Sweet Little Moments

Last week, my dad was flipping through 6+ photos of Eden eating her first chip. (A whole grain tortilla chip, which she loved!) , and he jokingly said that if I take that many photos of her first chip, he's anxious to see what I do when it's actually something important, like maybe her first time walking, first day of preschool, high school graduation, wedding day, etc., etc.  (He definitely was not complaining, as he is one who requests photo of her on the daily---the man really needs to be on facebook!)

It got me thinking. Yes, I fully admit that I am a little camera (well, iphone camera) happy. I love to document the little moments that are special to me (the moments that I am sure have my facebook friends rolling their eyes and thinking, seriously, another photo of her daughter smiling at a cheerio or crawling around the living room.) But, it makes my heart happy to document the little moments of her sweet little life, as these little moments go extremely fast. I've heard it said that time spent behind a camera turns into moments that were not treasured and that are hard to remember, but I disagree. I love having the photos to look back at and reminisce, while also living in the moment of, wow, look what she can do today!

Yes, I realize the little things that Eden is doing are things that many babies, okay, all babies before her have done. I get it, but they were not my baby. I love looking the video of the first time she laughed as we poked her belly and tickled her chubby little baby thighs. I'm glad that we have the video of when she learned how to play peek-a-boo with a pillow and the picture of her little butt as she crawled in the bathtub (although, that one won't be posted to facbook..you're welcome) I'm thankful to have the picture of her smiling up at me bundled up in her snow suit on a snow day and the one of her sitting criss cross on the living room floor patting her puppy.

I also love the sweet little moments that can't be captured by a photo. Like teething in the middle of the night that calls for cuddles in mommy and daddy's bed, yelling momomomom at the top of her lungs  on an early morning Target shopping trip, playing peekaboo behind mommy with a stranger while eating dinner at Zuki, kisses to every baby that she sees. I love these moments with her. I love them, captured or not. On that note, it is time for this blog post to end, as sweet Eden is no longer content with her corn snacks and sippy cup. She is ready to play a game of I drop it. You pick it up. Repeat. Over and over.

 

 

 
 

 

 

On Being a Teacher Mom

Today as my third graders loaded up their foam trays with chili, cheese quesadillas, chips, and corn, and headed back to our classroom for lunch before our early dismissal, one of my third graders asked me if I was excited to be leaving early. I responded, "Well no, I wanna be here at school, teaching you.. "Really?" he asked, "Wouldn't you rather be with Eden," or something along those lines.. It made me think.

Before I became a mom, I was a teacher. I have been known to say things along the lines of, "I could never be a stay at home mom. I love my job way too much." Then came Eden. Before I had Eden a normal day for me was arriving at school at 6am, teaching until 2:05, teaching after school until 4:30 and getting things ready for the next day until 5:00 or 5:30. I ate, slept, and breathed school, teaching,  and my relationships with my kiddos, and I loved every minute of it.

When I was 24 weeks pregnant and my doctor advised me to stop teaching until after my little one arrived, due to high blood pressure and fear of preeclampsia, I was devastated, to say the least. I couldn't imagine spending weeks away from my students before my little girl arrived, and I had a hard time giving up control. It was a trying and stretching time for me and God taught me a lot about trusting him, being patience, and having peace in his presence.

After Eden arrived, I enjoyed every minute with her, and I treasured the days of being a stay at home mom. Maybe it was for me after all. . . . Thinking of going back to school and leaving Eden at daycare left a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. How could I be a teacher and be her mom. Would I ever stop thinking about my baby while I was at work? Would being a teacher be what it was before?

Today, the fact is, I am not just a teacher, and I am not just a mom, I am a teacher-mom. I feel that it is the profession that God has called me to. Sure, being a teacher is different than it used to be. Now, I drop Eden off at daycare to arrive to school as early as possible, so that I can leave as early as possible, while still being organized and prepared for the next day. I take a bag full of school work home, papers to grade while she naps, lessons to plan, printing to do.  I am still a teacher. I still cherish the relationships with my class, love their excitement when I bring in donuts or make slime during fun friday. I still get excited when a child moves up a reading level or when a light bulb goes on in math. I love sharing my life with them, and I love how they beg me to share pictures  and stories of Eden.

I love how my two important jobs have intertwined.  I couldn't have known a year ago, how great, and how rewarding, being a teacher mom would be.