Family Archives - Page 21 of 26 - Enjoying the Small Things

Four.

May 19, 2011 By Kelle

It was her day today.

Initiated by a family breakfast celebration accompanied by her brothers who got to skip out on a couple morning classes in exchange for challah french toast and watching the birthday girl blow out four candles on her Mickey Mouse pancakes.

She milked it big time. Kept asking us to say “Happy Birthday, Lainey” and smiling when we did.

If there is a heaven, then someday when I cross over there, I’d like to think my moment of entrance will be experiencing again those precious minutes when I became a mother. To do it again–to transform from wanting, hoping, and trying to imagine what it’s going to be like to actually experiencing it–reaching out my arms to cradle her perfect body, pulling her in to kiss newborn skin, feeling this gutteral lurch of a new love I couldn’t quite explain–I’d go back a trillion times to feel it again if I could. I’d take the pain, the pushing, all of it just to remember again what it was like to be changed so instantly. To be overwhelmed by love in that way.

I told her the story of her birth tonight as she fell asleep spooned in front of me, and in the faint light of the moon, her little silhouette looked just like it did four years ago.

I told her about the day she made me a mama, and how she stopped crying as soon as she heard my voice. That’s her favorite part of the story. Every time I get to that part, she smiles.

My, how she has changed.

This year, our shy girl has braved a medley of new experiences–from ballet to human sling shot rides–and her confidence continues to soar, hidden at times but pulled from the reserves when she needs it most. Resourceful and intuitive, funny and free-spirited, she has grown into her own personality which, while predictable and undeniably hers, still renders surprises that leave us sighing with the bittersweet recognition that she’s simply growing up.

I love her faces.

There are times when I worry she feels lost in the cloud of special needs attention, but I think this less and less as I trust my instincts and they tell me she is fine. Because there’s a whole lot of special that comes with the one who makes someome a mama, and I know she knows this. After all, she is four.

So tonight, we celebrated appropriately, whipping up her meal of choice–Mac n’ Cheese, of course–and listening as she dropped the phrase “my birthday” into every other sentence.

Her one birthday wish was to go to Walmart with Brett to pick out her own birthday cake (she’s eyed them the last few times we’ve been there). Sending Brett to Walmart with Lainey though is like giving a mouse a cookie. They came home with a cake. And Dora jammies. And Tic Tacs.

Swiper, no swiping!

She was thrilled with her new scooter. Had to try it out with her new jammies and worked very hard to conceal her satisfied smile.

My first born is growing up, and it is a wonder to behold.

(Lainey turns two, Lainey turns three)

*****

I so enjoyed reading about all the qualities you love most about yourselves in the last post. They made me smile and think a bit more about things I’d like to change in my own character. Thank you for sharing.

The winner of the $100 Little Lesiw Gift Certificate: Comment #54, theenglishgirl: Love the sisterly hug, so real and tender. Must have melted your heart to see that. I wonder how many moments like that we actually catch??? Hopefully being present, not too many!
My ability to be a good friend. Even with my crazy road life, my friends mean the world to me and I carry them in my heart. Happy Birthday Lainey and Happy Birth Day Mummy! Congratulations, theenglishgirl! (do you have a British accent? because I love them.) Please send your contact info to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net, and a nice box of accessories will soon be at your door.

And finally, we’re excitedly welcoming Piccadilly Circus as a new sponsor.

Their appliqued shirts are great for photos, make fabulous gifts, and are of impeccable quality. We love our felt initial shirts (I love the big yarn stitching!). And I have a thing for baseball shirts…especially after Nella sported hers.

My Pensive Sky wall (Behr paint for a couple who asked)

Use code “freeshipping” (one word, no space) for free shipping on your order, and one comment from this post will be randomly chosen for a $50 gift certificate, courtesy of Piccadilly Circus.

Happy Wednesday!

My Mama’s Wedding

May 9, 2011 By Kelle

The unfortunate part of going home to visit is that once you are there, you begin to remember what you gave up to move away.

I’ve programmed myself to focus on the fact that we can skip barefoot through sprinklers in our side yard in February or wade the gulf searching for bait fish any time we please. I’ve squeezed my homesick lemons into lemonade that tastes like sunsets, cold sand, palm trees and Sunday kayak rides. And I like that lemonade.

