Now Entering Parenthood...: Archive

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The sound only Charlie can make… There are no imitations.

May 31st

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Simon and Mommy go on a farm date… Summer begins

May 31st

“Train’s coming mommy! Better go faster!!”

– Every time I hear the Greenfield Village steam engine, 15 times a day, 5 days a week… I think of you Simon and where I’d rather be

May 30th

Old McDonald renditions… Herda Oink Derda...

May 29th

10 Things A Mother Loves

I had a fantastic Mother’s Day weekend that I will remember for quite a long time. Who doesn’t love an all day adventure with a toddler and a giant animated blue train engine? But I wanted to spend a few minutes today to talk about the every single day gifts… the things that keep me going as a mother on a daily basis through the poop accidents, morning meltdowns, and brotherly...

May 15th

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Swinging Charlie is best :)

May 10th

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‘All Done’ caught on camera… Babies always act different when you try and catch it but I swear Charlie is starting to sign

Apr 28th

“Mommy! Wanna go fly in blue sky”

– Simon, putting my aspirations to shame

Apr 26th

Still working to decipher this one

Apr 13th

Back seat ramblings… Simon tells me what...

Apr 13th

Intimacy + Breastfeeding

This post could also be called “Why I started bawling my eyes out tonight at the thought of inevitable weaning of Charlie”… I stopped breastfeeding Simon at around 8 months old. Charlie is now 9 months old, and when he was born I thought I’d give it my best shot to get all the way to 12 months. Slowly but surely as the months passed by, I’ve become comfortable with...

Apr 1st

Simon Mommy car talk, my favorite part of the day

Mar 26th

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From Baby Babbles To ABCs

There is nothing better than waking up to a little smiling baby face saying “muh muh mumma”. Those simple sounds coming out of a chubby face is enough to melt any momma’s heart. Only, this morning, Charlie then went to grab Tom’s hair and began to utter a simple “dada” while he did it. A happy acknowledgement of mommy and daddy… or was it? This is...

Mar 9th

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Singing styles of Simon Strickland

Mar 7th

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Muh muh muh mumma

Mar 7th

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Almost crawling up in here

Feb 24th

My Head @ 2 AM

I will teach my child to be more patient I will teach my child to be more empathetic I will be more patient and empathetic I will encourage my husband to be patient too I will stop being a backseat parent I will make my child healthier meals I will make my child eat those healthier meals I will not use bargaining or rewards I will make mealtime more calm and enjoyable I will spend more time with...

Feb 7th

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This Unconditional Kind of Love

Kids are a pain in the ass. Kids are the most amazing thing you can do in life. Sure, I haven’t saved a life or climbed Everest or given a year to humanitarian aid… But I still feel like at the end of all that I would come back feeling like having kids was the most meaningful thing I did in my life. For people without kids, I’m sure that sounds at best cliche and at worst...

Feb 4th

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Feb 4th

A Toddler's Guide To LA

I meant to put this up the minute we got back from visiting Uncle “On” and Aunt “Rocky” in California, but I got distracted. Without further ado, here are our tips and tricks for what the toddler-approved activities are in the greater LA area. GRIFFITH PARK With Lon and Roxy living right next door, we found ourselves at this LA iconic park multiple times. More...

Jan 6th

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The monster awakens. Little Charlie used to intently watch Simon play with toys… now he wants part of the action. He wants to feed himself, play with big brothers stuff and he gets very angry if you stand in his way. Watch out!!

Jan 1st

The Balance of Two

Lately I’ve been having an overwhelming feeling. I’ve been having it so much that it even has a name… it’s called “Charlie guilt”. I’ve slowly come to the realization that no matter how hard I try, Charlie will never have the undivided attention, the consistency, and the priority that Simon had his age. Charlie is destined to be a different kid...

Dec 8th

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Interview with Daddy: Two Growing Boys

Alright, so first things first… Last time Charlie was only one month and you called him a little alien without much of a personality. How would you describe Charlie now? He’s a snuggly smiley little munchkin. I love him. He’s so chill. And definitely a chubby ball of fun. Definitely chubbier than Simon was at this age. What’s your favorite thing about Charlie at 4...

Nov 8th

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Missing My Sweet Charlie

I’m in love… I’m just smitten with a handsome little man named “Charlie”. I don’t even know how to describe it, other than it feeling like complete infatuation. I’m trying not to feel guilty over the other “loves” in my life. Maybe it is because I returned to work this week and maybe it is because Simon has been a complete wreck (exhausted,...

