A Hop, Skip and a Jump Away: 3 Months

I can not believe it, but as of this morning you are three months old, Leif. You have been a part of our family for three whole months, and yet, it feels like you have always been here, or at least, always meant to be here. You are a perfect fit for Shenanigans Inc.!

This past month, you have become stronger, brighter, and more vocal. You can hold your head up like a pro and are beginning to even sit up a bit. You have found your toes, and you are trying desperately to reach out and touch your toys. You love your toys! You smile whenever someone talks to you, and let me tell you about that smile of yours: it lights up your entire face and makes the recipient of that smile feel like the most important person in the world. Unfortunately,with your mastery of the smile also came your mastery of the pout, and it is the saddest, most heartbreaking sight ever! Thankfully you tend to reserve this face for those you fear may take you from my arms because to be honest, I can not handle it. The thoughts of you being sad for even the briefest of moments hurts my heart. So, please keep smiling for your mama, Leif.

My favourite accomplishment of yours this month, though, is your laugh, but you make me work very hard for it. Luckily, I discovered your restraint is no match for my silly antics, and after only seconds of me trying to "eat you up", your giggles erupt. You remind me a lot of your father in this respect. You are very serious, very quiet, and for the most part very reserved, but as hard as you try, just like your father, you are no match for my foolishness.

This past month,you went for your first trip to Halifax to accompany your big sister to the IWK. Let's just say for a little boy who does not like the car, you did a great job!

Here you are at the beginning of our journey all optimistic and excited:

After two and half hours of driving, you began to reconsider the novelty of our adventure.

After approximately thirty-six hours of adventuring, ten and half of which were spent in the car, seven of which were spent in the hospital, three of which were spent shopping with your your mom, Aunt Hilary and Zoe, you were convinced that there is no place like home:

But, I must add that you did seem to enjoy your time at the hospital. You found Zoe's IV pole fascinating!

It was at this point that I realized that from here on out our visits to the IWK will be anything but relaxing because in four months time, when we are due to return, you will probably be crawling . . . . eeeeeeek!

Leif, I have said it a million times over these past three months and I am sure I will say it again: you have thrown my life into a tailspin, but I cannot imagine my life without you. At night as I go around the house turning off the lights and I pass by the mounds of laundry that either need to be folded or washed, the piles of dirty dishes on the counter, and the stacks of unmarked homeschool assignments on the bookshelf, I feel defeated. I get frustrated with myself for letting your siblings have too much screen time that day, for not writing a blog post about all the funny things they did or your latest development, and for once again choosing to sit and watch an episode of Friday Night Lights rather than showering or exercising . . . ugh! And since I am being honest, I have even once or twice asked myself: "what was I thinking starting over again?". But the minute I curl up in bed beside you, feel your warm little body nestle up to mine and hear your gentle breaths, I know with all my heart that this is what my life is meant to look like and that you are definitely meant to be a part of it.