Mother of the Ring Bearer, Mother of the Groom

This post should have been posted shortly after June 7. Not sure why I never hit "publish" until now! 

Several months ago, Sam's cousin, Michael, and his then-fiance, Breanna, came over to our house when they were visiting from Minnesota. Before they left, they asked Banner & Quinn to be in their wedding! We were so excited and honored that they asked our boys to play such a special role at their wedding, and of course the boys agreed! A few weeks later we made the decision to not take Quinn with us out of town. We just weren't keen on putting ANY of us through such an ordeal with our toddler. He would have been miserable, we would have been miserable, and probably every one else near us - on the flight, at the wedding . . .  Luckily, Mom agreed to keep Quinn for the weekend in June that seemed so far away at that time.

But, June 5th got here quickly, and it was time for Banner's first trip! His first flight, first time in a hotel, first time out of the city! Banner had been so excited to see Michael and Bre again, to go to Minnesota where the wedding took place, to spend some extra time with Zaide & BeeBee, and to go on a plane for the first time! Banner did great! He was way more subdued than I imagined he would be - more excited to play on the iPad for a couple hours than he was to watch the plane lift-off or to see the clouds out the window. Sam & I were WAY more excited than Banner was, but I also think it was simply a lot to take in. Half-way through the flight, Banner fell asleep on my lap. This was certainly one of my favorite moments of my whole trip. He never sleeps on us, never falls asleep in the car or lets himself doze off anywhere! So, this was a treat for me to watch him allow himself to just sleep - and on Mommy! Loved it!

As Banner laid on my lap, I got a little emotional thinking about where we were 4 years ago that weekend. I was about to be admitted to the hospital for observation (for pregnancy-induced high blood pressure) before inducing labor a few days later. During that hospital stay, we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday with a dinner Sam and his dad picked up from Friday's. Little did we know, that would be her last birthday. Thinking of that week, of Sam's mom, of Banner's birth, and embracing the time Sam, Banner, and I had together just the three of us that weekend, it made me teary as my baby rested on me. I looked at Sam after trying to dry my eyes, and said, "I might have cried just now." He said, "I can tell." When I told him what I was thinking about, he might have gotten a little emotional, too. :)

Once we arrived in Minnesota, we headed straight to the rehearsal dinner, where Banner was surrounded by family members he met when he was 4 months old. At nearly 4 years old now, of course, he would have no recollection of them, and he kept saying, "Mommy, they're strangers. I can't talk to them." He was shy and timid and clingy. I wish he had been his "normal" self, but I still have to say I was glad to be his safe place and the one he wanted. I didn't mind a bit that he wanted to sit on my lap and cuddle with me. I did, however, wish he would have eaten more and been more open to talking to people who were so excited to be around him!

Once we left the rehearsal dinner - and after a roll Banner grabbed on the way out - he was his normal self. As we walked to the car with Zaide & BeeBee, Banner was being a little goofball - laughing and making funny noises and giggling up a storm. "There he is!" we all said. "I missed you," I believe I said to him. I helped Banner get ready for bed when Sam went to the grocery store to buy some Motrin since we were pretty sure Banner had a fever. (Of course, once Sam got back, Banner refused to take the medicine.) I really enjoyed tucking Banner in and laying with him that night. He fell asleep before my story was over, as it was well past his bedtime!

The following morning, after breakfast at the hotel - where Banner barely spoke to anyone again - Sam and Banner went in the hot tub. Once again, Banner returned to his normal self, and he had a great time. After a nap and some lunch later in the day, it was time to get ready for the big wedding! Banner's suit was a size 5. I'm not sure why since he wears either a 3 or 4, but we made do! His shoes were too small for him, and he cried when we were trying to put them on. So, Sam just grabbed his sneakers and headed out for the 30 minute drive to the wedding site with Banner, while I stayed behind to get myself dressed.

When I arrived at the wedding ceremony, that's when I started getting anxious for Banner. Would he be okay in front of all those people? Would he actually walk down the aisle by himself? Would he see us and remember where to go after his walk? But, first, it was time for the groom to walk down the aisle - along with his mother and father. And, while I was anxious for Banner, I was also in the moment with Michael and his parents. The moment they had probably thought about for years - possibly since Michael was a baby.

I've often thought about how I'll feel when my boys get married. Will I feel that I'm losing them? Will I be so excited to have a daughter-in-law? Will I remember my babies being babies and feel that time flew too quickly? Probably so. So, I couldn't stop thinking of how Aunt Debbi felt as she escorted her baby down the aisle. Obviously, I could only project how she was feeling, but I felt such an overwhelming feeling of sadness - yet in a happy way. Obviously, we all want our kids to be happy, and to see how happy Michael was to be marrying Bre was amazing. But, I just kept reflecting on how fast I bet that happened - perhaps feeling that it was "only yesterday" they were helping him learn to walk, and this day, they were walking him down the aisle. Tears flowed for a minute, as I thought of the beauty in that moment.