Sep 15th

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The Secret Language of Simon

I decided to keep track of the things I heard Simon say through out the summer. Right before I had Charlie, I realized that the list of words that Simon used or I had once heard him say (two very different things) was getting a bit long to just keep in memory, plus he was picking up new words at a rapid pace. (click to view full list) By the end of the summer, I have assembled quite a lengthy...

Sep 2nd

A Toddler's Guide to Oakland County

The Players: Mommy vs Toddler The Challenge: Keep toddler occupied, while keeping mommy sane With the support of playdates, a spouse, parents, friends and a local line-up of incredible toddler friendly venues… I am happy to say I not only survived my summer maternity leave with both a newborn and a toddler, but it was possibly the best summer of my life. I feel like I know so much more...

Aug 31st

The Charlie Nobody Sees

He is the one that smiles and chats with me during the day… I love this Charlie, and I’m afraid that not many people are going to get to see him for a while. Daddy is only familiar with angry Charlie and sleeping Charlie (although not as much as we would like). The Only Thing That’s True Is… Every Child Is Different It’s the overriding consensus we’ve been...

Aug 3rd

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Today I caught Charlie smiling on camera… and believe me, he does more than this, big minute long grins… it’s his little known secret.

Aug 3rd

Charlie speaks…

Aug 3rd

Interview with 'Daddy' (Charlie @ One Month)

So, one of the thing about having two kids, including a newborn, is that it doesn’t leave you much time (or energy or creativity) to blog. If you are on maternity leave, then maybe you can find a hour somewhere, but if you are working, then no way. I really wanted to get Tom’s thoughts on here, so I decided to interview him. Charlie, the one month old, how would you describe him? ...

Jul 25th

18 Months + 2 Weeks = Lots of Work

And so the summer begins, two kids and tons of trouble… Charlie @ Two Weeks: How Quickly We Forgot Right now Charlie is a big ball of mystery. We aren’t sure who he looks like or who he will look like, seeing as though Simon didn’t look like “Simon” at two weeks old. We can’t even agree whether or not we have a red head or a blond, whether his eyes are...

Jul 11th

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Big Brother Meet Little Brother

In the wee hours of June 23rd, while Simon was sleeping, his little brother Charlie was prepping to be born. We left the house shortly after Simon woke up, only able to say hello in passing and Charlie was born at the hospital before Simon was even down for his morning nap. Over the course of breakfast, Simon went from only child to official “big brother”. First Encounters Luckily...

Jun 27th

Welcome To The World, Charlie...

He’s here!! Weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs 9 oz, Charles Martin Strickland arrived to the outside world on Thursday, June 23rd at 9:42 AM. For those not interested in birth stories, skip this post and read the next one… it’s cuter, has pictures, and does not contain the word “vagina”. The Birth Story of Baby Charlie I don’t get to begin this story...

Jun 27th

17 Month Old Toddler vs Mr. Any Day Now

It’s hard being the parent of a toddler AND being this pregnant. I’m just going to come right out and say it. But, it certainly is going to be infinitely harder to be the parent of a toddler and the parent of a newborn, so I try and appreciate my situation… try and not be annoyed that Simon is getting faster and livelier as I am getting slower and sluggish. This logic is...

Jun 2nd

May 25th

Fourteen Months... Countdown to Big Brother Time

It’s been a couple months since I posted last. Running around chasing after a busy busy toddler can be pretty exhausting!! Simon is certainly not the baby that he was half a year ago. He is a definitely little boy. Figuring Out How To Communicate Simon seems to be adding new words to his vocabulary on a weekly basis. It’s still very basic at best, but in the past couple weeks he...

Mar 7th

Simon Giles Strickland: A One Year Retrospective

On January 8th, 2010… our lives changed forever, for the better, and a new part of our family entered this world. This post is not meant to be a mushy parent lovefest, but just a simple look back on what we’ve learned along the way and the little man that helped us learn how to be parents. But first… SNAPSHOT OF A 1 YEAR OLD JAN 8, 2010: 7 lbs 8 ounces, 20 inches, 0 teeth...

