Full Speed Ahead

Well, my monthly attempt to blog has recently failed, but it's times for an update.  I am on the way to visit two of my roommates from College.  It's the first trip since January that "Mama" will be away from the JD man.  I already miss his smile but definitely know that visiting Miss Mo and Miss Muchi is a good thing.  I thought about bringing JD but figured his constant need to move would not mix well with a 4.5 hour flight.  Boy am I glad I made that decision!  We had a 45 minute delay from the gate so the flight is now more like 5.5 hours and I am more than done--I can't imagine what JD would be like.

In the last few months JD's development has exploded.  His vocabulary is amazing and he is the most joyous kid I know.  Seriously, his smile is infectious and he loves to share it everywhere he goes. He is always on the move and more than willing to try new things.  This can be both good and bad.  Good in that he loves to go places, see things and explore our amazing world.   Bad because he loves to run--which leads to falls and we have had two major moments where blood and bruises were a result of a grand exploration! 

We have had some very cool adventures.  We visited the airplane festival in New Carlisle, we picked apples and found our pumpkins for Halloween; we even journeyed to get our new puppy!  We have enjoyed lots of time in the stroller and playing with Sydney, she is a great dog and growing even faster than JD.

Currently, we think JD is cutting at least 4 teeth if not 8 (we think the the back molars are coming in).  Sleeping has been tough and between Sydney and JD, I think that 5 hours of sleep in a row is a minor miracle.

We still battle over what foods that JD will eat. New favorites are homemade breads (yes, I have been baking banana, zucchini and pumpkin breads) and pumpkin flavored items.  Tim Horton's "tim bits" as well pumpkin bagels are becoming fast favorites. 

I feel so blessed to be able to watch JD grow.  I often get overwhelmed with the madness and hustle but when I stop and try to "be in the moment" I am always overwhelmed with love.  Kids are amazing, their development is inspiring, and we are better for each child that enters this world.

I hope JD knows just how much I love each day with him.  Being his mama, is the greatest job of my life.  I cannot wait to see what's next.

Summer family fun!

We love being outside but for few weeks the rain kept us from having the fun we had hoped.  That and the 90+ degree weather!  But now, game on.  

The photo was taken one afternoon when JD just had a blast thanks to the Robertson's gift of this awesome pool.  If you take a closer look you can see that to JD, it is just a HUGE bubble factory.  Every morning and night all JD asks is for "bubbas" and he loves those bubbles.  Just can't get enough and I haven't decided whether it is because to do bubbles you are outside or if he really just likes bubbles that much.

Additionally, we have had lots of family fun with our newest member Sydney.  She is now a 9-week old golden who seems to be trying to figure us all out.  JD is trying to adjust to the fact that we have another show stopper on our walks and that going outside doesn't always mean bubbles. 

Other exciting news is that at our daycare or "school"  is moving JD up to the Turtle classroom.  He will now join a room with kids ranging from 18 months to 3 years.  I can't believe he is getting so old.  And I can't believe that in two weeks they are going to trust this very fun and very social kid to go to sleep on a cot next to the other kids.  It just seems unlikely to me that he will respond to dimming the lights and putting on sleep sounds by laying peacefully down using his own restraint and freewill. 

My kid is amazing don't get me wrong but really?  So, for any of you mom's who have had this transition, feel free to chime in here that this won't be painful and that he will sleep!  Oh, please.

Other than trying to stay up on cleaning the mounds of food thrown on the floor every day and the fun "accidents" of Sydney; our house is pretty low key.  We feel so lucky and blessed for the hugs, smiles and laughter we have and we are so lucky to be a part of such a great community with great friends and family close by.  We have had our nieces come for the weekend, we go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday's and JD is even adjusting to 4-5 mile runs in the stroller as I train for the Columbus 1/2 Marathon. 

We can't wait to continue to the summer fun and see just how fast JD can run down the street by the end of August.  Right now we can get next door in less than 3 seconds.  I am guessing pretty soon that will mean down the street in 4!

Meeting Miss Katie

Well, it took us just about 5 months but we finally made it.  7.5 hours of driving and two days of fun with Miss Katie.  She sure is cute and what fun we had! Katie was so sweet and cuddly.  It reminded me of the days that JD used to let me snuggle up to him; not so much anymore because this little man has places to go!

The weather didn't allow too many outdoor adventures but I was proud of JD as he seemed to (as always) go with the flow.  He even managed to sleep with us in a pack-n-play all in one room--good stuff. 

It has been a busy several months leading up to this adventure.  JD started daycare 4 days a week as Grandma hurt her back.  The initial transition was hard, but now we have a new routine that seems to be working quite nicely. 

We enjoyed a wedding, visits to with Grandparents, our second Mother's/Father's day and lots of other adventures.  JD now have almost all of his teeth, he sleep most nights from 6pm until 6am with a few pacifier replacement cries and well we are having a lot of fun.

