Thank You For My 26th Birthday

True Love — 2010

Josh and I met about a month before he turned 29. On the morning of his birthday, one of the first things he did was call his mom. I remember thinking it was bizarre, so I questioned this ritual. Josh explained that it was in fact his mother who did all the work to bring him into the world, and on his birthday he felt it was more appropriate for him to call her and express his gratitude than it was to wait for her to call. I thought this way of thinking was unique, as many things are in the mind of my fiance, but that was all I thought about it at the time.

Today, I am spending my 26th birthday in a similar way that I spend all of my days, which is alongside my sweet Charlotte. As I reflect on this story from almost five years ago, I have a completely new appreciation for the people who gave me the gift of life.

I especially want to express my appreciation for my mother. Throughout my life, my mom has been by my side wiping my tears, supporting my decisions, loving me unconditionally and more. I never understood the dedication and commitment being a mom requires until I had a little one of my own. From the onset of pregnancy, into the transformative experience of childbirth, and through the newness and eventual way of life that is parenthood, becoming a parent is one of the most selfless choices one makes, and it takes a true warrior like my mom to always come from a place of care and understanding.

So on my birthday, I want to say thank you to my mom and dad! My parents have sacrificed everything to give me (and my three sisters) more love, guidance, friendship and fun than we could have ever hoped for. I wouldn't be here without them (literally), and I hope that one day Charlotte loves and appreciates Josh and me in a similar way that we do our parents.

Baby Milestones — Eight Months Old

My sweet eight-month-old baby is hitting milestones left and right

I am now over eight months into motherhood, and I fall more in love with Charlotte every day. It doesn't matter if I play a song off iTunes that reminds me of pregnancy, or if I'm just watching her sleep at the end of my long night . . . Either way, every part of my days makes me fall more head-over-heels in love with this little girl.

Not only have I been blessed with an extremely happy and easy-going baby, Charlotte is also very strong and confident. I am so beyond grateful to be Charlotte's mama, and I find myself wondering what exactly I did in a past life to deserve the gift of her presence in my day-to-day. My girl has always been ahead of the curve in her growth and development, so it is no surprise that she has continued with mastering milestones.

What milestones are we enjoying at eight-months-old?

Crawling. Charlotte is an all-star crawler. She has finally mastered clearing the landing between her room and the hall. She is always up to her own agenda, deciding to crawl away when her mom and auntie are playing in her room with her.

Pulling Up to Stand. While a box, couch, chair, knee or dog are all great options, my eight-month-old baby's favorite object to pull herself up to stand on is her kitchen set. A hand-me-down from my parents, this kitchen set is interactive and full of music and learning activities. Charlotte tears it up dancing, leaning and playing on her kitchen set for up to two hours.

Standing. Using just about anything, short or tall, to pull herself up, Charlotte then stands and balances free of any help for up to 30 seconds. I was almost certain she would take her first step today, but the stars haven't quite aligned yet. We'll get her until nine months to commit to walking.

Clapping. If you're happy and you know it . . . Charlotte caught onto clapping quite quickly. After her dad taught her how to clap one night, and she remembered it the next morning, her understanding of this action has only grown. When Charlotte and I found ourselves at House of Ruth's Rally Out Against Domestic Violence last week, she was clapping along with the crowd and celebrating between speeches and performances.

Snacking. Charlotte enjoys snacking on small pieces of bananas and organic, gluten-free puffs . . . as well as anything else mom approves. Her hand-eye coordination is spot on, while her ability to navigate food between her pointer finger and thumb and into her mouth is only successful about half the time.

Communication. Conversations between Charlotte and her chosen person (stranger or family member) are a lot more deliberate than they used to be. She has two different waves, and she is quick to mimic all her favorite people. Her favorite words and expressions (besides growling constantly) are dada, hi, baba and yay.

Another note that I'd like to make, even if only for myself in the future, is how Charlotte makes friends with everyone in her path everywhere we go. I cannot leave my house or go into public without multiple comments on Charlotte's giant smile, friendly growls and sweet demeanor. It's adorable now, but I'll definitely have to teach her to not talk to strangers someday! ;)

A New Endeavor — Starting a Local Mom's Group

I've started a mom's group, and I can't say that it was my idea. About two weeks ago, my little sister mentioned to me that I should organize a community for local mothers to meet up with their kids to share advice, stories and friendship. I entertained the idea for a couple days, but among my other responsibilities of work and home, I dismissed the concept by telling myself that I just didn't have the time.

Fast forward to last Sunday . . . 

Here I am at a baby shower for one of my girls of whom I have no mutual friends. I was quickly introduced to another mom who has a baby boy only weeks younger than my sweet Charlotte. We began chatting back and forth, and we immediately found out that we had so much in common. Just minutes into our conversation, she looked at me and asked with a smile, "Are you in a mom's group?" Instantly, I had a realization that this conversation was happening for a purpose . . . I needed to start a meet-up for local moms with little ones. 

Today, I decided to make good on the commitment I made with myself, and I've started my mom's group, "Modern Mamas Social Club." I was sure to invite some of my favorite local moms, and they invited their friends. While I've done a ton of research on mom's groups . . . I'm still a newbie to this whole thing. I'm so excited to meet up with other moms and their minis, and I am also happy to learn more about what will make this group valuable to all its members. 

Feel free to share your advice below for running or being a part of a mom's group!