And, suddenly it was MY boy's turn. I could barely see him since I wasn't sitting on the aisle. I tried to record what I could, but so many heads were in my way. I think I could actually see more BECAUSE I recorded it - able to hold my phone up higher to see my boy. He basically walked as fast as he could with the slightest scowl on his face. His lips were puckered, his eyes were fixed on Michael at the end of the aisle. He was determined to get down that aisle as quickly and painlessly as he could. The guests were great, though, and even applauded after he rushed down the aisle; I think they could all tell he was less than thrilled to have everyone's eyes on him!

Banner did great the rest of the ceremony. He sat on my lap most of the time, and he played with a bit of Play Doh. The ceremony was beautiful, and so was the scenery! Soon, we were off to the reception - where we enjoyed mingling, playing, and waiting to see the bride and groom again! Later in the evening, when it was time for the mother/son dance, once again, I was brought back to imagining what it might be like to be in Aunt Debbi's shoes. You see, I have a very vivid memory of dancing with Banner in his nursery when he was 13-months-old. I can still see our reflection on his little framed butterfly footprint picture that helped decorate his first birthday party favor table. I remember thinking about how I wanted to remember that dance forever and how I knew it would feel like a blink of an eye when we'd be dancing at his wedding. So, there in front of me, were Aunt Debbi and Michael, and tears dripped from my eyes as I watched her embrace her grown son, swaying with him with a grin on her face, so full of love and happiness. I felt my heart pull, though, as my thoughts turned to Banner and wanting to embrace him in that moment.

We had an amazing weekend. I'm SO glad we were able to be there, to share in that great event, to celebrate Michael, Bre, and their families, and that Banner was able to be with us. I am quite proud of him and what a great job he did. I'm grateful for the memories we made that weekend and being able to reflect on what it feels like to be the mother of the ring bearer, and perhaps one day, the mother of the groom.

Congrats, Bre & Michael! We love you guys!

 

I think he may have developed a bit of a crush!

Brunch the day after the wedding

23-Month Newsletter: Quinn

Dear Quinn,
Happy 23 months, my big boy! What a month this has been for you! Talking up a storm, doing all kinds of fun stuff all over town, loving the water and practicing early swim skills, and getting some new teeth. I don't have a lot to report that's "new" this month simply because you are just continuing to advance in the skills you have been working on for the past couple months - just lots more talking and stringing words together! But, alas, here are a few things I can tell you about this past month:

-You have gotten a couple new teeth filling in those gums with little pointy canines on top and bottom.

-Your vocabulary continues to boom. Luckily, you've also kept those very polite words in the forefront of your word bank: "thank you," "please," "sorry," and this month: "you're welcome," and "bless you." My favorite expression now is: "dokie-dokie!"

-Speaking of language, certain words sound like you have a thick Texas accent, and we love to poke fun just a bit. (Sorry!) You say "iPayad," "dayown" (down), "ayout" (out), for example. It's really cute!

-You really enjoy your friends and ask often about: all your cousins by name (especially Levi), Luca, Levi, and Ella.

-You're obsessed with pudding, and you ask for ice cream whenever we ask what you want to eat. However, once offered, you rarely eat the ice cream. Very confusing. But, pudding... you devour it.

-We moved to letting you cry-it-out at bedtime this month. We normally have rocked you to sleep or waited for you to fall asleep while still in your bedroom. If we left prior to you falling asleep, you would cry. If we stayed, you were too distracted to ever fall asleep. It just wasn't working. SO, we had had enough! Luckily, it only took 3 nights for you to get the message, and you have been going to sleep with ease since then. The first night, you cried for an hour. The second night, it was 20 minutes. The third night, 5! Now, no tears. So proud of you - and Mommy and Daddy, too! :)

-You've had a cough and cold the past 2 weeks or so. You're finally on the upswing from that. Most likely, you caught it from one of the many places we've gone to this summer for our "Camp Mommy" activities.

-Just this afternoon, I went through your dresser and pulled most everything out: all the left-over 12-18 month clothes, most 18 month sizes, and quite a few 18-24 month clothes. Then, I refilled your drawers with the rest of what still fits you - mostly 18-24 months & 24 months. And, then, I sorted through all the 2T clothes. We are ready for this year with lots of summer/fall school clothes and are stocked up on winter clothes, too, thanks to Banner's old 2Ts. It's just hard to believe all those 2T clothes are now yours and ready for you to play in, learn in, and get messy in! 

