A new chapter begins

Today, my baby turns three.

Throughout the year, it's so easy to get swept up in the moment. To lose sight of how far we've come in such a short amount of time. To not be bothered contemplating the countless obstacles and heart-stopping moments of both fear and joy that are yet to come. To just breath in the present - which, in case you were wondering, smells like play doh, vanilla frosting and dirt.

Ryan woke up today like he does most other days. Slowly, but full of energy. Ready to take on another day with the gusto of any other...three year old. Ugh. When did this happen? I asked Rye if he knew how it happened. I got a blank stare. I told him I vividly remembered how he ruined a lunch date with girlfriends, but it was worth it. I reminded him how so many people who love him - and came down this weekend to celebrate his birthday - were there that day too, so excited to finally meet our little man.

Ryan has always been full of life with his own unique personality. But I think having another kid in the house makes his Ryan-isms all the more apparent.

He's sensitive. And not just cause he's three and three year olds treat mundane moments like they're vying for an Academy Award. He really has a sense of empathy and responds to the needs of others.

He's funny. He's already perfected the tri-fecta: physical comedy, props comedy and verbal comedy.

He's smart. More often than not, we'll ask him questions with no expectation that he'll know the answer and he'll end up blowing us away by responding casually and appropriately. Like he's known the answer all his life. Even today - we pulled out a math book he got for his birthday and he began matching like objects, circling missing objects, counting to three...five...ten, and tracing (tracing!) the number 2. What?! When did my baby get so big?

Today, my baby turns three. And though it seems like just yesterday he was this small...

It wasn't just yesterday. It was years (years?!) ago that he took his first step.

And it's been quite some times since he first learned to eat with a spoon.

But here we are, on his third birthday, still experiencing milestones and still marveling at the amazing little man we've helped create.

Happy Birthday, Ryebread.

The Greatest Card Ever

A few years ago, my college roomate, Melissa, got Nate the best birthday card ever - for a couple reasons. Reason #1: It was to celebrate him turning the big 3-0 and Nate wasn't taking the end of his 20s so well, so this card was perfect for the occasion. It was huge. Not your normal 5x7 card, but an obnoxious 12 x 12 card. It reminded him that no matter how much he tried to ignore it, 30 was staring him in the face. On the front was a scene from the beginning of Star Wars, complete with spaceships, planets and the words, "A long, long time ago..." Then, when you opened the card, the epic theme music blared from the oversized card speaker and it read, "You were born." The music is what really set the tone. It was hilarious, even if it took Nate a few months to appreciate the humor of such a well-played card.

Reason #2: It is the longest lasting card I've ever seen. Most cards are opened, read and quickly discarded. Some cards have staying power - but usually end up in a box or drawer somewhere and disappear for years at at time. This card? It's become a staple in the Bachman house.

Reason #3: It provides endles hours of entertainment for my kids. The reason the card has lasted so long is because Ryan and Lindsey LOVE it. And I'm not just talking about...oh, they like to open it now and then and giggle before getting distracted by another toy. I'm talking about...they will fight an epic Star Wars-worthy battle over whose turn it is to open the card and make the magic music appear.

Ryan calls it his "born book." And gets upset when he can't find it. Lindsey doesn't talk much yet, but I suspect she'd call it her greatest symphony ever. Because I'm pretty sure she thinks she makes the music appear with her super powers. And always claps after it's over to acknowledge her awesome abilities.

Since it's been played over and over for several years now, I often worried about what would happen when the battery finally runs out. Until one day, when I was looking for a birthday card for Ryan's big 0-3 (coincidence??) and there it was. A 5x7 version of the Born Book.

Long live the greatest card ever.

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Apparently, that's what little boys are made of. I call foul. In my world? Little boys are made of rubber, lead and a sturdy head.

My theory was proven just 16 days shy of Rye's 3rd birthday when a silly game of belly sledding down Grandma and Grandpa's stairs went south (a little pun intended), landed us in the ER and gave Rye his first set of stitches.

The good news? That stuff Ryan is made of came in handy that day. Though he managed to find the one point on the one banister on the staircase that could cause the most harm (and it did - I swear I saw my little man's skull), he only cried for a few minutes (and sunk like lead into my arms while I gained composure, called for back-up and summoned ice packs, band-aids and paper towels to ease my baby's pain). While we waited at the Emergency Center for two hours, he managed to bounce back (like rubber) and was his normal, inquisitive, goofy self. He even helped entertain my boredom by modeling some emotions for the camera.

Ryan's Sad Face

 Ryan's Happy Face

 Ryan's Mad Face

 Ryan's Surprise Face

Oh - and proof he's got a sturdy head? At one point, he looked at me, clearly annoyed with being in the same boring room for so long and said, "Mom. My boo boo feels better now. Can we go home?"