As a mom, you can only hope that each day you are encouraging your child to be happy.  What I love most about JD is everyday he smiles, laughs and lets me know that thus far we haven't created too much sadness for him.  His eyes light up when he smiles, his body shakes when he laughs and he runs to sit in my lap at least five times a day.  You can't beat it.

We are blessed and we are thankful.  However, one side note...don't mess with the paci!  

The Satterfield's are sad.

The month of April was a tough one for the Satterfield's; we had to say goodbye to the best doggie we know.  Tuscany, was one of those rare dogs that seemed to make friends wherever she went.  And I mean real friends!   When I got her in March 2002, she was the cute fluff ball that went around the neighborhood.  She immediately charmed the socks off of everyone she met. 

In fact, as she aged she learned to sit, look pretty and smile at people and they would just come up to her and love on her.  She was hilarious!  Beyond that Tuscany went everywhere with me from the day I got her.  She always had a permanent place in the back of whatever car I was driving.  Her bowl, an extra leash and dog food were always loaded into the car.  Most every family vacation, road trip or visit Tuscany was there. 

She was my first child and I was granted the amazing pleasure of being her mom.  She always had a kiss for me and I swear she helped me land at least two or three clients when she was in the office with me.  She loved to swim, to eat anything in site and to make people smile.  She was a gift. 

Tuscany loved being a big sister to JD.  From the moment I was pregnant her life changed, but she was thrilled.  She was by my side my entire pregnancy--we even got a car ramp because she could not jump and I was unable to lift her in and out of the back the car when we went to work. 

When JD came home there was no worry about how Tusc would respond--we knew she loved him and she did.  She would lay by his crib and come get us anytime he cried.  She went from sleeping by my side to sleeping outside of his door so she could alert us to anything happening.  She was the great protector of our little man and always knew how to make it better for him.

It was amazing to watch Tuscany adjust to JD as he would crawl or learn to pull her hair; she just allowed him to figure it out and never got upset.  His first word was Dog and he quickly learned to say Tusc.  Both words came with huge smiles.

The loss of Tuscany is much more difficult than I could have ever imagined.  Every morning I want to smell her stinky breath, at night she is not there to watch over JD; things are just out of sorts.  JD isn't sleeping as well, Kevin and I are up at least once or twice in the night to check on him.  Things just don't feel right.

My hope is that JD will always know how much Tuscany was a part of our family and how much she loved him.  My hope is JD learned how to love from Tuscany--that he learned that endless patience is a gift, that happiness is contagious and the more you give kisses the more love you receive. 

Tuscany we love you, we miss you and mostly we thank you for being the best dog.  

Big milestones, bright smiles and getting lost in happiness

This week the Dove Sketches video has gone viral; where women describe themselves and then a stranger describes them to a artist who is sketching.  The two pictures are greatly different and the self-described sketch is much more dark and sad.   

This week I also read a post from my friend Julie who has a daughter Mae; someone I hope becomes a close friend of JD's.  Mae has DS and Julie told a story of how she was out with her four children and a stranger began sharing about her child who also had DS.  After the stranger left, Mae's siblings asked just how the women knew that Mae had DS--they didn't realize it could be "seen."

In the last several weeks, JD has exploded developmentally.  He actively uses sign language, he is walking and he is saying at least 10 more words.  It is amazing to watch him learn, develop and grow.  More amazing is watching his smile.  I want that smile and the huge belly shaking laugh to stay with him forever.  It changes each day because it makes everything more fun and amazing.

My hope is that JD could stay this happy and this excited about life forever.  We as adults, beat ourselves up about so much.  But when someone genuinely smiles a great bit smile, you can get lost in it for just a moment.  Be it a child, an adult or even a great grandmother--a smile can change us.  My hope is that JD understands this power and changes the world through laughter and smiles. 

He is an amazing kid for so many reasons and my goal as his mom will be to try as best as I can to smile and smile and smile at him. 

Here is a video of a recent toy discovery that no doubt will make you smile and get lost in happiness for just a moment. 

A visit to see Great Grandma Grace

There are lots of people we like to see and visit but going to Grandma Grace's is always an adventure.  This was JD's second trip to see his great grandma and it was wonderful.

I realized that at the age of 96 Grace Sullivan, is by far one of the most remarkable people I know.  When we arrived she had prepared her house for JD to travel and explor.  She had a high chair ready for him to eat with and toys out for him to play with.  It was remarkable to me how much work she went to and how great she was with JD.

The trip is a long one for a little man; 6+ hours to get there.  We did our traditional gathering at night at the local pizza shop DiMaggio's and then Sunday we enjoyed church at the United Methodist Church.  Since I was younger than JD when you got to church with Grandma and you sit in the second pew.  After chruch we headed to Dairy Queen for lunch.

