About Staying in the Picture with Tristan

The Huffington Post ran a story a little while back called "The Mom Stays in the Picture" that inspired the preemie mom support group I'm in to dedicate Mondays to turning the camera around and making sure we take a photo with our little ones. I love it. I look forward to seeing candid moments between my dearest friends and the babies I've come to care so deeply about. I took a few today.

The first one didn't turn out very well because I was trying to turn the lens-thingie around (I'm still getting used to looking into my phone like a mirror!) while Tristan was chattering about something. I was going to use it because the point is to capture a moment -

Mommy and Me I

but then we shared another moment during lunch and I went with this one.

Mommy and Me II

My favorite moment every day, though, is after nap when I get the biggest cuddles of the whole day. His arms are thrown around my neck and he nuzzles into my neck. It's his mamma-moment. Every ache melts and I'm refreshed, relaxed and ready for round two. He's only recently started giving me and one of my monster stuffies (AKA Ugly Dolls) kisses so I turned the camera on and just as I clicked he gave me The Kiss of All Kisses. My heart exploded.

Mommy and Me III

You can't tell but his t-shirt says Momma's Boy. Awh.

He was a big helper today. We went and picked up wreaths and a flowerpot to re-pot some purple mums Bee brought me last week. One of my neighbors had some extras hanging around her home so it was a hand-me-down. The wreaths are twig wreaths and my head is spinning with all the crafty possibilities! We'd washed all the throw rugs so he helped lay them back down in their spots. I am amazed by how helpful he is - my toddling assistant. Sometimes his helpfulness goes awry like when I've folded the laundry and he pulls it off the washer and crumples it into a Tee-ball and then drags it down the hall to put it into the dresser. But he does that part all by himself and knows whose things go in which. Impressive, I think!

The waving continued. He waves just like a little prince with the elbow swishing back and forth, opposite to his hand sway. I will have to get it on video before it morphs. He waved goodbye when was on his play phone (he doesn't say "bye", though) and also when I told him to say goodnight to Papa.

On our walk to the wreaths he also took note of city wildlife for the first time (second, technically, because there was that one time he saw a squirrel and squealed, "Cat!" He hasn't said cat since). Well, this time we were walking in morning silence and all of a sudden, "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, hiiiiiiiii, oh mew blah blah blah, awwwwwwww, hiii." I stopped and looked around. It was a pigeon. He also spoke to a cat and a squirrel on the way home.

The other new thing he did today was hide behind his hands. It's funny how he can organize our apartment, lay out carpets, organize my cabinets, do puzzles with his eyes closed, but he just learned he can disappear behind his hands.

I love how every day is such an adventure!