Sunday, May 17, 2009

Mom "Award"

One of my fellow angel baby friends "nominated" me for Mom of the Year "Award" (Thanks, Jen!), in which I have to answer the questions below. I haven't done any silly questionnaires like this in a long time, but I thought I would do it with Gavin in mind.

Here are the rules I have to follow in order to receive the "award":

Admit one thing you feel awful about involving being a mom. Get it off your shoulders. Once you've written it down, you are no longer allowed to feel bad. It's over with, it's in the past. Remember, you're a good mom!

Its hard to narrow it down, but I feel like I was always so tired with Gavin and rushing to get to "the next thing" every day so I could sit down and relax in between. I wish I would've just held him more.

Remind yourself you are a good mom, list seven things you love about your kids, you love doing with your kids, or that your kids love about you. These are the things to remind yourself everyday that you Rock!

1. I loved giving him bubble baths...he loved it so much, too. I would give him a bath after breakfast, right before his morning nap. He would sit in there for up to half an hour while I poured the warm water all over him and washed his hair. Sometimes he would even fall asleep. It was so funny.

2. I loved getting him all snuggled up for his naps, too. I'd put him in a clean onesie after his bath, feed him his bottle and then tuck him into bed with a full tummy, his soft blanket, his little pillow and his stuffed puppy dog. I'd turn on the cool mist humidifier and turn down the lights and I always thought "he must feel like he's in heaven right now!" because it would be so calm and cool in there. He had to deal with so much pain and stress that I just loved making him feel relaxed and comforted.

3. I loved feeding him food...we had to wait so long to give him anything solid, so once we were able to it was a real treat for both of us! It was just fun to see the looks on his face and sneak him sweet treats. I'm glad now that I did, it wouldn't have been very fair for him to have only tasted applesauce and baby cereal. Especially since he had to stomache that yucky formula and so many awful tasting medications every day. I'm glad he got to taste cotton candy and snow cones and jello w/ whipped cream and mint chip popsicle and pumpkin pie.

4. I loved taking him for walks. He loved laying back and just watching the world go by, whether it was at home in our neighborhood or in the hospital.

5. I loved taking pictures of him! He was so cute with those big brown eyes, big smile and round cheeks. He was my cutest baby, hands down. (sorry, other kids!) :P

6. I loved dressing him up in cute outfits. We hardly ever got to do that since we couldn't really take him anywhere, and at home he just wore onesies since it was so hot. And at the hospital it was always just white t-shirts. So any time I did get to take him out (usually to the doctors) I dressed him up in a cute t-shirt, his little denim overalls and his trademark tennis shoe socks. I loved those overalls...pants never fit him because his tummy was too round, so it was always overalls! He looked so cute in them.

7. I loved playing Itsy Bitsy Spider with him...I always emphasized the "washed the spider OUT" part and he would anxiously wait for it and then smile real big.

Send this to five other Mom's of the year that deserve credit for being great moms and remind them that they are the best moms they can be!!

5 comments:

Melody B. said...

I like it! And you DO deserve "Mom of the Year"! You are a wonderful mom who is selfless and loving. :) Those overalls were to die for. Just look at the pic in the header...WAY too cute! We love Gavin and we love you!

Brett said...

What a darling post and I, too, love the overalls! Those are a signature "Gavin" pair of clothing. Such fun memories you have of you and him together. I love how every little thing that a mom does for her child is special and unique. No one can replace the love of a mother for her child or the love of a child for his mother. Congrats on the award...you deserve it!

nancy said...

gavin would definitely agree that you deserve the mom of the year award, and i agree! =)
yes, it's so much better to focus on "the good things"...the things that make us smile. we tend to remember our regrets in mothering (especially those of us whose children are all grown up) so much more, beating ourselves up with regrets. i have done that often (and still do at times).
it's better to remember the good moments, the memories that make us smile...those are the best ones to remember and focus on.
thanks for sharing those sweet memories with gavin.

Barrett, Melinda, Angel Trinity, and Baby Zander said...

OOOHHH, I loved reading this! I love learning about Gavin through you...you continue to make me fall more and more in love with your precious angel baby boy. Many people who've never met Trinity, have fallen in love with her through me. I love how you do the same thing by keeping Gavin alive in so many ways! LOVE YA!!!

Jan's Blog said...

I just found your blog through a comment you made to Plaid (Job's Apprentice.) Your little Gavin is just absolutely precious and I know your pain unimaginable, even with your precious new little girl. I want to thank you for the list detailing what is and what isn't helpful to a grieving parent or family member. I'm one of those that likes to talk about the deceased and I'm glad to know it is OK. Starting a conversation about the deceased often leads to the most beautiful conversations, and if done right, I listen far more than I speak. Several of the things you mentioned I didn't know and was SO very glad to learn.

I have fears about Plaid. She seems to be lost in her grief and feeling abandoned and desperate. I believe what you have taught me will help me be more understanding and compassionate with her. I so wish I knew her personally or lived close to her.

Anyway, thanks again and God bless you and yours!!!