Rainy mornings

It's raining this morning. And most moms know that rainy mornings equal great sleeping for little ones!
So I finally had some morning time to myself. I'm having HOT coffee (I haven't had to stop & think where I left my cup en route to change Cailyn's diapers or help Carys in the bathroom, and then nuke it because I found the cup and its contents were cold an hour later). I read some email. Watched snippets of the Today show, which I very rarely get to do. I saw those infamous Suri Cruise photos online (she is a gorgeous baby!). And looked at some pictures of my own.

Where does the time go? Really? Carys is going to be 3 soon. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was a nervous non-mommy, waddling in to the labor & delivery ward of Rex, not knowing what to expect from the whole birth experience. Or mothering experience. And here it is...33 months later. Almost 3 whole years.

And we've done okay. Carys is happy and healthy. Chad & I are getting sleep - something we thought we'd never do again. (And we were so un-traumatized from the first child-bearing experience that we had another beautiful baby...)
She's getting so big.
She's smart. She's funny. She's stubborn. She's sweet. She's beautiful. She's sympathetic to others. She's my helper. She's my firstborn. She's a sister.
She's so many things.
But she's not a baby anymore.

That fact strikes me harder every day as she learns something new or when she hugs me & tells me that she loves me. And lately, she reminds me "Carys is big! Sissy is little!" She is such a wonderful child. She has her moments. But she is just...Carys.

She doesn't really like naptime anymore, but she desperately needs a nap every day (and truth be told, I need mommy time - no please take a nap, kiddos!). She finally gave up yesterday & napped on the futon in our playroom, cuddling her baby. That poor doll has been thru the ringer. She's filthy. But she's Carys' best buddy...And Cailyn is just a social butterfly. She smiles & coos at everyone. Except when it's mealtime or sleepytime - then only mommy will do.
Here's a quick layout I did this morning. I was experimenting with the bent photo technique in Photoshop - it was pretty easy once I figured it out. I love this photo of the girls together - Carys was being a dutiful big sister and telling Cailyn to smile for the camera.

Anyway. That's what I did with my free time the morning. Reminisced about Carys being Cailyn's age. Even with my own time & things to do, I've always got them on my mind. A mommy is a mommy.