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Author Archives: themielkeway
Our first day back
Thank you so much for all the emails asking about Graeson’s first day at school and well wishes! Â He did great- better than I could have ever hoped for. Â He was completely content, and I got to spend about 4 hours of the 7 hour work day with him, showing him off to all of my colleagues. He was quite the hit. Â We are both utterly exhausted- Grae’s exhaustion due to all the stimulation today, mine is probably more related to the fact that I didn’t sleep a wink last due to the stress of taking him to daycare. Â I don’t know if I’m more proud of him or myself for making it through our first day back without tears. Â đ
Pictures soon to come.
Thanks again for your thoughts today.
Love,
Andrea
Letters to Grae
Dear Grae,
Today is my last day of maternity leave with you and I have so many mixed feelings flying around my head. Â I feel guilty and sad that I am going back to work and we won’t be able to spend every single minute together anymore (well, at least for the next 13 weeks, then we have summer vacation to look forward to đ ). Â However, deep down, I believe that it is the right decision for both of us.
Someday, when you are grown and raised (and not a minute before), I want us to be real friends. I want you to know me, the real me, the person I was before I had you, and the person who you have helped me become. The second I found out I was pregnant with you, I wanted to quit my job and forget all my other interests, so I could devote ALL of my time and attention to you. Last summer, when you were in my belly, I wanted to do nothing more than sit on the couch and wait to feel my belly move with your precious kicks. Now, as my maternity leave is coming to an end, I want to do nothing but push the slow motion button, and spend every last second with you in my arms, cuddling in our special spot on the couch.
But, Iâve come to the realization that abandoning everything that makes me who I am is probably not completely healthy.
When you are an adult, I want you to know that I am not just your mom (which is by far the best, most important, proudest part of me), but also a real person. I hope that you will always need your Mommy, but if thatâs ALL I am, I would be terrified you might eventually âgrow out ofâ that. As you grow, I want us to grow together. I want us to explore each otherâs passions, teach each other new things, and support each other while we achieve our dreams.
Today, we are singing lullabies and changing dirty diapers, tomorrow we will be conquering the world.
I love you,
Mommy
Infant at last!
Graeson is THREE months old today, which means he has now graduated from newborn to INFANT status!
My chunky monkey now weighs 16 pounds! His “hot dogs” (the rolls on his thighs) are completely irresistible.
He is staying alert for much longer periods of time, and has a long attention span. Â He is completely entertained by his favorite “stations” that we have set up around our house (Johnny Jump Up, Floor mat with lots of toys dangling over his head that he can bat at, a blanket with a ball and rattle for tummy time, and a mirror so he can see the most amazing sight in the world- his face!) Â Although, sometimes that baby in the mirror is mean to him and makes him cry. He is even starting to pick up some of his toys!
He is starting to show more personality and has learned to communicate his likes and dislikes quite well. Â He is one of the most determined babies I have ever met. Â He learned how to push buttons that play music in a matter of minutes on his new excer-saucer that Grandma and Grandpa got for him last weekend! Â Its so neat to watch those wheels turning. Â You can see the perseverance in his eyes when faced with a new task.
His first “play date” in the baby room is in two days. Â Gahhh… I think I’m going to need a tranquilizer. Â *Breathe, Mama, Breathe*
Happy First Valentine’s Day, G!
Life Lesson
âYou gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.â ~Eleanor RooseveltÂ
First of all-
If its not hard, baby, it aint worth doin’.
Second-
Bravery is not the absence of fear, it is the MASTERY of it.
Finally-
Overcoming fear doesn’t happen automatically. Â You must make deliberate actions to do things that scare you.
I guarantee you will have fears to face, both daily and throughout your lifetime- it may be with a bully at school, it may be falling in love, fear may even rear its ugly head when you must make important life decisions such as choosing your career.
As much as I would like to put you in a bubble and keep you away from anything that may scare you, I remind myself that nothing great was ever achieved by playing it safe. Â You, my son, are going to achieve greatness.
You can overcome anything. Â And, you will always have a lot of people standing behind you to cheer you on.
I love you, Brave Boy.
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This kid LOVES to be CLEAN
I have never seen a baby that loves his diaper changed as much as Grae! Â He giggles and smiles as he gets laid down on his changing table and throughout the entire changing process. Â Simply delightful.
Your Twelfth Week
Graeson,
You are SO MUCH FUN this week! Â You have started belly laughing (even in your sleep!) and it CRACKS ME UP each time. Â AND, you now recognize Daddy and me! Â When we leave the room, you search for us, and when we return, you greet us with big gummy smiles. Â What a treat! Â You are also a drool monster- I don’t know where all that stringy spit comes from. Â It makes me wonder if you are starting to get your first tooth already.
Your hands are your favorite toys. Â You study them and move each of your fingers. Â You purposely grab ahold of your toys dangling above your head when you lay on your baby gym. Â AND, Daddy and I are CONVINCED you wave back at me (although not everyone believes us).
