Jodi Picoult and The Travolta's - THOUGHTS

As part of my package of New Years resolutions to follow for the year, one important task of mine is to begin blogging again. I've become lazy with it and have taken quite a bit of time off, but this blog now has it's second wind for friends and family members, especially those who are out of town and don't get to see Logan on a daily basis.

Today's blog isn't necessarily about Logan, as far as something funny he did or said today, but rather about the essence of him in general. There's not a day that goes by where I don't feel blessed to have received Logan as my child, but two particular events that have recently taken place have put into perspective how important living in the now is, and how I take life far too much for granted.

My sister-in-law gave me My Sister's Keeper to read over the holidays, and I found it to be such an amazing novel. For those who have not read it, please do so. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with all the characters. I won't give away the ending, but I will say that the book taught me a valuable lesson about life and living. I have taken too much for granted the idea that I will still be alive tomorrow or that my family members will be safe and nothing unexpected could ever happento them. This novel snapped me out of my superman complex and has motivated me to live like it's my last day alive. I realized that life does not turn out like we would all hope and plan, and though our life may be leading us in one direction, a shift in that journey can happen unexpectedly that is permanent. As a parent, is has also sadly taught me that it is not a guarantee that Logan will live a long and healthy life that will far surpass mine. It is a scary thought that nobody likes to imagine ever happening to them or their children. I have always cherished everyday that I am graced with Logan's presence, but in times where I am stressed and have a deadline or important assignment, I do take for granted the idea that Logan will be there tomorrow or the next day. I've come to realize the importance of living in the moment, and recognizng that uncontrollable events can happen. Something simple, but yet so meaningful, that I've changed in my life is letting friends and family know I love them after every conversation or randomly through the day, because not only might they never get the change to hear it from me again, but they might not be around to hear me say it to them again.

Something that really affected me was hearing about the sudden death of Jett Travolta. My heart goes out to the family, because as a parent and a sister I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose my son, or in the case of Ella, to lose a sibling. Jett's death, from what I have read, was due to a head injury that resulted from that seizure he was having in a bathroom. This wasn't a terminal illness that Jett had in which the Travolta's were aware of. It wasn't something they could plan for or see coming. They woke up like it was any day, unaware that by the end of the day they would no longer see their son drive a car, graduate from highschool, become a dad or even hear an "I love you too" from him ever again.

I am very lucky. Logan is an amazing child who is completely healthy and happy. He is developing well and he is always in such a good mood. I have been inspired to remember each day, regardless of the temper tantrums he'll try to throw or the stubborn attitude that he might grow to have, that he is a gift that is to never be taken for granted. I'm so lucky to already been graced with his presence for 21 months, and I only hope that I can watch him grow up into a young man and see his dreams come true. If there's anything I want to stress, it's that every parent remember that tomorrow is not a guarantee. We may never get to tell our children how much we love them and how much they mean to us. Never let a negative comment be the last thing you might ever say to someone. Never hold grudges, because that's just wasted time we will never have again with a person we love. Remember that "yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why it is called the present."

lazy weekend

Well, not too much to add today. We had a pretty lazy Sunday, and it was wonderful. I did a lot of planning for our New York/ Toronto trip in October and Logan did what he does best.... getting into trouble. He's just at that age where he tests his limits EVERY time he does something he knows he's not supposed to. His newest fascination: light switches. We have a bench by the front door that allows Logan to reach the light switches when standing up on it. It's also conveniently located next to the infamous shoe rack that Logan gets into multiple times a day. When I'm picking up or getting some work done downstairs and Logan wanders into the living room, I know he's up to no good when he's a little too quiet for my liking (the blinking lights from the light switches are also a dead giveaway.) He's been a climber since before he learned how to walk, and this is taking it to a whole new level!

As for me, since I am a new mother I am learning new things about parenting each and every day. Today, I learned an important lesson: don't take Logan through the carwash!!! Logan has a pretty good sense of humor and usually isn't easily scared. We play a game downstairs where Logan runs out of the family room into the living room and I have just enough time to hide behind a piece of furniture. He'll run back in a few seconds later and will have to "find" mommy. When he does I say boo and he runs right over to me squealing. Well, that being said, I have never seen Logan this scared before, except from the occasional scare from the vaccum or the next door neighbors giant dog. Anyway, the second the sprayer hit the car Logan freaked out. I felt so bad!! In the five minutes it took to wash the car Logan had pulled a Houdini and had gotten half his body out of the carseat restraints and had his body turned and looking at me with a look of sheer fear on his face (I still have Logan RF). Anyway, he was better after the wash was all done but I did have to pull to the side after we got out, let him know everything was okay, and get him back in his carseat.

Well, that was about it. No pictures or video today (I was lazy and didn't empty my memory card) so hopefully I'll get some great pictures and video tomorrow to compensate for today. I did, however, add a picture Logan had taken a few months back in a Radio Flyer car. I thought it was fitting considering his terrifying experience in the car today. My mission for tomorrow is to finally get a picture of Logan's molar. It'll be a daunting task, but I'm up for the challenge!!

Like mother, like son??

Logan's two favorite words: shoes and store. Like mother, like son I suppose. Logan's been saying shoes for a while, but he said store for the first time yesterday. Here's Logan by our front door shoe rack:

And another of Logan actually wearing my flats around the house.

Got milk?

I have a CRAZY toddler on my hands. Silly thing loves to go around in circles until he makes himself dizzy. Then, he'll spin the other way. I'm not quite sure why he'll start spinning in the opposite direction, but possibly he think that if he goes the opposite way he'll undo the dizziness caused from the first round of spinning. It's either that or he has a fun time switching up sides. I think it's all in preparance for fast rides when he is older. It might be my own fault. The last time we went to Disneyland I allowed him to go in the teacups as long as no spinning was involved. I guess he's decided he'd rather spin than not. Like mother like son I suppose. (WARNING: you may get dizzy from watching this footage)

And after working up an appetite, Logan's ready for a snack. This little monster goes coocoo for his "MEEEEEELK." Thank goodness my heart melts everytime I hear his little voice or being asked for milk 50 times a day would get a bit monotonous. He's going to be one strong boy!

Would you like a cob with your corn??

Just thought I'd share a clip and some pictures from tonights Labor Day dinner. Logan has never given me problems with meal times and he loves trying new foods. Here he is with his own corn on the cob!! His smile and the way he holds onto the corn is just too much! I have a little foodie on my hands.

New to blogging

Well... this is my first post on here and I am really excited about documenting Logan's adventures and milestones. I do a lot of documenting in his baby books, but I love the entire journalistic aspect of this. Logan is growing up so fast!! He's now 16 months old and has lately been going through a growth spurt. He's outgrown most of his clothes and has grown at least an inch since his 15 month doctors appt. Logan has had eight teeth now for about two months, but tonight when I was brushing his teeth I noticed a little white molar popping through. So far the new molar does not seem to be affecting him, but he has been a trooper when it comes to cutting teeth. Anyway, besides that I've really enjoyed the time off that I've been able to spend with Logan. There's been lots of playdates, trips up to the park, and tons of creative time at home. Next week we start our Talk to me Baby class again. We will go to these twice a week for the next three months and then resume the class the first of the year. Logan's been going to these classes since he was 10 months old, so it will be nice to get back to the group and see both new and familiar faces. Besides that, I'm doing a lot of work planning our big trip to New York City (our first time there with a toddler.... YIKES!!) and just enjoying the rest of my time off. I'll have more tomorrow and this time will actually have pictures to include!!