Cupboards.

Quinn lately: I guess we're into the getting into everything phase. He loves pulling out everything from the cupboards, tearing apart magazines & rummaging through my handbag. He'll take off with Mike's cash & credit cards if we aren't watching his wallet closely. He's obsessed with television remote controls (we have a battery-less spare in the car for emergencies), prefers the Blackberry over the iPhone, & really loves his wooden puzzles. He's cruising around everywhere, still refusing to crawl, & is THISCLOSE to walking on his own.  

He's terrified of men with beards. TERRIFIED. Our nice landscape architect was here last week, & when I opened the front door & saw that his beard could easily compete with Santa Clause, I knew we were in big trouble. Q immediately burst into the most dramatic sobbing tears, buried his head in my shoulder & then turned his fear into absolute rage. I'd never seen my child yell at anyone, but apparently he knows how. I was so embarrassed, but not all that surprised. This boy is kind of like his mama, & has a hard time hiding how he feels. 

He still loves being carried in the Bjorn (he squeals when we pull it out), wants to cuddle for a few minutes after he wakes up every morning & has a preference of grilled chicken breast & black beans for lunch. Speaking of food, he won't eat macaroni & cheese, really likes mandarin oranges & had a sip of his very first milk shake this weekend (toasted coconut & banana).

He's taken 25 flights! He's squirmy & wiggly & wants to eat everything (germs!!), which means that I'm going to do all that I can to avoid #26 in the near future. 

His sixth tooth finally popped through this week. His molars, on the other hand, are apparently going to cause trauma & devastation for the rest of eternity. Please bless his teeth to come in very, very soon. 

We get lots of mamas & dadas out of his mouth, & there's a constant stream of babble coming from the backseat when I'm out doing errands. He's a chatterbox. 

His smile! His cheeks look like they're going to explode, I can't even count the number of dimples he has, his eyes sparkle, & I just love him so much. Especially when he's giggly & happy.

We are busy doing the unidentifiable, I suppose. Napping, eating, changing, playing, cleaning, swinging, laughing, singing. 

There are times when I miss my old (carefree, childless, double-income) life. I told Mike the other day that I felt like I was just moving from one mess to another, cleaning up everywhere I go. I think it's especially easy for me to get lost into an accomplishment-driven mentality. I really like to get things done. I generally have a list of 30 things I need to do (ranging from the absolutely necessary to the totally trivial), & a checklist with lots of checks makes me feel validated & happy. The reality, however, is that I generally accomplish 15% of what I intend to each day. 

Dear friend Noelle forwarded me some photos the other day of an art exhibit that involved... garbage. At first glance, lots of trash. But, it was art, because the intent was that the various pieces of garbage would be turned into such. And then she said this: 

All the tasks we perform seem so mundane, like endless refuse. Everything we do is undone. Laundry, meals, changing, cleaning, repeat. And so they could just be mundane tasks, or they could be done with intent & overall purpose in mind. Finding the "art" in motherhood is an art. 

The art of my days right now - as unglamorous as they are - is that this little baby boy of mine is suddenly shaping into a little boy. This involves a lot of playing down on the floor, lots of laundry, & lots of silly songs. He is sweet & happy & perfect. On those days where I'm exhausted & stressed & on the verge - because this also all involves settling into our new home & making a life that will enable our family to be temporally & spiritually happy (overwhelming) - everything comes into sharp focus when I sing him his lullaby & he rests his head on my shoulder to go to sleep. 

My son knows that I love him. I am doing something right. Everything else will work out.