Wide Open Windows

I did some cleaning today.  Down and dirty cleaning, the kind that will probably cause sore muscles tomorrow.  I’ll be like, “Why do my arms hurt so much?”  And then I’ll remember I was down on my hands and knees scrubbing baseboards in the kitchen this afternoon after reaching high to clean insides and outsides of windows this morning.

Normally I try to do cleaning things when Abel is napping, but I was on a cleaning bender today and it cut into our hanging out time a bit this afternoon.

Thankfully he made up for it after Tata got home, filling a matter of like fifteen minutes with so much sweetness, my busy day of cleaning was erased and I was set at ease to enjoy the evening.

There was some cup gnawing while looking out windows open wide to let in the glorious freshness of a warm spring day…

And playing with bracelets before falling forward onto Tata’s face…

And chunky little baby feet…

And sweet little faces…

And finally, a few moments as the most sophisticated looking cutie on earth…

Oh man, he’s so good at making my day.

If Not for the Poop

When Abel and I went for a walk today, I thought about how much I can’t wait to have our own yard.  Sure there is grass around our condo building, but unfortunately some of the dog owners around here don’t pick up after their pups.

This isn’t a problem at Nana and Grampa’s though, where the yard wraps around the house and is a lovely place to sit on an unseasonably warm day in March.

Where Tata can help Abel fly and all can enjoy some beautiful fresh Vermont air.

Until we have this for ourselves, I’ll seek out the best opportunities I can for time outdoors with Abel here in NoVa.  Walks around the neighborhood are great and there are several playgrounds, though mulch underfoot is not quite the same as green grass.

We’ll make the most of the outdoors we’ve got though, because being outdoors is one of those things I wish I did more of… one of those things I will do more of, for my own sake and for the sake of a little boy who will surely enjoy playtime in the sunshine more than TV and videogames.

One can hope so anyways.

Little Scooter

The last couple days, Abel has become quite mobile.  He gets on his tummy and scoots backwards all over the place.  His blanket has become just the spot I set him down, a starting point for his adventures.

Today I had his blanket next to the dining room table, where I was sitting part of the day.  He kept scooting off the blanket and getting farther and farther away.  Eventually, I couldn’t even see him anymore.

Earlier in the day he had scooted over to the entertainment center and pulled out a book.  Guess it’s time to seriously start baby-proofing this place.

And maybe start working out to get my endurance up so I can keep up with the little fella!

Proper Spring

Karen, Abel, and I came back yesterday from a six day trip to Vermont.  We were there to throw a party for and celebrate our mom’s fiftieth birthday.  The party was a smash and it was a wonderful visit.

Though the last couple days were cold, cold, cold!  On Monday, the wind turned icy and when we left yesterday morning, the temperatures were below freezing.  Thankfully things gradually warmed up as we traveled south, and now we’re back in VA where proper spring has arrived.

There was thunder and rain today.  I took a picture while it was raining…

And then moments later, the sun shone and changed the hues ever so slightly to make things brighter.

Abel and I sat by the door to the balcony, windows open on either side, inhaling the sweet smell of rainy spring while the sun beamed the rain away.

It was pretty darn lovely.

28

Since it’s my birthday and I’ll cry if I want to… oh wait… since it’s my birthday, I’m going to do a special birthday post.  Don’t worry!  The weekly dose is not cancelled for the week, just rescheduled for tomorrow.  I hope you can all survive until then!

I was going to do a list of 28 things about me, as I’ve seen other bloggers do and thought was fun, but I got started and it was like a totally random, bulleted novel.  Meaning not fun, but too long and too much.

So instead I’m going to do a list of 28 things I'm thankful for today, both general every day things and things that filled up my twenty-eighth birthday with goodness.

1. Casey. 2. Abel. 3. Family. 4. Friends. 5. Fellowship. 6. A walk in the morning when it’s cooler instead of an afternoon walk where Abel and I are both sweating by the time we get home.

7. Lunch at Chipotle. 8. Daffodils. 9. Abel’s repertoire of sounds, most recently one similar to a whiny puppy. 10. Plans with my sister to see The Chieftans and go dancing afterwards tomorrow night.

11. Clouds rolling in, bringing with them a cool breeze and the promise of rain, promoting spring instead of the summer-like weather we’ve had this week.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the beautiful weather, but I don’t want spring skipped like winter basically was!

12. Getting Abel up from naps. 13. Kind, caring in-laws who send me beautiful flowers. 14. Abel’s laugh. 15. Open windows revitalizing our condo with fresh air. 16. Cuddling up in bed to read good books.

17. Watching Abel sleep.  18. How hard Casey works.  19. A clean kitchen. 20. Being on the same page with a friend, even though we don’t communicate nearly enough. 21. Completed meal plans. 22. A trip to Vermont coming up next week.

23. How Casey is with Abel. 24. Experiencing love of varying types, effects, and intensities every day. 25. How Abel smiles when I sing to him. 26. Pig cake on the menu for dessert tonight. 27. Motherhood.

28. Thinking about the future, but not depending on it for happiness.

And thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday.  I truly appreciate the thoughts and warm wishes.  It’s been a great day and there’s still a few hours until bedtime!