So sorry for the severe lack of updates lately—life has been
pretty fantastically busy as we try to keep up with our not-so-little
one. You know how everyone always tells
you that your baby will turn in to a toddler overnight? Well, everyone is
definitely NOT lying to you. No matter how hard you try to hold on to those
last few fleeting moments of being the proud parent of an infant—it’s truly over
before you know it. As we speed all too quickly towards Lacey’s last week as an
official “baby,” I can safely say that our little girl is truly growing up
before our eyes. Gone is the teensy-weensy baby who needed us for everything—from feeding her, to carrying
her, to keeping her occupied 24/7—and she has been replaced with an energetic, defiant,
sweet as can be, near-toddler who is truly enjoying exploring the world around
her. And even though I find myself missing those early moments of non-stop
cuddles with my newborn, I can honestly say that Lacey has entered my favorite
stage of her childhood so far. As exhausting as it may be, I love watching her
as she is introduced to all of life’s beauty.
Sure, picking up her sippy cup for the one millionth time gets a teeny-tiny bit annoying after she spends
the entire morning acquainting herself with the mystery that is “gravity”—but
seeing the joy in her eye as she tries to understand why her cup continues to
fall to the ground is more than worth it.
Just last week, I watched in awe as my little girl
demonstrated her new-found understanding (or lack thereof), of her world over
and over again. It started when I decided to turn our normal nightly bath-time
into a bubble bath extravaganza!
I filled the tub with her favorite bath toys, put Lacey in the water, and added
the secret ingredient (Johnson & Johnson’s Night Time Bubble Bath). Lacey
loves watching as we blow bubbles outside—so I anxiously waited for what I
could only imagine would be pure elation on Lacey’s behalf—but boy, was I
wrong. Within seconds, the water started to explode in to bubbles all around
us. As I anticipated the sure giggle fit that I was about to witness, Lacey
looked quizzically at the bubbles… and then promptly jumped out of the bathtub and into my arms. I’d never seen
her move like that before! She was beyond terrified of the mysterious balls of
gas that had dared find their way into her bathtub. Our little chica literally
refused to get back in the tub—and I was forced to resort to a good ol’
fashioned sponge bath to wipe those darn bubbles off her. Needless to say, we
won’t be trying that again for awhile.
The following day, we ventured out to Party City to stock up
on a couple of goodies for Lacey’s rapidly approaching first birthday party.
The cashier quickly fell in love with Lacey (as, let’s face it, most people do)
and kindly offered her her first balloon. Positive that she would love it, we accepted the balloon with delight and hoped toward the car. I put it in the front seat and headed to the back to buckle up my baby girl. As
I strapped Lacey in her car seat, the balloon meandered to the back seat. Lacey
eyed the balloon and once again, leaped out of her car seat and into my open
arms. The tears sprung to her eyes and she refused to leave my arms for a good
fifteen minutes. I spent the rest of the day slowly acquainting her with the
balloon—and now, she loves that darn thing. If she could, she would take it everywhere. Sadly, Mr. Balloon is
entering his last days of helium before we have to say “bye-bye”—but luckily,
we have plenty of balloons ordered for next week’s fiesta that will have to
make do as a replacement.
Watching Lacey learn about life’s most interesting mysteries
reminds me how truly blessed I am every day—and not just because we have been
blessed with the world’s best daughter—but because life truly is full of beauty
everywhere. As an adult, we’ve all been guilty of taking life’s everyday
miracles for granted—but babies don’t have that luxury. And you know what?
There’s nothing better than rediscovering the beauty and magic of the world
with your favorite little person.
Do you have any silly stories of your little one as they
start to see the world around them in a new light? Feel free to leave a comment
and tell me. And be sure to check back soon for an update on Lacey’s first
birthday party—I can’t wait to share the details of her big day with you guys!
See you real soon,
Lacey’s mama
Lacey’s mama
Your Daily Dose of Lace:
S/.;c.c;c’b/VRT <<Lacey’s Blog Post
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