Rules are made to be broken

Parenting isn't easy. It's fun, rewarding and exciting - but it isn't easy.

Like most new parents, when Ryan was born, we had no idea what we were doing. We read books, took notes when we watched Super Nanny and pulled memories from our own childhoods. But no matter how prepared you think you are, you're never ready for the role.

Parents-to-be often speak in absolutes: "I'll never let my kid..." "We'll always make sure..." And try as you might to stick with those self-imposed rules, your on-the-job training will quickly remind you that rules are, sometimes, made to be broken.

One of our self-imposed rules? No TV before the age of 2. There are countless studies that show the benefits of sticking to this rule (and the negative effects of breaking it), so we worked diligently with Ryan to keep the TV off. It lasted 18 months. Right around 18 months is when mornings were getting hectic and my patience was getting thin. Elmo saved the day. That's it, just 15 minutes of Elmo's world in the morning (which, if he's going to watch TV - at least its educational) and life was good again.

By the time Lindsey was born, Ryan was nearly 2 and was hit or miss with TV. He rarely initiated a TV watching session and almost never stuck around more than 20 minutes to watch it when he did. He had better things to do - legos to stack and train tracks to build. But we made sure we imposed the TV rule with Lindsey.

Of course, parenting isn't easy. And it gets exponentially harder (but equally more fun, rewarding and exciting) with each subsequent child. This time...the rule lasted 14 months. This morning, both kids woke up well before the time they usually do and it threw our morning routine completely off track. After they had breakfast, Nate and I still had plenty to do before we could all walk out the door. Cue our rule-breaking rebellion.

Amen for PBS, Sesame Street, a comfy couch, loving siblings and our ability to still be rebels.

What's for dinner?

Since Nate and I have been together, we've always experimented with new foods. Sometimes because we were bored with our meal routine, sometimes because we wanted to be more health conscious, sometimes it was a little of both.

When Ryan was born, we went back to the basics. Partly because we didn't think his palate was refined enough (don't I sound fancy?), because he didn't really have a bunch of teeth and because when both parents work and everyone is hungry at the end of the day, you don't have much time for anything other than chicken nuggets, fish sticks or spaghetti.

Eventually though, Ryan got in all of his teeth, developed a more refined palate (seriously, I have no idea what that means, but it sounds cool) and we, once again, were getting bored. So we started experimenting again and Ryan was down for everything. Good man. :)

Then Lindsey came along and it was back to square one. Luckily, she too enjoys food like the rest of us. And though her teeth are stubbornly not coming in very quickly (13 months and still just two bottom teeth), she must have killer gums and jaw muscles because we have yet to find a food she can't handle.

As the experimenting continues, tonights meal made me laugh. I remember growing up on tuna casserole, ramen noodle soups, grilled cheese, spaghetti - all the basics. It was easy, cheap and good and that's all my parents were concerned with. But here we are, refined palates and all, enjoying a red onion, goat cheese and potato pizza on a whole wheat crust. And my little foodies gobbled up every last bite.

Dinner is served.

Super Kids

I often talk about how parents have super powers (we do), but as Nate and I continue navigating through this whole process of raising Ryan and Lindsey, I'm realizing they, too, have some pretty awesome powers as well.

They have the power to change who we are, how we act. I'm more patient, I never rarely curse, but not as often and I've become acutely aware that my behavior, reactions and mannerisms are constantly being watched by two sets of little eyes and meticulously scrutinized by the brains behind them. As such, I make sure to use my manners more consistently, to not be so harsh with Bailey when he destroys a toy left out on the floor, to do the things I expect (or will expect) of my kids so they can learn by example and respect the rules we set for them.

They have the power to make you humble. I love to sing and I've been told kids instinctively love the sound of their parents voice. I guess whoever said that had a good voice. I'm not terrible, but sometimes when I start to sing to Ryan he'll yell, "stop, stop, stop, mommy!" Point taken.

They have the power to calm. I can't tell you how many times I've had a bad day. And not just a bad day, but a bad day. Yet, no matter how stressed, emotionally drained or physically exhausted I am, seeing Ryan or Lindsey smile or hearing them giggle has the same calming effect as candles and a bubble bath.

They have the power to melt your heart. And it's always the little things. When I go to pick up Lindsey from daycare and she throws down everything down, runs over to me, arms in the air, grin on her face - my heart melts like butter. Or when Ryan randomly stops what he's doing to say, "Hey mom! I love you."

Eventually, I'm aware, their powers may be used for evil (the power to manipulate, lie, coerce, etc.), but for now - my little caped crusaders are fighting the good fight and I'm glad they're on my side.