Quinn Redding, the next month will be a challenge for all of us. Before you turn 2, you will start a new school (one that you are not familiar with at all, unfortunately), and Mommy will be going back to work. We will experience new starts and changes as we figure out our new routine. But, I have no doubt you will be just fine - eventually. We will continue our My Gym class together, which I'm excited about. And, we'll still have one full day together each week. But, we will be missing each other pretty soon. I'm hoping we can rip the figurative Band-Aid off pretty quickly and fall into a new routine and a new normal. But, I can't help being a little sad and nostalgic for all of our one-on-one time together. My baby is growing up - ready for "school," and to be away from me (and Grandma) for more significant chunks of time. I'm so grateful for the special time we've had these past 2 years and this summer, especially.

I love you, my one-year-old. Next post, you'll be TWO! I'm gonna soak up this next month before that happens.
Happy 23, My Love!
Love,
Mommy

Camp Mommy: Weeks 5-7

Moving right along from these past weeks to 2 more weeks of fun! Our 5th week started off with a very fun first visit for both Quinn and me to a rec center pool. Levi, Luca, and Quinn had a great time playing in the water, and I loved that the kiddie areas were perfect for them so parents can simply watch and spot as needed. We will definitely go back again. I also think Banner would love it there. The fun continued with a play date with all the cousins at Grandma's house the next day, more My Gym on Wednesday, and library story time on Thursday. Banner and I ended our week with a road trip to GFC with Mara and Caden. We spent the night in a hotel after a night of catching up with friends, dinner, Shabbat, singing, playing, and fireworks. The following morning, we did more exploring at camp and really enjoyed our time with Caden & Mara. In the meantime, Quinn was having a blast at home with Daddy, who made sure to wear Quinn out the minute he got up Saturday morning: car wash, errands, walking around the pond at Daddy's office, a visit to Grandma, My Gym, etc.

Caden & Banner at Greene

Week 6 was busy as well! We started the week at the Perot museum, exploring and playing with Grandma, Amanda, Aunt Kira, Levi, and Luca. Quinn loved the sand, the water, and playing with the "groceries," especially sorting them and putting them in and out of the bins and grocery bags. We overstayed and had to rush to Aunt Kira's house for lunch to be home in time for nap, but that was a lot of fun eating at her house. On Tuesday, we went to the splash park after another story time at the library.  On Wednesday, another My Gym class, and on Thursday, a visit to the Children's Aquarium. By Friday, we were worn out... but Daddy came home early from work, and we went to Grandma's for swimming before dinner. The boys have been doing a lot of that lately - swimming at Grandma's house with Daddy.... I'm not sure who likes it best: Quinn loves learning to splash and play in the water, Banner is becoming quite the little fish jumping in and swimming and going under to get the rings, Daddy says he just loves the time with the boys and watching them get so good at swimming, and I... well, I like that I get a break! We will truly miss these summer days!

Week 7 began with a visit to The Coop, a place we'd never been before. The kids seemed to enjoy it - the slides, the balls, the dance floor, the toys and ride-ons. Later in the week, we went to the Fire Department for a tour, and on Friday, we went to an open gym for a fun preschool play group with Grandma and Levi.

Only one more Camp Mommy post before it's back to work and back to school! How is that even possible!?!?

22-Month Newsletter: Quinn

Dear Quinn,
So very close to TWO, and you are more and more independent, verbal, and adventurous. Just this week, you discovered how to get yourself into your high chair by yourself - scaling it and the chair next to it to carefully maneuver your body. You are putting more words together, and you are very intelligible. In fact, yesterday at My Gym, you asked the teacher for help all on your own, and her response was, "Thank you for using your words so nicely!" Your receptive and expressive language skills definitely help keep tantrums at bay when you need or want something. We can talk it out and talk it through, and I love that we communicate so well together.

So, what else have you been up to this month?

-We went to San Antonio this month - to Sea World and to the Alamo. We visited Uncle Trey's store, too. We celebrated Banner's birthday, my birthday, Father's Day, July 4th, and you got to see your first fireworks show. We've been busy with Camp Mommy activities nearly everyday, so when we drop Banner off at camp, you start listing the people we may potentially see: Ella? Luca? Levi? Kira? Amanda? Randi? Grandma? And, most days you ask to go to camp with Banner: "Camp. Me!"

-Any time I ask you what you want for snack or lunch, you respond with: "ice cream." This cracks me up a bit, because it catches me off-guard nearly every time. I don't know why since it's the same answer all the time -but it just occurred to me the other day that you always say this.

