On The Go Go Go!!!

My little Sophinator has been on the go lately. Now that she has mastered the art of walking (and running) nothing stops her. Play dates, birthday parties...this kid schedule is full...she has more of a social life than her mom and dad.

She cracks me up with her silly little faces. Sophie is the ultimate comedian.

Soph is such a little goofball! She loves the swing.

 

Soph rides in her cousins corvette

I told Tom..."Oh boy, you know what this means now...

she's gonna want one in hot pink."

Enjoying a little wagon ride with her buddy Lance

Happy Mother's Day

This is my second Mother's Day as an official mom. Motherhood has meant so many things to me; it has meant maturity, responsibility, bliss, fear, anticipation, unconditional love, anxiety, pure happiness and the list goes on and on and on. When I was in my late teens, early twenties, I really could not see myself as a mom or at least it wasn't foremost in my mind. I liked kids but, at that time, I could honestly say that I didn't want any (a blessing to my parents) but I always knew that down the line, I would.

It was until Tom and I began dating and got married that I really had a desire to have a child. I knew I was with the person that I wanted to spend my life with and share the responsibility and joy of raising a child. I had previous boyfriends that, in my own immaturity, I thought were "the ones" that I wanted to marry and have kids with but let me just say "thank God for divine intervention." Raising kids is probably "the" most important job there is and it's not one to take lightly. I would never recommend it to someone who was not strong of heart because it can be a thankless job and you have to really want it.

Sophia was dearly wanted yet unexpected. She came during a very tumultuous time in my life, but again, divine intervention was definitely at play. I have grown in so many ways since this little being has blessed my life. I can sincerely say that I didn't truly know love until I knew Sophia...she is my day and night and all in between. I love her as I could love nothing else. Of course, I love my husband and my family and friends, but a mothers love for a child is altogether different. I could never understand my parents and why they put up with so much crap from me and my siblings...well now I know.

I don't want to belittle what great things and great human beings fathers are, but mothers have a special gift...they have the gift of opening their souls and releasing life into the world. The bonds between mothers and their children are different for just that reason because the mother is the bearer of life. Now, we know that that life could not be without the father but the mother has to nurture that life from its conception and she is the one that feels and experiences every initial movement of growth. How lucky are we?!?! Also, I want to emphasize that when I say "mother" or "father" I am referring to those individuals who not only create the life but who are a strong and positive presence in those lives throughout. Anyone can create life...what you do next matters just as much. Oh, and don't let me forget kudos to those mom and dads out there who didn't create the life, for whatever unfortunate reason, but who choose to adopt and raise that life as if it were truly their own.

Anyway, since I have become a mom, my life has completely changed, for the better. It has not always been easy and there have been many a night that I've cried myself to sleep wondering if I'm doing right by my little one, but when I wake up in the morning and see her smiling at me, I know it's all worth it.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in my life and to all mothers everywhere.

Welcome Home Rosie

Ok, call us crazy but Tom and I decided to adopt another dog. Yes! we are a bit insane but our new addition, Rosie, has now made us a family of 6 including our dog Sammy and cat Charleez which we lovingly refer to as Meow Meow. Rosie is a lab/staff mix and she has a very sweet and fairly calm demeanor unlike the previous dog we looked at that bounced on Sammy's head like a cartoon character at the doggy meet and greet. Needless to say, Sammy was none-to-happy about that one, so we had to go with MY first choice. I can just hear the family members now saying "you did WHAT!?!" Of course we are still wrapping our heads around raising our daughter, Sophie, who is now at the sweet age of 15 months with the terrible 2's approaching FAST!!!. I think they should refer to it as the terrible 1-5's...6 being the golden age of less terribleness...I'm totally fooling myself, right?

We just recently got through Sammy's transition into independence. He, too, was adopted as a pup and although he also had a mild demeanor (not a barker or a biter) we did have somewhat of a difficult time potty training Sammy. We eventually had to crate train him, which is how we should have started but it all turned out for the best because Sammy has full reign of the house now. As I was signing the adoption papers for Rosie, I could not help but ask my self, silently, "ok, why do I want to go through this again and with a new baby on top of it?...oh yeah, that's right...because I'm insane." We couldn't help ourselves with Rosie, though, she was brought into the shelter's veterinarian after being hit by a bus and her owners never returned to claim her. Well, their loss our gain.

And the research begins again, this time on how to introduce your new pup to your old pup and your baby and your home and your garden and......well you get the point. We found some good training advice from this article called Guide to Introducing Your New Dog Into Your Current Dog Family; a sure reader for anyone whose nervous about the introduction of new pets into the family and needs a little preparatory advice.

Well, all we can do is take this one day at a time but I'm so happy we got our Rosie; I just hope she will be happy in her new home.

