In the Midst of Motherhood

My Dear Sweet Maris,

Tonight as you slumber next to me I am overcome with so many feelings. It was a year ago tonight that I snuggled you on my chest after nearly 37 hours of hard work. Your birth was one of the most challenging things I've ever accomplished.

You are a third baby - as I've often told people. To me this means so many things. It means that I don't freak out when your blanket touches the ground. I dust things off that hit the floor and hand them back to you. I never considered myself a very anxious mother - I've always felt comfortable around babies and mothering. But you, my third little one - have given me a new perspective on mothering.

Perhaps it is that I am more comfortable in my mothering skills or perhaps it's that you are such a tremendously easy child - whatever the reason, I have enjoyed your first year immensely.

For the first time as a mother I watched and experienced a seamless transition as you joined our family. It could be that your siblings are so much older than you - that they were enthralled watching you grow in my belly and anticipated your arrival so much that there was never a moment of jealousy in our house. Every mother worries if the new baby will be as loved and accepted as the one before...I've felt this each time we've added to our family.

Your brother and sister love you so much - and you adore them. Your little face lights up in delight when you catch a glimpse of them. They race at times to be the first one you see in the mornings. You miss them terribly when they are away at school - and squeal with happiness when they come into sight every day after school. They are patient and kind to you - playing with you, keeping an eye on you and laughing with and at you. They are sad when you are distressed and always quick to offer you comfort when you are sad or frustrated.

You are a little bit of a daddy's girl and your father can't get enough of his littlest girl. While Maddie and Wyatt both were more attached to mommy - you smile and laugh when you see Daddy - feigning shyness while expecting a tickle or hug. I have seen him grow so much as a father this first year of your life. You are helping him to become a fabulous daddy - even more fabulous than he already was.

You give the best kisses ever. The sound you make with each kiss is hard to describe "ammmah" and you are not satisfied until you have kissed everyone in the close vicinity at least twice.

While your brother and sister walked at least a month after they turned 1, you are fairly confident in your walking now. Your first steps were around 10 months, but it is only really in the last week that you are confident in your new mode of transportation. You can get to standing without holding onto anything and this has increased your confidence! You are a wobbly little walker - sometimes your cadence is smooth - but mostly you walk with the rhythm of a baby horse learning to stand for the first time. Crawling is still your fastest mode of movement - I'm sure running isn't far off! You were very frustrated with me today when you wanted to walk when we were out and about. We walked for a while, but there were so many people where we were. You got quite angry at me when I picked you up to head to the van.

There are so many things I love about you.

You have an incredible sense of humor. We thought Wyatt was a ham - but you, my dear, are going to give him a run for the funniest child label.

You are a ham for the camera. Your facial expression is hilarious - you squint your eyes and make a "cheesy" smile. It's so very cute. You are now sharing this smile with people who don't have cameras - it's becoming your trademark look these days.

You have a few nicknames - mostly from your daddy - but they won't all stay with you through the years so I should record them...

Squirrel.

Biscuit.

Maree (Mike's French accent of Maris, roll the R... lol)

MJ (Maris Josephine)

You seem to do everything earlier than your siblings did. Is this because you are a genius (of course) or because you're trying so hard to keep up with them? You see them color and want to color too, for example. I think you hold a pencil and crayons better than your brother does and you were less than one when you started coloring!

Just like your older siblings - you excel in the verbal skills department. The moms of your little friends have been surprised to hear you talking - you can recall the names of your friends - Brett and Isla are two friends whose names you know and use when you are in their presence. Your sign language use is exploding lately, too. You pick up the signs after being shown them once or twice - and start using them correctly so fast!

Dog, cat, Maddie, Wyatt, Momma, Dadda, Azzie, Tango, gato (what you call the cats now ), diaper, Go!, baby, shoes, up, milk...

Those are just the ones I can think of at the moment. I'm super tired right now!

You've done some traveling in your first year - we made three trips down to South Florida to visit Mimi and Papa. You are a great traveler! I think it helps having older siblings to entertain you, though :)

You are still nursing enthusiastically and while some days I fear you will wean early, I feel fairly certain that you'll nurse at least another year, hopefully longer. You are a fabulous eater, though - Cafe Bienville's pulled pork was your first solid food and it's still one of your favorites. You never took a bottle until about 3 weeks ago. You saw one and thought it was interesting - but you would never take one when you were a little baby.

I can't wait to see what the next year of your life brings. I try not to get too nostalgic. There are people you will never meet - like my grandmother Grace, who passed away a few months before you were born - and this makes me so sad. I hope that one day you will have an opportunity to meet some of our other family members who are scattered across the country. We miss having my parents - Mimi and Papa - here close to us. It was a year of changes - mostly wonderful - but some a little sad.

So as you continue slumbering I am finishing my thoughts for the evening. I love you more than anything (but just as much as Maddie and Wyatt). You are beautiful with your bright, blue eyes and your reddish blonde hair.

I can't wait to see you grow over the next year.

Love you forever,

Mommy

Today after school Becca and I picked up the kids from school and took them to Fred Gannon State Park for snacks, playing and a little stroll in the woods. These kids have known each other practically since birth and are pretty much cousins without the blood connection. We used to do these kinds of things all the time when the kids were little but as they've grown we haven't taken as much time to do this. Hopefully we will correct that and make the time more often!