Two Years and Three Wheels

Bethany is 2! In the last year she has learned to walk; talk; count; sign; say her ABC’s; and recognize some words, colors, and shapes. She has also figured out how to ride a tricycle. Specifically, her brother Nathan’s bright red tricycle, and much to his dismay. Just when Nathan thinks he has his ride safely parked, Bethany jumps on and is on her way. Forget the stroller or wagon, she’s all about mobility. Now she has her own 3-wheel ride to keep her occupied, and, yes, it’s pink. She’s definitely not a baby anymore.

Despite her growing independence, Bethany is still our very little girl. She greets each day with enthusiasm and arms full of teddy bears. She dances with her whole body…feet stomping, arms waving, and head bobbing. She sings to express her feelings, usually of joy and excitement. When someone cries, she cries with them. If there is laughter, she is right in the middle of it with her infectious giggles. When she sees a heart shape, she smiles and calls it “happy.” She is as good at giving hugs and kisses as she is at getting them, and when she says “I love you,” it’s enough to melt any heart. At the end of the day, she wants to be carried by Daddy. A bath (“I like it” she says as she settles into the warm water), her favorite pajamas, a “read booky” request, and bedtime prayers with her brothers, and then it’s time to snuggle with Mommy. The last sigh as she falls asleep in my arms is the one that says she is ours and she is happy. Happy birthday, Bethany.

First Dance Recital

Since Zac was 2 years old and watching ballet on PBS, he has begged me to let him take dance. During the fall that he turned 3, I enrolled him in a ballet/tap class while we were living in Las Vegas, but we had to take him out when we decided to move only a few short months later. It took 2 more years before I could get him into a class again, but he still had the desire. So this last school year, Zac was outfitted with black ballet shoes, dance pants, a creative and willing teacher, and his own version of cautious enthusiasm for his preschool dance class. Through wind, rain, snow, and sunny afternoons when he would have rather been outside playing, Zac went to every class. His instructor worked up a recital routine that included two cute tunes for the preschoolers, one being a feature for the only boy in the Center Stage Dance company, Mr. Touchdown.

The night of the recital, Zac looked like the all-American boy in his green shirt with rolled-up sleeves and pink tie to match the girls’ dresses. We had talked about and practiced the dance, running with the football, and playing the part of the hero for the girls in his class who were cheering him on. I took him backstage, dressed him, and gave him a good-luck hug and kiss, then I headed off to find the rest of our troupe. As the lights went down and the curtain came up, Nathan sat transfixed by the performances. Bethany danced on her Daddy’s lap, copying the arm and leg movements of the dancers as best she could, and singing her heart out. Then Zac’s class came onstage. Nathan’s eyes sparkled as he pointed and shouted, “There’s Zac,” and Bethany jumped up and down and yelled “Zacky” as loud as her little voice would carry. Alas, it seemed that no amount of pumping Zac up before hand was going to off-set his incredible stage fright. He made it through his first routine with minimal effort, buried in the back row. Then, about a half dozen dances later, the preschoolers were back on stage for Mr. Touchdown. No more hiding in the back row. Zac was to run a pattern through the girls, take his place in the front row, dance his heart out, and then end by running through two lines of cheering girls for his big finish. With a deer-caught in the headlights look, he lumbered through the dance.

Zac showed tremendous courage to get up on that stage and dance for family, friends, and a host of strangers. He also gave Nathan and Bethany a taste of dance and a chance to cheer for their brother. As for me, I experienced a full-circle moment. From the time of my first childhood dance recital to this, I never imagined I’d be the parent in the audience watching and holding my breath as my child performed on stage. Twinkle toes Zac is not right now, but he is our hero, and we are proud of him.

Walking on Sunshine

In the long list of accomplishments and milestones of babyhood, a child’s first steps mark the transition from infant to toddler. The baby that yesterday could only crawl can now reach new heights, literally. In our house it’s an almost weekly assessment as to how far onto the countertop a new walker can reach in our ever vigilant quest to keep danger out of little hands.

Bethany has made the transition. It started right after Christmas when we saw her take her first steps in our kitchen. No cruising, no hesitation, just two little free-hand steps and a giggle of delight. Then nothing for weeks. Crawling was faster and easier. She could chase the boys and they could chase her. No one could push her over, and she had become adept at holding things in her mouth for transport like a cat carrying her kitten. If she really wanted to use her legs to move, Bethany would carefully and deliberately plant her feet, stand up, and pump her little legs up and down to dance to whatever music was playing. Sometimes she ended up back on her diaper-padded bottom, and sometimes not, but always smiling with delight at her ability to move her body in such a joyful way. Then in late January, she tried walking again. A few steps one day. A few more the next. A very little distance, then a little more and a little faster. She used everything from her arms to her toes to maintain her balance. In the last week, Bethany has walked more and crawled less each day. Her knees are still shaky and her balance is still a little tentative, but she is upright and proud of her accomplishment. Now she carries things in her hands that she couldn’t carry in her mouth. Now she can pull her sippy cup off the table or endlessly climb in and out of her rocking chair. Standing and walking have opened up new vistas.