The Baby Eating Blues

So, Sophia is now 15 months and it's a joy to watch her grow. She's doing new stuff every day and Tom and I find ourselves looking at each other and saying "where did she learn that?" She is starting to pick up on words and the babble conversations that she has with us and with herself, leave you with a sore jaws from smiling so much. However, their have been some other parts of her growth that haven't been so pleasurable such as the tantrums and difficulty getting her to eat. Tom and I find ourselves pulling our hair out trying to figure out what to do to get Sophie to eat and believe me Tom cannot afford to lose anymore hair. I think Sophie's pickiness and downright stubbornness when it comes to eating is probably more disturbing for Tom than it is for me. I understand that children are going to go through phases throughout their development, so after having a little talk with Sophie's doctor and him reassuring us that this is a natural occurrence, I started feeling less worried. Tom, on the other hand, is really starting to stress over this whole eating thing or should I say not eating thing. All I can do is to continue to stress for him that this is just a phase and that we just need to be more creative in getting her to eat but he worries so much.

For Sophia, I think it's a combination of her just being picky about what she wants to eat but also the fact that she's teething. For anyone who has ever had mouth pain, you know how difficult it was to eat when you know that every chew will be accompanied by excruciating pain. So, at this point Tom and I know that we cannot force Sophia to eat and we are actively searching for creative ideas on how to get her to eat during this development period. I've found some interesting ideas on the Internet, some of which came from this website, http://www.thesneakychef.com/. There are some really good ideas here about how to sneak-in nutrition into the yummy foods that your children like to eat.

So far, Sophie's doctor and every article, blog and book I've read regarding this issue have been pretty consistent. Each one says this is just a phase that almost every child Sophie's age or around her age experience. So, I guess this is just one ride that the hubby and I are going to have sit and ride out. I don't know who will give me more grey hairs...the hubby or the baby...we'll see.

Here are some other links to interesting articles dealing with our picky little eaters and ways to help reduce the parents suffering.

• Picky, Picky, When Your Toddler Won't Eat
• Why Won't My Toddler Eat
• My Toddler Won't Eat Anything! Coping with Picky Eaters and Fussy Kids 

Bring On The National Guard!!!

So I'm sitting at my desk at work and I hear one of my co-workers say that "they" are sending the National Guard to Chicago? "Wait a minute...I live in Chicago!" I started to worry and think the unthinkable before I caught my breath and thought that if something significant had happened, I'm sure my husband would be blowing up my phone right now. Nonetheless, I quickly jumped on the Internet, feverishly searching for some explanation to my co-workers outburst and what I found, sadly did not surprise me. The headline read, "Two State Politicians Issue A Request For Military Intervention". Two democratic politicians from Illinois were proposing that the National Guard, America's military reserve, be used to assist police in stabilizing Chicago's most crime ridden neighborhoods.

So far, in this year alone (2010) as of April, Chicago has experienced 113 murders. So, I never thought that I would say this but my first response to this idea of military action was "Hell Yes!" We have innocent babies dying in our streets senselessly and over what?!?...drugs, some gang banger's idiotic need for retribution or control over what they perceive as their "turf" or something even more ludicrous? I understand that murders occur everyday around our City but there seems to be a large concentration of these crimes occurring in low income, urban areas. Every time I turn on the television or radio, I am disgusted by the stories of lives lost to senseless violence and the total disregard for human life. Maybe it's irresponsible of me to agree with the whole National Guard thing because it could lead to more death but at some point we have to realize that what we are currently doing to combat this problem, is not working.

I get it! I hear the stories of why this is happening...low income + ingrained poverty (or hopelessness) - less resources (or perception of less resources) - opportunity = increased gang and overall criminal activity. However, I've got to ask, how long can we use this equation? Both of my parents grew up in the 30's and 40's during the great depression and lived through the civil rights era. Poverty and inequality were rampant, yet during my parents time, those who suffered through this poverty and inequality still had a higher regard for human life and an overall respect for themselves and those around them. I'm not saying that crime did not exist during my parents lifetime because anyone who knows their history knows that is simply not true. What I am saying is that people had a greater regard for their children, their growth, education and general well being. Also, children were raised to respect their parents, their elders, their teachers and they were raised to believe in something even if they had nothing. In those days people  had a greater regard and pride for their belongings and their community and they suffered many, if not more, of the issues that the impoverished suffer through today with even less resources.Yet, today we have individuals who just don't care; they don't care about human life and they have no respect for themselves or for the other human beings living around them. Some don't take advantage of any of the resources afforded them (the resources that many of our leaders of today and those who came before us have fought so hard for) and seem to rather live in perpetual poverty, hopelessness and chaos.

I have respect for the law enforcers, the politicians and the concerned citizens who have worked diligently to make a difference and get control of this situation but, honestly, something more is needed. How many more people, young and old, have to die before we take a serious stand to stop the madness. The National Guard idea may seem extreme but let's not be fooled, this is a war that we are fighting. So, unless we want to keep sitting by and watching our children die, while we meet, talk, rally and meet, talk and rally again, maybe it's time to take a different approach. I say, "Bring on the National Guard!!!"