It is funny as my Grandma commented on her "routine" and that some might consider it less than exciting.  Personally, as the mother of a one year old, I love nothing more than routine.  A stable sleeping schedule, eating schedule and in general a stable schedule makes everything better in our world!

Our second night we headed to French Lick resort as I had a work conference.  That night wasn't quite so peaceful and JD was NOT happy to be in another hotel room.  It was the first night in ages that we got less than 3 hours of sleep and I forgot how nerve racking that can be.  At 4am I tried to determine a "plan" with your Dad for how the next day was going to go.  It was classic.

This past weekend we got to recover a bit, watch some OSU basketball and celebrate Grandpa's 70th birthday.  We seem to be having lots of different adventures and travels these days!

As Easter comes this weekend, we will have a visit to see Grandma Barb and see all the Dancers and Satterfields.  You are loved by so many and we are so lucky to have such a great and supportive family.  Sunday, we will head to Grandma Pat's and enjoy some time with the Katy, Heath, Annabelle and Taylor. 

My hope is that you will always know the importance of love and family.  From our church, to friends to our biological family having people to support, love and inspire you are what make life so fun.  Each adventure is better because of the people who travel with you.

Celebrate!

We are one!  I cannot believe it; a year, a whole year has gone by.  To celebrate the planets aligned and we were able to share in one of the most amazing days. 

The morning started with J.D.being super sweet; then we headed to the Lincoln Theater and went to the Peanut butter and Jazz concert series.  The New Basics Brass Band were playing and as fate would have it--they actually played at our wedding.

Afterwards, we headed back to our house with the family and enjoyed Tommy's pizza, salad and some homemade cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies. 

JD, is an amazing kid.  He loves his dad, music, the book, Green Hat/Blue Hat, he loves people and dancing.  Everyday I am astounded by his curiosity, creativity and courage.  I am learning so much being a mom and each moment is precious.

One year, I can't believe it!

Dat, Dat, Dat

There is no one thing that JD loves more right now than his friend Tuscany and for that matter Scarlet (Grandma's dog).  "Dat dat dat" comes out of this sweet little boys mouth at least 100 times a day.  No Joke, this morning he was starving at 3am and then again at 4am and both times as we laid him back to bed all you heard was "Dat, dat, dat."  The minute he wakes up from his nap and hears the click of Tuscany's nails on the hardwood floor or the shake of her collar you seem him grin from ear to ear and ask for her.  When we drop him off at Grandma's same thing, "dat, dat, dat."  It is amazing how so early on this relationship is such a huge part of our little man's life. 

Kevin and I both comment on how lucky we are because both dogs are great to him.  Tuscany has always been an amazing dog but I had no idea just how amazing she is until I had JD.  She sits at the top of the stairs and is our baby gate for JD most days.  She lets us know when he is crying and we are not getting up fast enough.  She even allows him to pull out huge clumps of her beautiful tail and doesn't even flinch.  A few "grrs" when JD comes in a grabs her favorite toy but mostly it is kisses, patience and understanding.

I sometimes wonder if the reason JD says "dat" and smiles so much when he sees Tuscany; is because she is truly the best type of parent.  She protects, encourages, kisses and has limitless patience. 

JD will likely not have the joy to have memories of Tuscany as she is 11 and has health issues but through this blog, his journal and the many different photos we have taken, my hope is that he will know that Tuscany was the best dog any family could ever has ever known.  And more importantly from the time that he was in my belly, Tuscany watched over him and loved him unconditionally and helped him to smile hundreds of times a day.  

The Next Era

At 10 months old, my little man is full of energy and absolutely exploding in every area of development.  As you can see by the 10 month picture; he is standing up and trying to figure out this whole walking thing.  Additionally, this morning he discovered the toilet and even put his little rubber ducky in it; luckily I rescued the duck from the toilet before JD went in after it.

Each and every day I feel blessed, but there are two times a day that I consider to be my favorite.  First, early in the morning JD and Dad get up and go downstairs.  I have the great pleasure of lying in bed for another 30-60 minutes and I listen to the two of them.  Hearing the laughter and the constant "dat, dat, dat" of JD and the repeat of Dad "dog, dog, dog" is my favorite thing each morning.

Then, each night we get home from work and it is pretty busy between dinner, bath and bedtime.  But there is about 20-30 minutes right as JD is calming down where we read a book, say the Lord's prayer and then rock and have a bottle.  Each of these minutes are amazing.  As I say the Lord's prayer I always reflect on the power of that prayer and am aware of the great wisdom in each line.  I hope JD will grow to enjoy the Faith and love in the prayer just like me.  Then as we finish each bottle, JD nestles his head in the curve of my neck and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. 

It is a great life that I lead, each day starting with moments of pure please and happiness and each day feeling loved and loving in return.