Most Improved Mama

Now I don't really know about the title Most Improved Mama - or who exactly I'd be compared to in order to earn said title - but lately, I'm noticing small areas of improvement in my Mama-ing skills.

Mark tries to tell me I was "born to do this" and that I'm a "natural." Ha. I'm naturally flawed and born to screw something up every single day... it's so much harder than I thought it would be. To know what to do, to wonder how to handle discipline of a child who cannot even speak yet, to get to the point of frustration where I just want to scream, to feel so small and insignificant in my little world of Stay-At-Home...

And yet, I see myself making progress.

The days when Mark is out of town are always hard. Normally - I look very forward to 4:30ish when he comes home - the parenting load can be split into two pieces. On the Daddy-Travel-Days... no such thing. By bedtime - both Hazel and I are in need of a break from each other. But it used to be so much harder. Maybe I'm more relaxed, maybe I'm better at finding little joys, maybe Hazel is more interactive and playful and that makes things easier... I'm sure it's some combo of these things.

But I do like that although we both miss Daddy VERY MUCH while he is gone... I do not dread the days I am alone with BabyNut.

Makes me feel like a Most Improved Mama.

Also gives me an inkling that I just *might* be able to handle being Mama of Two Under Two. (and since there's no turning back, that's a good thing!)

To close - some pictures of my precious, funny baby daughter - who will join the ranks of Those Who Have Turned ONE on Sunday. Behold:

The First Pigtails!









Smiley Faces










Happy Little SuperScooter!