But this weekend, the protective barrier I’ve built of making the best out of raising my family away from those I love began to deconstruct. I felt what we are missing. I watched Lainey find her place in a line up of little cousins tucked under covers and I choked back tears as Nella was cuddled and loved by men who were once just little cousins I used to hoist on my own hip.

I miss this.

But let me go back.

My mama got married.

I’ve been so busy with traveling and getting ready for the trip that I never really thought about how emotional it would be. It’s something we’ve dreamed of for a very long time. And then George came along and my, how we could never have chosen a better man to make my mom happy…to fit in so perfectly with our family.

We gave our mom away. In a profoundly beautiful moment, my brother and sister and I walked down an aisle, behind my mom–the day before Mother’s Day–and smiled as we answered “Who gives this woman?” with a confident “We, her children.”

It is slightly ironic–to give your mother away–and yet an amazing opportunity I’ll never forget. Things didn’t go perfectly as planned for my mom. But she’s taught us to find happiness, to be content, to make the best of what we have. And in the end, there is joy…if you look for it. Thankfully, Heidi thought to look for it for her on Eharmony.

My mom’s sisters (minus one who’s in Nigeria) and my grandma who might as well be a sister.

I thought a lot about legacy this weekend.

Grandma’s got bling.

I looked at Lainey less as an almost-four-year-old and more as the girl who will grow up and make her own mark on the world.

But mostly I just felt wholly present and grateful for family.

For picking up where we left off.

For knowing that so much of who I am comes from the grounding roots of where I’ve been…of where I belong.

We had some good times this weekend. Moments where the stars and planets were aligned and all was right with the world.

My people.

I’ve learned never to go too long without coming home again.

And while this great span of family loveliness this weekend had me aching for more of it, I woke up at 4:30 this morning to prepare for an early flight. I peeled the covers down and shivered with the shock of cold air that creeped in overnight, tucked an extra blanket around the girls, and quietly tiptoed through the dark to the cold tile of the bathroom where I showered. I winced through a goosebump shave that will, I’m sure, soon transform into a wicked case of razor burn, and I finished my shower with two towels–double the warmth. Forty minutes later, I blanketed the girls like burritos and hurried them to the car, promising they’d be warm soon. Because it’s only a two-and-a-half hour plane ride that seperates us from our other home–where May means bare shoulders, sun-kissed cheeks and an array of bathing suits drying over the pool fence.

Maybe you can have the best of both worlds. Where sometimes it’s hard, but most of the time you make it work. Where staying home and going home mean two different things but somewhere in between, there’s a happy middle.

We’ll find it, whatever it is.

More of Mama’s wedding HERE.
(doxology is a family tradition)

Congratulations to the winner of a Popina swimsuit, Comment #1042, Kristin: Hands down my least favorite to do is mopping! My procrastinatory weapon of choice is nursing my sweet little baby! Hey, if he needs to eat, then he needs to eat! 🙂 So really it’s not procrastinating, it’s just prioritizing! 🙂

Kristin, please send your info to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net.

And finally, it’s appropriate timing to introduce two new sponsors as Lainey’s flower girl skirt was designed and created by Bambaroos Boutique. Bambaroos features many styles of fully-lined tulle skirts that work beautifully as photography props or for weddings.

Bambaroos is joined by its sister shop, Studio Wed, which provides wedding and fashion accessories for women.

Check out my new Studio Wed tulle skirt with satin sash. Love.

And if you’re still enthralled with fascinators like I am after Will & Kate’s wedding, you’ll have to check out their stunning selection (this one!).

Use Code BLOGS at either shop for 10% off your order.

Two comments will be randomly selected–one to win a $25 gift certificate to Bambaroos and one to win a $35 gift certificate to Studio Wed.

I’m running on fumes–four nights in a row to bed past midnight. To all a good night!

Check out Babble’s Mother’s Day sentiments HERE.

Happy Mother’s Day

May 9, 2011 By Kelle

I had a Mother’s Day post planned. Things I’ve been thinking about my own kids, what I’ve learned from my mom, how it all ties together, but words are so inadequate right now for the emotion of this weekend. Plus, I haven’t even stepped away from family to call my own husband.

I will sew the thoughts and photos together tomorrow, maybe even say something nice about Mother’s Day. But for now, I want to let the magic seep in a bit.