Saturday, January 1, 2011

to 2011

is this not the sweetest photo you have ever seen!?!  a friend just posted it on facebook, and although i usually don't get all sappy/look how cute my kid is, this photo melts my heart.  parker was even saying "cheese" to the wedding photographer.  he is a real person and not a baby any more!!

i have been going a little stir crazy this week with no work and cold weather.  i think the biggest adjustment into parenthood is being locked to the house after 8pm every night (babysitters and pack 'n plays aside, although i don't use either much), and winter makes this especially dreadful.  i suppose introverts don't mind staying home as much, but sometimes i struggle with feeling like life is not as full as other times in life when i was constantly building relationships and hanging out with others (i.e. college, camp, high school, etc.).  then i look at that sweet picture of parks (squeezable, kissable cheeks), and i am reminded that pouring my heart into him is the most fulfilling thing i can do right now.

in my boredom, i've been playing our gender reveal party (i'll announce the sex of baby #2 next sunday...we just found out ourselves the day before christmas!).  while researching googling party ideas, i found several articles and message boards bashing the idea of a gender reveal party.  haters (haha can't think of a better word) complained these narcissistic parties were greedy events friends felt obliged to attend.  my husband even agreed that no guy wants to spend his saturday night at a gender reveal party.

so i have to clarify before i put up all of my pink and blue decorations...a gender reveal party is not about finding out the baby's sex...sure it is nice to tell people at the same time (and in person...a lost art), but that is not why friends come.  the point of the party is to HANG OUT!  gifts are not encouraged or required, and for moms who are tied to the house every evening with nothing better to do than plan gender reveal parties (me), this gives us something to look forward to.  i love planning parties and getting together with friends, and i am very much looking forward to our party.

as i learn more and more about motherhood, i realize that it is so important to find joy in the small things.  while pregnant with parker, i read a local magazine that had a page devoted to "spicing up your walmart outfit" (i.e. trading the workout shorts for khaki shorts) and i thought it was the stupidest article i've ever read.  really, is this all i have to look forward to as a mom--dressing up to go to walmart?  i think i'll keep wearing my workout shorts, thank you.  and now i know that when you've been at home with an infant all day and need to get out of the house, a trip to the store might just be the highlight of your day, and that is perfectly okay.  it is a little things for a mother that bring joy and excitement, and we should be slow to judge other's sources of happiness (especially people who don't have kids :)).  my goal for 2011 is to stay positive about life, family, parenting, work, etc. and to enjoy building memories with those i love.

happy new year!!!

6 comments:

kristina said...

i know what you mean about being stuck in the house. it is difficult to go from being always on the go to always at home after bed time. i say go for it with your party. while that is not something that i have ever heard of happening over here in the UK, it sounds like a lovely idea. i think it would be great fun to hang out at your house. in fact, when we move to arkansas i think i will invite myself over!

kimmie said...

Once again...you have spoke my feelings well! I'm excited to see your post on the party...I hope to get ideas from yours. I need to start planning...we find out in 3 weeks!!

sarah beth hawk said...

silvy,
parker is too sweet! i am in denial that liam will ever be that big! i love gender reveal parties, that was the one thing that made me think twice about not finding out what we were having. i hope you all have a great time! and, i'm excited to see what baby #2 will be! congrats, also!

Erin said...

I'm definitely pro- gender reveal party. I hadn't heard about it before, but it seems like a really fun idea! Sometimes its just fun to have all your friends come over and have something to plan for and get excited about. Cameron also does not understand.

Sadly, even without kids, I kind of know how you feel about being home every night. Our dog is the biggest cry baby. He has come to accept that we will be gone during the day for work, but if we come home and then leave again to go out, he howls (sorry neighbors) and destroys anything within reach that reminds him of us leaving (shoes, purses, grocery bags... or whatever he can find). Then I feel guilty going out, I'm always thinking "we should get home to the dog". How sad is that?? I guess it will be less of an adjustment when we finally have a family.

Liz said...

I hear ya on the fact that winter is hard. I find it to be the hardest of all the seasons since being a stay-at-home-mom. Being in good ol' Siloam only makes it worse, there just aren't many store options to just get my fix of being "out and about".

Have fun planning and enjoying your party. I think it is a way cute idea. Your friends will enjoy it because they are taking part in a special/exciting event in your lives. And you are totally right, the point is to hang out. :-)

Parker is uber adorable. Love those little cheeks.

Anonymous said...

I haven't been to your blog in so long!!! and do I understand correctly you are preggers! Congrats!