Dear Sophia, 6 months

Sophia,

I love you.
I don't really know who you are yet. You have been here for only six months, but oh how I love you.
You are beautiful.
You are laid back.
You enjoy spending time on your own.
You have the weirdest way of getting around, but I love it. Maybe it means you'll be creative. Even if you don't end up being creative, I'll still love it.
You are my daughter.
I love that you play with my hair.
That you always reach for any piece of jewelry I have on.
I don't want to say you're going to be a girly-girl, because really it doesn't matter.
Being a mom of a daughter is so special.
You make me more feminine. I don't really know how, or why, but you do.
I was taking off a necklace your father gave me when I thought that I would pass this down to you. It's not really what most would consider an heirloom quality necklace. I don't think I will ever own anything like that. But your dad loves me, I love him, & I would love to give that to you. I am so thankful I have you to give that to.
I look forward to all the ways that I will get to teach you (about love, God, the world, yourself).
I look forward to all the ways that I can encourage and support you.
I'm sure there will be bumps in the road (most notably in the teen years, right?), but I look forward to us.
I look forward to YOU.

I will try to always cherish the moment you are in. Live in the present. But my golly, sometimes I look onto your face & my heart does this thing & I am filled with love. Thank you for bringing that to me.

Love You,
Mom

The Splinter

I have a secret... splinters scare me. Not getting them, but getting them out. I've never been able to get splinters out. I think maybe once I got my own splinter out, maybe. Corey has come to me numerous times to get a splinter out, but he always has to do it. I actually get nervous when someone asks me to help them with their splinter, because I know I can't do it! Ha! (is the perfectionist in me coming out?). While this isn't something most people think about ever, I have to admit to on occasion wondering what the heck am I going to do when my kids get a splinter?! In my eyes getting the splinters out is totally a mom-job, filed under article 3 section 4: To fix "owies" and make everything better. Right? But I can't, I'll fail. Worse, I'll push it in further & make it really hard for Corey to get it out & make the child cry more!

This morning, it happened! Will was washing his hands & points to a splinter in his palm. No lie, a little panic goes off in me. If I'm honest with you & myself, I saw this yesterday, but I guess I was hoping that 1a) it was just a scab, or b) that is would go away on its own. Does that make me a bad mom?

Well, today it hit me in the face with my little expectant boy looking to me for help! I rubbed it with my nail hopping to figure out how to approach this sucker. I couldn't feel the opening at all **panic**. I gulp, I bust out the tweezers, praying that I don't make him cry, telling myself "you can do this". I feel the opening, I prod a little, I push a little, a little wiggle here, a little wiggle there & VOILA half of it is out! a little relief, a little confidence. A little more prodding & a little more pushing, mixed in with some poking (no crying on either of our parts).And VOILA! It's completely out!!
What?!
I did it?
I did it!
Will looks at me, points to the hole in his skin, smiles, & says "dank ooo". SMILES! Says "dank ooo"!

I AM his mommy! I did my job! I am the splinter killer! Victory! Mommy 1, Splinter 0!

He skips away happily, oblivious to our victory. I do a little happy dance (inside of course) knowing that I can do all of my job as a mommy, even the mundane tasks of splinter-get-er-out-er. I will be there for my little injury prone boy. Love it!