100 days

Today is my 100th day of being a Mom.  Having Jake has been the most rewarding, fulfilling, and amazing accomplishment to date.  The feeling I get when I look at that little face is so much richer than any marathon finish line, any promotion, and only close to seeing Brian at the end of the aisle because we made this together.   

Being a Mom has felt natural from the moment he came out and I can't imagine a single day when he wasn't around.  I love this job more than I have ever loved anything. I love being a Mom. 

I love:

1. Those big eyes looking up at me
2. Scrubbing  chubby rolls in the bath
3. Walks with the stroller
4. Showing off his cuteness at Starbucks
5. Our midnight dates that are less and less now
6. Putting him in a milk coma
7. His sweet hands that now grab me when I am near
8. His head on my shoulder when he just needs a rest
9. A bottom lip that comes out when things are going his way
10. Rocking him
11. Reading to him, especially singing or rhyming books
12. Seeing him with his Papa, the little clone
13. Taking him shopping
14. Carrying him in the sling when he is so close
15. Tummy time, cheering him on
16. His little feet
17. His cute little body "kicking it out" on the blanket
18. How he stares at me while I get ready in the morning
19. Knowing that the food my body makes to give him is all he needs now to grow big and strong
20. Seeing him with his Grammy and Grampy
21. Seeing him with his Auntie Ti Ti
22. Watching him squint when the sun is too bright, he hasn't seen a lot of it
23. His fascination with the TV, especially golf channel
24. Seeing Papa make up games, like baby fishing to entertain eachother
25. The little hair he had on his back when he was born
26. His cheeks
27. Knowing that I made this little guy with my favorite person in the world
28. Watching him on the monitor at night, making sure his chest is moving
29. Feeling like I would throw myself off a cliff or in front of a bus if it would protect him
30. His  precious little ears
31. His smiles, his sweet, sweet smiles all day long
32. Sneaking 20 minutes before he wakes up in the morning just to get a little something done
33. Changing his dirty diapers
34. His little tummy
35. His little tummy all full of milk
36. Seeing him with his Grandma Diane and how happy he makes her
37. Seeing him with his Auntie Danielle who is sure to spoil him
38. Knowing he will probably grow up to look like Grandpa Butch someday
39. Holding his hand
40. Helping him sleep
41. Hearing his coos
42. Talking with him each morning about what we'll do that day
43. Singing him the Snuggle Puppy song
44. Trying to figure out when we are out when and where we will need to nurse next
45. Keeping him warm and safe
46. Sweet smiles when I go to get him out of his crib
47. Watching him grow, sometimes literally before me it seems
48. Wrapping him in a towel after bath time
49. Baby sit-ups (an exercise I invented in hopes I can get him to sit up before I go back to work :)
50. The way he smells
51. Giving him a little lotion massage after his bath
52. Spit up on my shoulder, my lap, my hand, my chest
53. Taking his picture and capturing that perfect grin
54. Thinking about his future and what he will become
55. Watching him move across the blanket without really being able to move
56. His sweet cry
57. Being able to hush his cry just by touching him or making eye contact
58. Watching him look out the window in the back of the car
59. His sweet little yawning face
60. How he holds his hands on his chin when he naps
61. Picking out his outfits every morning
62. Taking his picture a million times a day because he is always so cute
63. Giving him kisses
64. Teaching him about things
65. Singing him songs I make up when I don't know the real words to lullabies
66. Seeing his Papa when I look at him
67. Knowing I won't do everything right, but if the day ends with kisses things will be ok
68. Playing with toys
69. Speed showering
70. Talking to Jake from the shower
71. Secretly hoping for a blowout so I can change him into another cute outfit
72. Spending time with my Mom as a Mom and appreciating all that she did
73. Going to Mom's group
74. Going to Mom's group and realizing that obsessing over poop, sleep, spit-up, and smiles is perfectly normal
75. Laying on a blanket because with a kid it is totally acceptable
76. Watching a guilty pleasure on tv while nursing
77. My new weekend nights - a little less alcohol, a little more babbling
78. Social Media to document this adventure
79. Hearing his voice from the other room, just making sure we know he is still there
80. Watching him discover his hands
81. Measuring every little half inch higher he holds his head in tummy time
82. Picking up Jake and holding him while I walk around the house
83. The feeling of a sweet baby that will only sleep on your chest at that moment
84. Wanting to be better everyday because I want my husband and my son to be proud to have me as their wife/mom
85. Knowing that the rest of my life I get to watch this little person make adventures
86. Being scared of the first time Jake gets sick
87. Being scared of the first time Jake gets hurt
88. Taking each day as a new challenge to "do it all"
89. Wondering why I ever worried about the little things, when they really don't matter
90. Keeping it all in perspective - family comes first. Period.
91. Waking up in the middle of the night in a panic when he is sleeping and I need to make sure he is breathing.
92. Knowing that everyday I get to spend with my buddy
93. Feeling like Jake was made by me, made for me, to make me better
94. His toes, oh those cute little toes
95. How amazing a beer tastes when I have to drink it in my nursing window...around 4pm
96. Being a family a 3
97. Working to make our home as safe and happy as possible for all of us
98. Eating lunch with Jake on the kitchen floor, because thats just what is easy
99. Feeling loved and wanted every morning and every night
100. Loving this little boy that has turned my world totally upside down.