C'mon Boy!

Yesterday I took Taylor to the mall to look at some winter coats for her. At the mall they have a play area that she loves to play at, which comes in handy for cold days. So of course when she saw it she wanted to play. I didn't go to the mall prepared because I forgot the stroller and trying to carry a 30lb child around through a mall by a play area is not easy. So I put her down and let her play. It was so funny because she met a little boy there, who I am guessing was about the same age as her. They kept copying eachother in what the other one would do. So Taylor would run around and then he would follow her and do what she would do and vice versa. Then if he wasn't right behind her she would yell out "C'mon Boy" It was so funny. Then when I asked her what his name was she looked at me like I was dumb and said "boy."

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch this past weekend and had so much fun. Taylor loved it and played all day there. She kept looking at all the pumpkins or "pumpkicks" as she calls them. She would try to either pick them up or climb on them. Then she would pick at the dirt on them and say "dirty mommy." When we got home we all painted a pumpkin and Taylor even painted one for her baby sibling. She thinks she got 2 pumpkicks though. Happy Fall!!!

Talking

Taylor is talking so much now. She is always saying something new and cute. I can't believe she is 20 months old! Before we know it, it will be her 2nd birthday. She discovered "Dora" the other day. So now she always wants to watch Elmo or Dora on TV. She is just growing up so fast! She now says "where is baby at" or whatever she is referring to at that time and then will pick it up and say "right here mommy." She also like pumpkins right now--being fall and everything. She pronounces it "pumpkick" though, so cute right!? She is saying new words every day and her mommy is just a little sad about how big she is getting ;)

Baby Kindler #2

Well we are expecting baby #2. I am about 10 weeks pregnant now and we are due in May. The actual date is May 15th but the Dr said it will be at least a week before that. We had a sonogram today and everything looks fine they said. The heart rate was 176. We are excited to give Taylor and sister or brother and it will be fun/interesting to see what she thinks of the baby when it gets here.

I recently joined a group at our church called MOPS. It stands for mothers of preschoolers. It is a group that meets every other week for a few hours and we have guest speakers or do crafts, talk about our kids and husbands in positive ways, pray, and just learn how to be better wives and mothers. It has been a great experience for me and I look forward to it each time. Today we had a speaker from Parents as Teachers come. Our MOPS leaders and the speaker focused on how to be better moms and how and what to teach our kids, etc.

It is so bittersweet for me at this time with Taylor. I love to watch her learn and grow and see her develop into a little person, but at the same time my first little baby is gone. I will never forget the way I felt when I held her for the first time, or when she first said mommy, or when she gave me a kiss for the first time. Now she is doing different exciting stuff which touch me just as much, but somehow it is different. She still needs her mommy but it is in a different way. She has her own opinions now and ideas--which are different every day.

Today at MOPS they focused on how as moms we need to keep our childs "love tank" filled. So when we are busy in our day and household chores, etc and our kids are always at our feet or needing our attention to take the time and focus on them. They are at our feet because they need our attention in a special way. I have experienced this with Taylor and I do try to stop and see what I can do to help her, but maybe not always the way I should. They also said to be their biggest fan and cheerleader no matter what. If they are involved in a sport or something and are the worst player on the team to always keep cheering them on so they have the confidence to keep trying and will always know how much you as a mom support them. They said several different things today but a few that stuck out in my mind is to just take the time to make them feel special and loved no matter what you might have going on at the time.

Our MOPS group this semester focuses on the different "hats" we wear as moms such as nurse, teacher, chef, maid, taxi driver, policeman, etc. It is so true how many things you can do as a mom. I can complain about some things sometimes that go along with these "hats" but really I enjoy them, I enjoy being a mother and love every day I have with Taylor. They said a quote that I think is so true too. "These days are long but the years are short." How important is that to remember. I just wanted to share with all the other moms that might read this because I was touched today at the things they told us and it made me think just how much I do love being a mommy, no matter what "hat" I have that day. :)