Sippy Time

This is Emma at 2 weeks old sleeping so peacefully

When Emma was about a year old she decided that a bottle was for babies and wanted a sippy cup. I wasn't ready to let go of holding her while feeding her a bottle (Emma never did hold her own bottle despite our many attempts to teach her how) so I invented "Sippy Time". Every time she wanted something to drink, I would say 'Oh Goody! Sippy Time!' and we would snuggle up and she would drink her cup.

When we moved back to Washington sippy time died. There was too much stuff for her to do now with a fenced back yard and a new puppy. Then one day a couple months later she came up to me and said Sippy Time Mommy. I had totally forgotten about it. Needless to say, I was very excited that she wanted to snuggle up with me and drink her water. Now the sippy cup is out of her life and we have moved on to "Big Girl Cups" but she still insists on having her sippy time. I'm so grateful that I can still have that one on one closeness with her. Some day she won't want to do that anymore (and let's face it, a five year old sitting on my lap drinking her juice while snuggling with mommy would look a little strange). It makes me kinda sad to think about her not wanting to be with me all the time (and at the same time I'm jumping up and down with excitement for her independence). Someday in the near future she will be asking for money, toys, clothes, to go play with her friends. I will no longer be the smartest person she knows (I believe the start of this is when they start school and then you get to hear "But my teacher says" and being a certified teacher, I love that but as a parent it's kinda annoying). It's amazing how slowly time passes when you are in the moment with your child but when you look back at pictures and watch videos it seems like time just flies by.

EVERYONE who has had a baby and now has a full grown adult has told me to enjoy every moment with your child because they will never go through this phase ever again. I've tried to stick to that which is really hard when the whole roll of toilet paper is now in the toilet and your little one's diaper is off which just happens to be soiled and there is dirt all over the kitchen floor and you don't know where to start cleaning. I can honsetly say that I don't regret not spending enough time with Emma for her first 21 months of life. I think I've made the most of it. I've learned to balance mommy and me time with her alone time and my alone time. I am just so happy to have such a sweet little girl who thinks I'm the greatest person in the world (daddy too) for right now.
Emma pointing out that Mommy needs to clean up the branches she just hacked off of the tree.