grandparents have been ga ga over her since day one.
brandon and i are not just a couple anymore, we're a family. and we have peyton jane to thank for that.

7. daddy day camp. peyton started to participate in calisthenics at a very young age:) brandon would hold her downward and she would do a "sit up"  using her own strength back towards his face. he was so proud. later in her life, before she could stand on her own, he would prop her up against a wall, so she could "practice" standing. and we can't forget the "walking drills" that happened in the hallway of our old house. she would walk by herself from me to him and he would jump up and down like the vikings won the super bowl:)

8. wet, open mouthed baby kisses. you can't beat 'em.

9. celebrating one year with her. i had so much fun planning and executing her birthday party. digging into her cake would be have to be the highlight of the day!

10. hearing the words "ma ma" and knowing that there is meaning behind them. she understands that saying "mama" will get a reaction from me. she gets it.

11. the animal noises that she knows and proud states when asked. her favorites: sheep, lion, owl and snake.

12. seeing the relationship that she has with her daddy. i love who he is as a father. i find joy in watching him tickle her, teach her and love on her. for a long time, he was the only one she would go to sleep for and i think he secretly liked being the only person who could put her to bed. he sings to her every night and i can't get enough.

13. seeing a personality develop in her from day one. she has always been a busy baby. as an infant, she would sit in her bouncy seat for 10 minutes, before she was ready for a change of environment. today, she can't sit still. she goes from one toy to another and rarely sits for long periods of time.

14. the moment we found out she was a girl. it was at my 20 week appointment. brandon had arranged ahead of time to send either pink or blue flowers to the grandmas. he was genius:)

15. the way she smiles at strangers, waves and says "hi" in her cute, little peyton voice. she got her daddy's people skills!

16. her love of nature. sticks, rocks and dirt have become her favorite activities when outside. sometimes she even samples the dirt....why not??

17. the things that make her "peyton". her Caillou dance (it's on video...just gotta get it uploaded!), when she asks for "num nums" and her way of saying "sorry" by gently rubbing the side of your cheek.  there are no words.....

18. the million of finger and hand prints on the windows (and TV). i never want to wash them away. think i can use that as my excuse??:)

19. how gentle she is with her baby dolls. she lays them down and pats their backs and rocks them in her arms. my heart grows, because i know she's seen this somewhere. i love being able to teach her in different ways and i love watching her learn even more.

this list could on for days. i could list a reason every second of the day. you moms get it, right? we love our kids. we would do anything for our kids. our kids are our reason for breathing. i don't know about you, but i celebrate mother's day every day. i couldn't have been given a better job.i thank God every day for giving me my reason for being a mom.