Officially 3, Officially a Mom

Yesterday Hannah turned 3. I remarked to Chris that I now "officially" feel like a Mom. I asked him when he officially felt like a Dad, and he said the day Hannah was born.

Now before you think I'm crazy (like he clearly did) and regret reading the lifestyle/parenting blog of someone who didn't "officially" think they were a parent, please hear me out.

What to Do with Kids Artwork

My favourite thing about Hannah in daycare is the huge smile I receive when I pick her up. Sometimes, she can't stop hugging me. Other days she'll sing "Mama" over and over again. On a few occasions, we've even cuddled in the car before she'll let me go up front to drive us home without tears.

I've also mentioned I like the little reports the daycare gives us, but a few weeks ago something amazing was waiting for me in her cubby (well, anything is amazing compared to what I usually get- soiled clothing). Alas, the truly amazing items? ARTWORK.

Mama I'm a Big Girl Now

OK. So Hannah can't actually say, "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now," but as I continually stress to Chris actions speak louder than words.

Last week Hannah turned 1. I have been fighting a nasty cough/cold since I returned to work and on her actual birthday I was so sick I had to stay home from work and only saw her for like an hour. I know she didn't realize it was her birthday, but I still felt a lot of Mom guilt. Especially when she wanted to cuddle and I kept leaving her to cough loud enough our neighbours could probably hear.

One of the things I really wanted to do is write a list of all the awesome things she can do at 12 months. She's mastered 7 words. She can eat bigger pieces of food, and bites things herself without us having to break it up for her (as proven when she devoured one of her customized Elmo birthday sugar cookies). She crawls to whatever she wants and is becoming a very independent little lady (although, the grunting and pointing thing is becoming a little old...).

My personal favourite skill that has been perfected over the last couple of months is the removal of her socks. As soon as we get home from daycare and I remove her outerwear, she pulls off her socks almost right away. It's my favourite, because shortly thereafter I do the same. (I hate socks...but I also hate feet. Go figure?)

I hope at some point, when I'm feeling better, and have work and this blog under control, that I can sit down and recall all the things she can do at age 1, and all the amazing things that came before that. Thankfully my Mom keeps very detailed photo albums (yes, plural, I think she's on number four) and our daycare gives us weekly report cards of all the things that fill her days. My goal is to finish her baby book that follows her first year before Chris' birthday in May...when Hannah will be 15 months old. Maybe I should change that to her 2nd birthday. Time is flying way faster than I could have ever imagined...

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