Bunny

Easter Sunday 2014 has come and gone. The Easter bunny brought Noah his very own little red car + a basket full of books, baseball Easter eggs, a bouncey ball, sidewalk chalk, Mega Bloks, and few other toys. I tried to recreate a similar Easter photo from last year, but Noah would not cooperate.

We took a little road trip to NoVa to visit my aunt at the Quantico National Cemetery. My mom had not visited her baby sister in a few years. So, we all squeezed into my Mazda CX7 and drove 2 hours and 20 minutes (took a little longer because of minor traffic) to pay our respect. Afterwards, we had Mexican Easter lunch with my not-so-little cousin Tim. Noah almost started crying when Uncle Tim made a goofy face at him. He did his sad face, chin, pout. Lane and I immediately distracted him with crayons, books, and tickles. Our server brought him a balloon 🎈with a drawn on smiley face 😄. He loved it! On our way home, we stopped at a park in Williamsburg, but ended up having to just change a leaky diaper and head home without playtime. This momma failed to bring an extra change of clothes. We ended up having a Korean Easter dinner, which was über yummy. Overall, it was a nice road trip and day.

On another note, wild bunnies and squirrels devoured my lettuce plants in the garden. 😠 Everything else seems to be growing well and looking scrumptious.

Lane has had fun setting up the garden and working on making our front and backyard pretty. He's so enthusiastic and passionate about lawn care, in general. It's rather cute.

Noah has become quite the little climber. From my parents' stairs to the couch to attempting to climb out of his pack-n-play. It's officially time to transition into a toddler bed. I still get misty-eyed when I see just how big he has gotten. My tiny 4lbs preemie is now almost 17 months old. No longer completely helpless, he strives to try everything solo. Mr. Independent becomes quite the Mr. Cranky Pants whenever momma tries to "help". It's comical at times, but my anxiety levels have been pushed to the limit on occasions where he feels a desire to leap and dive off of our sofa.

I'm looking forward to spring and summer trips to Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion. I don't think we will be taking and major vacations this year, but local theme parks + maybe weekend trips to the beach, DC, and other VA areas sound reasonable. I know hubby wants to eventually take another road trip to GA and FL. Maybe next year....

We almost ran into his mother and her current husband in a store recently. I am rather surprised they did not see (or hear us - Noah) since we were apparently behind them in a checkout line. Hubby said we needed to get out of the line and wanted to walk around the store a bit longer. I think he's upset that his mother did not jump at the opportunity to meet Noah, when we offered via email. A small part of me considered just walking up to her, with Noah, at that store. However, it was too close to nap time and he was getting rather cranky. Probably wouldn't have been the most ideal introduction. 😳 I asked hubby if we should send more photos to his mother via email, but he said no. He hasn't heard from her since January. Clearly, it bothers him. It's all so ridiculous to me. Families should not hold such strong grudges against one another. He's so bitter about his relationship with his siblings that he feels Noah may be better off as an only child. He has no idea what it's like to be an only child. Yet, he argues that having siblings does not guarantee a life without loneliness or a life full of familial support.

On a more positive note, the warmer weather is returning this week. 🌻🌼🌴🌸🌺💐🌷🍀🌱After switching back to the heater for a few nights, it looks like the spring weather is finally going to stick around this time. I've been scouring the consignment shops and garage sales for a nice jogging stroller with a swivel and locking capable front wheel. No such luck. My parents' neighborhood has a community garage sale happening in a few weeks. We are planning to attempt selling baby clothes, accessories and a few furniture pieces. Spring cleaning at it's finest. 😘 Perhaps, I will find that perfect jogging stroller.

With spring awakenings and warmer weather, I find myself wanting to reconnect with old friends and family members. The other day I had brunch with two old friends. It was refreshing. I also heard back from an old Florida friend via email. Although hubby was not thrilled about the reconnection with that particular friend, I was glad to hear that this friend was doing well.

Relationships, whether platonic, romantic, good or bad, occur for a reason. We are shaped and affected by our past relationships. Some make us stronger. Others change the paths we will take in life. I am a firm believer that time can heal, and that one should willing and be open to forgiveness. It seems better than holding on to strong negative bitterness. However, I am also open to the reality of completely cutting certain people out of one's life and never looking back...ever. Every case (or relationship scenario) is unique and should be handled on an individual basis. My husband, on the other hand, is a stubborn man. He is not one for forgiving and forgetting. <sigh>

Any ways, until next time....

XoXo - HMBC