You are growing up so fast and even though I had to work today, on a Saturday, I got to watch you play for a bit. Your smiles keep me going. Here you are up in your room just playing on your multi-colored mats. Once in awhile you flash be a grin behind the nook but at other moments you are so deeply engaged in something so simple as a wooden block. How does it work? Why does it feel this way? What does it TASTE like???
Soon the days where you wake me up by crawling on me will be gone. And while it annoys me today, I also understand that there will be a point in my life where I would be willing to give up everything I have just to have you wake me up by crawling on me again. Maybe this will give me a glimpse into that feeling so that it is not completely fleeting.
I will be honest with you, 4 short months ago you very much annoyed me. Just another thing that I has to take care of. Wakes me up and gives me more chores.
But today you are full of life. You interact with your dad and mom and to you were are the 2 most important people in the world. I wonder if you will EVER feel that way about us the rest of your life. Well maybe I can give you a glimpse into your world as a 10 month old and then maybe, just maybe, when you have a hard time with one or both of us, you can read this and know that it's not all bad. That we truly did do what we could to keep you safe and keep you happy and that every decision, rightly or wrongly, we make to continue to keep you safe and happy. Our eyes are on the long run. What will make you happy down the road, not just today. Anyway, I can feel myself straying, I really just want to show you what your day to day is like right now. I know I would have gotten a kick out of my mom or dad writing at the time it was happening about stuff I no longer even remember.
Welp your mother wakes up at about 430 just so she can get ready before you wake up because she knows 2 things: 1. Once you wake up she no longer can focus on herself and 2. She needs to leave before you and Dad leave for the day.
You wake up at 530 usually but if we are really lucky you will sleep longer. I take you into our bed and feed you the bottle that mom has prepared and she will change you while I feed you. From there I get up and hold you while I brush my teeth and together we take Annie out.
I really hope you remember Annie. At the time that I am writing this Annie is just 2 years old and so full of life. She just wants to play and even though we yell at her she never does anything on purpose to upset us. She just wants to make all of us happy. Currently though she is a little annoyed that I always tell her to go away so I can play with you. Soon though I am sure you will both play together. We had Annie even before you! So someday I know Annie will have to leave our family and I am sure you will still be quite young so Mom and Dad will have put aside our feelings to make sure you are doing okay. Know this tough, I love Annie more than all the other pets I have ever had put together. And when the day comes that she is no longer with me I will be extremely sad even if you never know it at the time. She has become such a close friend that no matter how old I get, I will think of her and be sad. I wish she could live as long as me and Di and that we actually pass before but I know such a thing could never happen.
Anyway, you will be in the living room of the house while I fumble around doing stuff to get ready for the day. This is in the living room of the house on Glacier Road in Woodbury. At the time you read this I have no idea where we will be. I think we will still be here though but no idea what the living room will look like. We also have a duplex in West St. Paul. You did spend the first part of your life there but we wanted to make sure you had access to great schools and a lot of room to grow up.
Next Dada needs to shower and I can't very well have a 10 month old crawling around unsupervised. So I put you in an umbrella stroller and strap you in while I shower. I peek on you every few seconds and all told I shower for less than 5 minutes but let me tell you, you think those 5 minutes are the worst of your life. You scream at the top of your lungs and you give off the type of cry that sounds like you are experiencing physical harm. But no, you just don't like being strapped in there I guess.
Finally I will leave in a huff after getting ready. Mom has your bag for daycare all put together already so I just have to drive you to Jill's. I grabd your stuff and mine and we head downstairs to lock Annie up and feed her. By this time I usually have broken a sweat but if all goes well, you are in your car seat by 615 and off we go!
Now daycare is a little new for you and you have not quite embraced it. It's getting better though. Typically you cry in the backseat because I think you know where we are going. Some days are better than others but when i hand you to Jill you almost always cry. This is one reason why DAD has to drop you off. Breaks my heart to see you upset and the look you give me everyday says "I will never forgive you for this". But Jill is great and she takes great care of you. She even sends us pictures while we are at work of you playing. Every picture, until a few days ago, you have your scowl on your face. I am sure you still have that same scowl. Those types of things tend to stick with a person but I also have a feeling that as you grow older I will find your angry scowl to be adorable which will just upset you even more. But I can't help it, do something when you are 10 months old and then do it when you are older and I will just not be able to take it seriously!
Mom gets to be the hero and Dad the heel. She pick you up and I am sure you are overjoyed to see her! Well from there its supper and then Dad has to wash all your junk and Ma puts you to sleep so we can start all over. Matter of fact I am sort of rushing through this part now because even though it's Saturday, your bottles and nooks and baby bullet stuff are waiting for me to wash them.
I did want to share this with you so that you have it for all time. And I think this is something I will never forget and always look back upon fondly. You smile everytime I sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and I think it's because I sang it to you when Di was pregnant. I hope you still like that song. But also, your second favorite song today is in the tune of the Winnie the Pooh theme song. The lyrics are below and created just for you by your Dad! So please, keep these somewhere and everytime you look at it, imagine me singing to you. I have sung this song so many times that you probably think my version is the only version! I love you and I love how you look at me like I am the greatest most amazing person you know simply because I sing this song to you...
Daddy the Fool (in the tune of Winnie the Pooh)
"Oh deep in the Hundred Acre Woods
Where my little Nugget plays
You'll find the enchanted neighborhood
Of Alera Heid's childhood days"
"A doggie named Annie is her friend
And Mama and Acho too
There's Punchi and Seeya
And there's Grandma
But most of all Daddy the Fool"
"Daddy the Fool
Daddy the Fool
Tumbly little cuddly all stuffed with fluff
He's Daddy the Fool
Daddy the Fool
Willy nilly silly old man"
"Daddy the Fool
Daddy the Fool
Tumbly little cuddly all stuffed with fluff
He's Daddy the Fool
Daddy the Fool
Willy nilly silly old man"
-Mitch (Dad, Dada, Daddy, or whatever other nickname you have come up with for me)