Jan 11th

Life Is Better Walking On Two Legs

At 11 months old, Simon has become quite a lot of fun for Marta and I. While he’s always been a pretty happy baby, he’s finally begun to actually “play games” with us. Silly, pointless games of course, but that’s what it’s all about when you are a baby. Marta discovered that Simon loves getting lightly bopped on the head by various objects. This activity can go...

Dec 11th

Big Steps & Big News At Ten Months

It feels like the months are going by faster, and we are quickly on our way to one year old. Simon grows more fun everyday. He has favorite games, like chasing mom and dad around the table while knocking down blocks. He is extremely giggly, and is becoming more and more strong willed and curious about the world around him. On The Verge… Watch Out!! I really tried to capture it, but the...

Nov 12th

Nine Months and Nineteen Pounds of Trouble

Everyday we are closer to one year old, and everyday I am losing my little baby to the independent toddler who roams my house looking for cabinets to open and things to climb. Only cuddly when he wants to be, Simon has become a little man with a mission to find new and yet undiscovered things to slobber on or to hurt himself with. At potentially the most squirmy and restless point in Simon’s...

Oct 11th

Becoming Our Little Toddler At Eight Months Old

Back when I first got my baby book, I was excited to enter in dates and stories all about Simon’s “firsts”. Little did I realize how unclear something as simple as his “first word” or the first time he ever crawled would be. Everything is a matter of opinion… childhood is not in spits and spurts, but a constant gradual (or sometimes not so gradual) process. ...

Sep 14th

Loving Life At Seven Months Old

Simon turned seven months old today. Hard to believe it’s gone by this fast, but with every new accomplishment, I find myself excited for the next. I love this little boy!! Daytime and Nighttime Delight Every new month is my favorite month. Everything Simon does is making him more and more fun… sure, his ability to move more and grab more (including Papa’s mustache) can...

Aug 9th

Sitting, Sleeping, Smiling at Six Months Old

Simon is getting very used to his media savvy folks… to the point where he stares at the camera more than our faces and saves his big milestone moments for the few days right before I write my monthly post. It kinda overshadows everything else that happened that month, but so it goes… What did Simon do exactly in the past 3 days? 1. Sleep Through The Night For some parents it...

Jul 12th

Time Flies Fast, Five Months Old

Can it really be five months? Time is speeding by and the months are blending together. Some things are slow going, like Simon actual moving backwards on his sleeping habits this month. Other things are fast acting, like Simon becoming a grabber and a roller for better or worse, increasingly curious and active in the world around him. So what else is up with our little guy this month… ...

Jun 9th

First Mother's Day, Four Months Old

So, can I finally just say it? I love being a mom. I’ve had a couple people mention recently that it “looks like you and Tom are having fun” or that motherhood suits me. I don’t know what it is, but yeah… I really am having fun. I mean, sure, I am exhausted perpetually, I can’t get out to see a new movie, and I don’t really remember the last time I had a...

May 10th

So Many Firsts, So Little Time

Simon is getting unbelievably adorable. In the past two weeks he has gone from mildly smiley, to smiles and giggles and loads of fun… especially in the amazingly warm Michigan April weather. We have passed the three month mark and he is a delight to come home to everyday. I was going to wait until the 4 month mark to do my next update, but over the weekend, we had a couple of awesome...

Apr 19th

Parenthood Update: Almost Three Months

It’s hard to believe we are almost arriving at month #3 of our life with Simon. Everything people say is true. The first two months are rough, and then the real reward sets in. Much to my parents surprise, I am already ready to bring another life into this world again. I’m going to wait until the end of the year… but Tom and I already find ourselves excitedly talking about the...

Apr 5th

Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program...

And so it begins… the return to work and the start of the rest of our lives with our little Simon. I have felt in a state of limbo the past few months, knowing that my leave was only temporary, trying to enjoy it as much as I could but never being able to quite “settle down” into a daily routine. And I Thought I Was Sleep Deprived Before!! Simon was actually better in his...

Mar 17th

Parenthood Update: Two Months Old!!

Simon is two months old now, and steadily gaining weight, as many of our recent photos will show. He’s got “chub” on parts of his body that I would never expect. Wrist chub? Ankle chub? I keep reminding myself that baby fat is completely normal, I just hope he doesn’t get TOO fat! This past week has been huge for us, because Simon has finally started doing something...

Mar 12th

Simon begins a talkative streak this week....

Mar 4th