-You and Banner are really into little Legos. It's hard for both of you to share, but you are also both getting good at negotiating trades with each other. He knows he has to give you something in return for taking a Lego (or other toy) away from you.

-You love noodles/pasta, yogurt, cheese, pudding, ice cream, strawberries, frozen blueberries, chocolate, watermelon, and pizza (if it's not cut up!).

-You are still in love with Elmo & Abby.

-You are in the midst of cutting your upper right canine, bringing your teeth count to 13. You're still behind in that area, but you're slowly catching up.

-You enjoy watching Nemo, Shrek, Joseph, and The Letter Factory. Your favorite songs to request are "We Will" (Rock You), and "Lego" ("Everything is Awesome," the song from the Lego movie).

-You ask to go potty, but you rarely do when sitting on the toilet. You have peed a handful of times, but usually only right before bath.

-You've had a rough patch of getting to sleep this month. I really think you need a later bedtime, but that's difficult when Banner needs to go to sleep (since he doesn't nap like you do). It's a work in progress, and you may end up getting a later bedtime than him pretty soon if this continues. You just take a very long time to fall asleep at night.

-You know your colors: green, blue, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple. We're working on white, black, and brown.

-You learned to tell "knock-knock" jokes from Ella, and you think you're hysterical. Your joke goes like this: Knock-knock... who's there?.... Daddy!.... Daddy who?.... DADDY! and then you proceed to laugh incessantly like you told the funniest joke ever. Then everyone laughs because your laugh is too adorable. And, then you tell the same joke again.

-You are the most well-mannered little guy (mostly). You say "Thank you," and "Please" without needing to be told. You also say "Sorry" now. Last week, you dropped your blueberries out of your bowl, and when I went to come help you clean them up, you said, "Sowwy." You seriously don't have a mean bone in your body, and you are usually so willing to share, help, clean, hug, and cuddle. Sharing isn't always easy, but in general, you will have your turn and then be willing to give the toy to the next person.

Quinn, I'm savoring these next couple months before you turn 2. My baby is getting too big too fast, and so much is about to change for you. You're starting school at the end of next month, and Mommy is going back to work part-time. And, although I worried about you for many months when making those decisions, you are more than ready to be in a "school" program. Some of my most favorite times with you in the past few weeks have been at My Gym classes or at story time at the library, where you follow along so well - and independently. Seeing you do well on your own and seeing you be so successful makes my heart sing, and to see your satisfaction and your confidence grow is so special. I love watching you glow and feel so proud of yourself. You are one very amazing little boy.

I love you, Quinn Redding!
Happy 22 Months, My Love.
Love,
Mommy

Camp Mommy: Weeks 3-4

Our fun summer continues on! Camp Mommy started the first week of June, and it was awesome! Since then, Quinn and I have done some really fun stuff while Banner was in camp (and of course some fun stuff when Banner could join). Here's a little peek into our last couple of weeks:

We kicked off week 3 with a visit to the Heritage Farmstead. Quinn loved the animals, and they were just waking up when we got there - full of noises and ready to eat! The next day, we attended another My Gym class - where Quinn is just having a ball! It's become my favorite day of the week, and I'm so glad we signed up (and took advantage of their teacher appreciation special a couple months ago)! Later that day, we had a sprinkler play date at our house. Thursday, we went to Jump Mania with friends and then ate lunch at our house with Ella. On Friday (my birthday), we started the day with some donuts, then went to the car wash where we celebrated some more! Banner wasn't feeling great, so we went to hang out at Grandma's instead of the movie we had planned on.

Week 4 was slow because we all had a stomach bug over the weekend, so we laid low on Monday. Tuesday, we went to story time at the library with Ella, then we went to CooCoo's, which was kind of a dud for this age group. But, Quinn LOVED the train rides he went on over and over again. Wednesday, we went to My Gym again... such a blast! Then, after we picked up Banner from his long day of camp, we met Ella & Randi for fro-yo! Thursday, we played at Central Market. Friday, we hung at home in preparation for July 4th fun! The boys spent the night at Grandma & Papa's house, and the following morning we went to Gretchen & Avi's house for a fun pool party. That evening, we went to Zaide & BeeBee's and then to Aunt Jacque & Uncle Freddy's house for dinner and fireworks. The boys did awesome and LOVED the fireworks. Happy Birthday, America!

Tummy bug blues

Snow Cones at Gretchen/Avi's on the 4th

Water balloon fight with Andre & Carter

Trying to negotiate his way into getting that balloon from Quinn

Negotiation complete

The Giffords

Marin

Quinn watching his first fireworks! Kept saying "more" and "again" afterward