I’ll miss her baby crawl. Her right leg tucked under her and her left leg propelling her forward with her arms pulling. The faster she’d go, the more likely there would be a little frog-like hop added at the end of each stroke for good measure. I’d like to remind her not to grow up too fast; being a grown up is overrated. For now we’ll just celebrate the bitter sweet success of yet another baby milestone conquered.

The November Birthday Club

It’s been a marathon, but not the kind I had to run with my feet, just my heart. From 1 to 97, we covered them all, starting with Bethany’s 1st birthday, then Grandpa’s 97th, Daddy’s on Veteran’s Day, Zac 2 days later, and last but not least Nathan’s. Five family birthdays in 12 days, not to mention at least half a dozen friends who also celebrate birthdays between 1 November and Thanksgiving. One birthday cake, two dozen cupcakes, and countless feet of wrapping paper and ribbon later…all the presents have been opened and every candle has been blown out with all the wishes made. The Church family November Birthday Club!

A Blue Birthday

Nathan had a blue birthday; Thomas blue that is. It was a beautiful blue-sky day complete with a blue balloon and lots of Thomas the Tank Engine…pajamas, books, a 3-D deluxe play set and best of all, TrackMaster tracks and trains! However, there was nothing blue about Nathan’s mood. He danced from morning to night, starting with the wiggly dance of excitement that it was finally his birthday, to soft-shoe dancing with his singing Winnie-the-Pooh card, and ending with a waltz in Mommy’s arms in the blue twilight of the evening.

“Mommy…”
“Yes Nathan?”
“Sing Bocelli, Mommy”
“Okay Nathan.”
It always starts like this. His favorite lullaby is Andrea Bocelli’s version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” It’s our sooth-the-savage-Nathan song. When he was a tiny baby, I’d sing it to him and rock/dance him around the living room. I guess the memories and feelings stuck with him. “So take my hand, take my whole life too for I can’t help falling in love with you…” When I thought I couldn’t love another child as much as I loved Zachary, along came Nathan. From his first breath, the first moment I held him, the first time he looked into my eyes, the first moment he opened his tiny fist and laid his finger tips against my chest, I couldn’t help falling in love with him, and I knew I’d give him my life.

On Nathan’s birthday this year I had the privilege of walking hand-in-hand with my son downtown to pick out his blue balloon. That night we danced in the living room to his favorite song. With his arms and legs wrapped around me and his head on my shoulder, we waltzed to Andrea Boccelli and the love between a mother and a son…in the blue twilight of Nathan’s third birthday. Take my hand son, I love you.

Big Boy Birthday

In 2004 our wish was granted, our dreams came true, and our prayers were answered with the arrival of our first bouncing baby boy. I hope I never forget the unspeakable joy of cuddling and nursing that warm bundle of love in front of our wood burning stove on cold nights. We covered him with a million kisses a day, and poured every ounce of love we could into him. In the evenings when he was fussy and wouldn’t let me put him down, his Daddy would happily take on dinner duty while he reassured me that my most important job was to hold and love that baby because there would come a day when he wouldn’t want to be held anymore.

Today that bundle of joy turned 5. This was his big boy birthday with a big boy football, a big boy bicycle, and bigger clothes. Despite the celebration of the day Zac is still a curious mix of little and big boy. My greatest joy on this day was not watching his little man hands cradle the football or watching his imaginative play with his fishing adventure set, or even watching him learn how to ride a bicycle on which he has to stretch his legs to reach the peddles. No, my greatest joy was when he walked into our room this morning with the announcement that he was five today, then, without another word, he crawled into our bed, leaned over and wrapped his arms around me, put his head on my shoulder, and settled in for a good long cuddle. Happy birthday little man!

Butterfly Birthday

This morning the children and I ventured downtown for a special pink birthday balloon for Bethany. With the balloon securely fastened to her stroller via pink curly ribbon, Bethany was all smiles as we proceeded to the park. On the way, I spied a butterfly on the sidewalk. When I bent down to investigate, it climbed on my finger so that both of us could get a closer look at each other. It was a beautiful small butterfly with butter yellow wings outlined in the same pink as Bethany’s balloon and with a few tiny pink circles on the lower wings. What a treasure! The boys crowded around to inspect with the usual exuberance little boys have of all things in nature. Bethany waited patiently for me to hold the butterfly closer for her to see. As I stretched my finger towards her, the butterfly made it’s most exertive move yet. It hopped onto the pink button on Bethany’s jacket. Imagine our delight! Bethany giggled as the butterfly stretched its wings a few times, just long enough to say “Happy Birthday Bethany,” and then fluttered into the breeze. Happy first birthday baby girl. May the magic of the yellow and pink butterfly be with you always.