Cars & Dentist -- past & present

Cars and dentist are unrelated words for most -- they remind me of my grandpa.  Two recent happenings brought my grandpa forward in my mind.  Colton had his first dentist appointment and my dad passed along two old toy cars to Colton.  As I began to upload the pictures this seemed like the perfect time to reflect and archive a few of my childhood memories.

"Pa", my grandpa and my mom's dad left this world suddenly 24 years ago.  Oh how he would love to be active in the lives of his five great grandchildren.  While many years have passed, my memories remain.

As the first born grandchild, Pa and I were very close.  I played in his shed, he built me forts, drew me pictures, he let me run the family superbowl pool equipped with a table, flags, and a clip board. Pa loved history, hunting, trains, gardening, his corvette and the Buffalo Bills.  He was a dentist and dedicated his practice to served the Polish community on the East side of Buffalo.  I recall visiting his office and sitting with him at home to help sort dental x-rays.   I loved spending time with Ma and Pa -- my loving, attentive and doting grandparents.

Special thanks to my mom for keeping a memory filled baby book.

Ma, Pa & me on, you guessed it, Halloween 1980

My report card from an overnight stay at Ma & Pa's

One of Pa's drawings

I can still remember standing next to him at the coffee table and watching him draw

My visit to Pa's dental office

Colton's first visit to the dentist

Superman sunglasses and a new toothbrush!

Laura with Pa in the Adirondacks

My Dad and Michelle have been purging their house in preparation for their move to Florida.  In the process, my Dad came across Schuco cars that were given to him many years ago by Pa.  The cars now belong to Colton and boy does he love them!

Hollyn slowing down the cars

I think winding up the car is Colton's favorite part

The Binis Family

(my mom is on the far right)

Farewell 2013... Hello New Year

A year in review, what a year it has been!  This year was extra special because our sweet little Hollyn arrived happy and healthy on July 8th.  Colton changed from a wobbly little toddler who knew a few words to an agile, strong, inquisitive, talkative little boy.  Gone are the signs for more "mo mo" and simple words like hi, Mama, Dada, please...he now speaks in toddler sentences:
Mama, Dada where are you? (this what I hear every morning when I wake up)
I did it!
Me drivin' car
No Dada, no stop
Why?... Because...
What's (wuz) that sound?
I see moon, more moon please (Colton thinking I have the power to create another moon in the sky - can this innocence last forever?)
Baby sister (seester), I see you.


Gone are the chubby legs and squishy belly.  Now Colton is fast and sturdy on his feet.  He can run, jump, spin, dance and wear all of us out very quickly. Hollyn has made our little corner of the world feel more complete than we could have imagined.  She went from a newborn to a happy, engaging infant who recognizes her family with a huge smile.  The way her eyes follow Colton around the room tells us she idolizes her big brother.

Hollyn's arrival gave me a wonderful four month leave from work, time I will always cherish.  The days were hectic but I think back to moments where time stood still and the world seemed like a simple place. Beyond a daughter, 2013 brought Jason the home bar, gym, and theater of his dreams.  This was not without Jason painstakingly routing every wire and laying every piece of tile, and me spending hours orchestrating this crazy project.  In the end, having this new family space has been worth it.  Jason relaxes here, Colton burns his toddler energy and I can workout at home. 


So what's ahead for 2014?  I don't really have it all planned out (shocking, I know).  We we will focused on creating fun memories, cherishing moments with our ever changing kids and continue to be thankful for the life we have together.  Cheers to the year ahead!

Oh, and a New Year's resolution -- yours truly will try to limit multi-tasking.  I'm not sure if this is entirely possible, but maybe I'll aim for doing two things at once as opposed to ten.  

Colton spent NYE at CC & Papa's - he wore his special glass straight from Times Square

Hollyn joined us for NYE at the Van Deusens

Cheers...seconds before midnight

Hollyn was asleep and woke up just in time to watch (literally) the ball drop

Same but Different

As we are raising Hollyn, Jason and I can't help but compare our two little people.  We have quickly concluded they are the same but different.

Both are loving, cuddly and smiley little people who like interaction.  They also have their differences.  Colton could always be soothed by food (this is probably still the case to some degree), this isn't true for Hollyn. Colton's growth outpaced Hollyn (at 4 months Hollyn weighed over two pounds less).  Hollyn has more hair, Colton had more of a belly.  Hollyn goes right to sleep whereas Colton preferred walks in the hallway with Daddy.  Hollyn also sleeps through the night on a regular basis.  It took Colton well over a year to be a consistent through the night sleeper.

Beyond temperament, food and sleep there is also the physical resemblance -- there is not much mistaking the fact that these two came from the same parents.

Colton in the chair with Daddy - nightly routine since he was an infant through when he left this room this past May.

Hollyn testing out the chair with Daddy for the first time -- it took 4 1/2 months to make use of the chair since this little girls goes right to bed!

Big Bro

 Little Sis

Big Bro

Little Sis

Drool

 

Spit-up (sorry, too funny so I had to share)

 

Little Sis

Big Bro

 

Little Sis - Nearly 5 months old!

Back to Work

I feel prepared for the transition as I go back to work tomorrow.  I am not thinking of this as going back but as moving forward.  Forward with the most important job in the world - being Colton's Mom.

I am sure this transition will not be without challenges and bumps in the road.  I feel fortunate to have a career I love and a husband who supports me.  I have given much thought towards how I will re-balance family, health, our home, and my career.  I am ready to get started.

As I reflect over the past few months I cannot help but be thankful for the time we had together to welcome Colton into our lives.

I will look back on our memories with happy thoughts and will always cherish the experience

• The arrival of a happy healthy baby and our extended hospital stay where it truly felt like the world stopped turning for a week
• Having Jason home with Colton and I for six weeks - Jason had to take care of both of us at first and I think Colton was 10 days old before I changed a diaper
• Getting a Keurig (thank you Jason for the best Birthday present ever)
• Colton routinely waking up just in time for the opening of the Today Show - this was our morning time together
• Lunches and playdates with my girlfriends and Colton's friends
• Colton's smiles, changes and unconditional love
• Watching Jason as a Dad and learning from him
• Quiet nights at home with nothing to do (although I always found it hard to sit still)
• Organizing, purging, reorganizing and all of the home projects Jason and I accomplished
• The amazing weather we had which allowed Colton and I to go on numerous walks in our neighborhood 
• Sitting on the couch and holding Colton - what started as ten minutes turned into two hours
• The days Colton and I would head out on errands and I would end up feeding him at Wegmans Market Cafe because he started crying halfway through my shopping list
• The anticipation of Jason getting home from work to tell him about Colton's day (it was like getting excited for one of our first dates)
• The hustle and bustle of the holidays - cutting down our first family tree, shopping, Christmas music, and lots and lots of baking 
• Afternoon workouts where Colton would start off asleep and then wake up and stare at me as I ran on the treadmill - as though he was thinking "what are you doing on there for so long?" or "go faster?"  I was thinking "please don't cry, mommy has another mile to go"
• Spending time with family and watching everyone fall in love with Colton
• Time to slow down and appreciate the start of our family 
• Documenting Colton's life on this blog - I will do my very best to keep posts updated as our lives continue

We recognize life will be different as the Smith family moves forward and I start work again tomorrow.  We will do this together and with great memories both behind and ahead of us.

Updated:  January 18, 2012

We all survived the first day of our new schedule.  Here is a picture of Colton & I before heading out in the morning.