I had to clean out your closet again and retire more of your clothes to the “Next Time Box.” You are still wearing some 3-6 month size clothes, but most are getting awfully small. Â I hung up all the 6-9 month outfits on the top shelf,and even the 9-12 month clothes on the bottom. THEY LOOK SO BIG, I can’t believe how fast you are growing! Â When Uncle Cason and I were little, your Grandma used to tell us that she was going to put bricks on our heads to keep us from growing… I totally see why now. Â You better watch out, because I’ll bet she already has some bricks for you. đ
This is my last full week of maternity leave… you and I will go to school together next Friday. Â I keep having mixed feelings- I’m so happy that I get to bring you with me and you will only be a few steps away from my classroom at all times. Â You will also have 4 best friends waiting for you when you get there, all just a couple weeks older and younger than you. Â Your “teachers” are two of the most loving, motherly women I have ever met- which is good, because I’ve still only left you with your own Daddy twice. Â I hate that I wont get to spend my entire day cuddling with you for a couple months. Â I’m already looking forward to summer break- it’s exactly 13 weeks away.
We have quite the routine these days. Â You have been sleeping through the night this week, in your crib, waking up around 6:00 am to eat and get your diaper changed. Â Then you come back to bed with Mommy and we cuddle and fall back asleep until 10:00. Â When you wake, you are REALLY hungry and its a race against time to get you food… otherwise you are NOT a happy camper and it takes a while to get you settled back down. Â Â After breakfast, I stick you in your stroller and we go for a walk/jog around the neighborhood. Â You LAUGH AND LAUGH when I run fast down the hills. Â When we get home, its lunch time then you jump in your Johnny Jump Up some more (still one of your favorite past times). Â After all that jumping, you are tuckered out, and its time for another nap. Â When you wake up, we sing songs, dance around the living room to country music, and read stories. Â Daddy usually gets home around 3:30 or 4 and spends a little time with you before he has to go back to work. Â He is usually finished around 7 or 8, and we spend the rest of the evening together, making dinner, giving you a bath, and playing. Â The last twelve weeks have been absolutely perfect. Â I have loved spending each and every second of my time off with you.
I love you, Beautiful Boy.
Mommy
A weekend of “firsts”
Grae’s weekend was chock-full of first time experiences, and like always, he handled himself like a champ. Â We took him on an airplane and flew to Minnesota so he could meet his Great Grandma Odie. Â We also got to introduce him to the entire Mielke family- all of his great aunts and uncles and all but one of his second and third cousins! Â Even Ian doesn’t remember a time when his extended family was together in its entirety in one place, so it was an amazing opportunity. Â Graeson also got to see a little snow and went swimming in a pool for the first time! He loved swimming so much, he fell asleep in the water! We had such a phenomenal weekend and Grae Baby LOVED meeting everyone. Â He was happy as a clam getting passed around from person to person. Â He was so tired at the end of the day he slept for TEN HOURS STRAIGHT on Friday night! Â He was a rockstar on the plane- he didn’t make a peep either way. Â The passengers sitting around us commented over and over about what a great baby he is at the end of both flights. Â (You could see it in their eyes they were not so pleased about getting seated next to the infant on the way to their seats, so it was nice that they were pleasantly surprised at the end of the flight ;).) We were so proud of our little traveler. Â When we got back to Atlanta, Ian and I gave each other a high-five. It was quite the confidence booster knowing that we survived- we made it all the way to Minnesota and back with our baby and it was flawless. Now, we can’t wait to do it again!
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Has it really been that long?!
The magical place that we met đ
Ian and I met SIX years ago today! Â I can’t believe it has already been six whole years, but on the other hand, I can’t remember a time without him. Â When I think back to who we were when we met- I feel like it was a different lifetime. Â We have grown and changed together more than I ever thought possible. Â I never would have believed it if, six years ago, someone told me, “Tonight at 11:00pm, you will meet your soulmate, your future husband, the future father of your children, in the tackiest of Irish bars in downtown Athens.”
Before going to the bar, I had spent the evening studying for a physics exam and I was beyond frustrated. Â I was having a slight mental breakdown, knowing that I was not prepared for the test- I couldn’t for the life of me understand the material. My best friend, Brittany was out on the town with some friends, and urged me to come meet up with her for a break. Â Despite the fact that I was in my oldest hoodie, ripped jeans, hair a hot mess, and mascara running down my cheeks from my minor mental breakdown, I agreed. Â Upon walking into Flanagans, Ian and I locked eyes. Â I, in my most romantic, flirtatious voice, asked him where the bathroom was. đ Â Being the gentleman that he is (and the Flanagan’s regular), he showed me a “secret” bathroom, so I could avoid the long line. Â That pretty much did it for me. Â I was in love. HAH! Â I found my way back to my friends and told Brittany about the mysterious bathroom man with the beautiful blue eyes. Â She asked where he was and he was nowhere to be found. Â A few minutes later, Ian walked in and started talking to some of the guys that I was out with! Â Turns out that we had mutual friends! We spent the rest of the night talking and at the end of the evening, we exchanged phone numbers. Â He called a couple days later and set up our first date.
Although we did MEET in a bar, we celebrate our anniversary on Superbowl Sunday- as our first date was at a Superbowl Party, cheering on the Steelers, shaking our terrible towels, with some great friends. Â (It sounds a lot better, too- doesn’t it?!) Â He took me for ice cream afterwards, and I knew he was the real deal. Â We have pretty much been inseparable ever since.
And who says there is no such thing as love at first sight? đ
XOXO- Happy 6 years, Dizzle đ
The Mielke Way 