Three Schneiders: Saying Goodbye Stinks!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Saying Goodbye Stinks!

This is Aoife. (That's "Ee-fah" to those of you who are just meeting her.) Aoife is Josie's first and best little girlfriend. They've been hanging out together since they were about 6 months old. Aoife was born here but she's from Ireland. Her mom Ciara and dad Gareth moved here when she was still in her mama's belly and spent the last two years here in Cincinnati. Today, as I type, they are driving to Chicago where they will soon fly home back to the UK. And we miss them already. Here are some photos from their "Farewell" party.

The little smile we will never forget...

And a big hug...

Just hanging out, having a drink in the end-of-summer sun. (Although I had to laugh at the thought of them drinking a juice box and a water bottle because when they first met they were still nursing. These girls have truly grown up together.)

And here's Andrew - their partner in crime. The "Three Amigos" have been playing together just about every week over the past two years. (Although a lot of that 'playing' in the early months was in the form of them sitting on our laps at the Blue Manatee while all us moms tried to figure out what the heck we were doing!)

Here are Ciara and I with our girls - including Aoife's sweet baby sister - little Sophie. We are sad we won't get to watch her grow-up in person, but we're looking forward to watching her learn to walk and talk via Skype! [Ciara - I can't tell you how much I'll miss our chats, texts, talks about motherhood and everything else, and knowing that I always had someone willing to meet at the park. I think it's safe to say that you helped me figure out how to be a mother and for that I'm eternally grateful. And thank heavens for Aoife and Josie sharing all the traits that made them so similar - and so challenging - it was always so nice to know it wasn't "just me".]

Here are some other fun photos from the party of Josie with all her little friends. (That's Aoife, Andrew, Lily, Josie, Norah, and Wes.)

(Oh & big congrats to Miss Lily who became a big sister to little Olivia just yesterday!!)

And reason #456,719 that I desperately want a yard...

Goodbye to our dear friends! We *PROMISE* to visit and will see you soon online! Thanks for two years of great memories!!!! As Louie said, "It is the end of an era." But, let's hope the end of this era marks the beginning of a wonderful new one!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: how sad, it brings tears to my eyes reading this. I am glad you were able to have a nice farewell party, and soon they can be pen pals, with the help of the mom's until they both can write. Laurie P.S. I love the photo of Josie and you with the swing.; September 13, 2009 at 1:30 PM
FourAustins said...: Aww well that just about did me in - so sad. BUT looking back at the first pic of Aoife smiling is enough to put a smile right back on my face!!! And great point Laurie - they will become pen pals - how sweet is that:):); September 14, 2009 at 9:35 PM
Matt and Jennifer said...: I'm so sad!!! What a terrible friend I am for not even knowing that they were leaving this week....it's definitely a wake up call for me to do a better job with slowing down on my end. I love Ciara and Aiofe. I too will always cherish our sweet memories of sharing in mommyhood those precious first months. Thanks for the sweet post Carri!; September 15, 2009 at 3:19 PM

Things I've Learned So Far

When on bedrest, cravings are satisfied in bulk. A chai tea latte is not out of reach. It will arrive as a case of six 32-oz cartons courtesy of Amazon prime in two business days.
Fall/Winter maternity clothes are infinitely more expensive, uncomfortable, and ugly than Spring/Summer maternity clothes! (And I miss my flip-flops already!)
BELIEVE in miracles!
If your two-year old tells you that you need to be more patient, she's probably right.
Moving is hard. Moving with a toddler is even harder.
There are no guarantees.
Don't let your two-year old pick out the kind of Valentine's Day cards she wants to make. There's a good chance she's overly-ambitious.
Take nothing for granted.
If you pay close enough attention, your little one will totally show you the right path in most situations. They're wise little souls. We should give them more credit. And we should follow their lead.
If your child is doing some well/good/desirable/etc, people attritbute that to chance. But, if your child is doing something wrong/incorrect/undesirable/etc, that gets chalked-up to your parenting.
There is no sense in trying to make children grow up any faster than they already do.
There is no better compliment than someone whose opinion you value saying that you are good parents - and meaning it.
Parenting is deeply personal.
Use the words "I promise" sparingly. There are very few things you can actually guarantee your child and broken promises really hurt.
As a parent, there are some things you do because you think you're supposed to...And then there are the things you do because you know you have to.
There's nothing quite like a conversation with a two-year old.
The development of language is mind-boggling! And so much fun to watch develop!
Everything happens for a reason. Everything. Even though it's sometimes hard to figure out why.
Traveling with a toddler might be a trip, but it definitely is not a vacation.
"Wean" doesn't have to be a four-letter word.
It is true what the say - the days are long, but the years are short. Happy first birthday Josephine!
The baby's needs always come first. (Case in point: her dinner was a well-balanced, all-organic meal of turkey, cheddar cheese cubes, vegetable hummus & raisins for dessert. Mine was a bowl of Coco Crispies.)
I thought that first smile was a good as it got...until the day she first reached out for me. I knew that was the best feeling in the world...Until she looked at me and said "Mama!" :)
There are two kinds of people in the world - those who wave back to a baby in stroller & those who don't.
Mother's Day & Father's Day are definitely more than "Hallmark Holidays."
The people who designed the Sesame Street characters knew what they were doing!
Babies do not understand time zones!
There is no shame in buying a one-piece bathing suit. ;)
Time spent just sitting and staring at Josephine is time well spent! The fact that we created her and the fact that she is ours still amazes me every single day. We are totally in awe of our beautiful daugther!
Pureed beets and babies don't mix.
One of "those nights" is usually followed by one of "those days."
Blowing bubbles is fun for the whole family.
Seven month olds definitely know how to dance!
Baby monitors are also useful for identifying when you've accidentally locked a cat in the baby's room.
With a little practice, it is possible to update the blog, talk on the phone, eat lunch, and pump breastmilk all at the same time. (Now that's what I call multi-tasking.)
A five month old baby does not know how to "pet" a cat. However, a five month baby is very good at making a cat really angry!
Diaper rash cream has lots of different uses!
There's no doubt in my mind that you would find a nasal aspirator / nose suction bulb in a museum of torture devices.
A cat's meow and a baby's cry sound oddly similar at 4am.
The hospital should keep all the samples of free formula and pass out white noise and Elizabeth Mitchell CDs instead!
The day Josie no longer wants to hold my hand will definitely be a sad day. In the meantime, I'm content to stay in her room a couple extra minutes in the middle of the night with her little hand wrapped tightly around my finger.
The holidays really are more special once you've started your own family.
When all else fails - just breathe & remain grateful! Even the worst days are the best days of our lives.
It's okay to do at least half of the things you swore you would never do as a parent.
Parenting means you must always be up for a change of plans - even if that means giving up dinner at your favorite restaurant for White Castle in the back seat while nursing your baby.
Never take an over-tired baby to the mall in a bassinet!
Those damn baby nail clippers are lethal weapons - I hope Josie won't miss the top half of her pointer finger!
Two sets of sheets are not enough.
It's okay to cry when you put away baby clothes that no longer fit anymore.
Strangers almost always hold the door open for a pregnant woman, but almost never do so for a woman with a stroller.
There is nothing like that first toothless smile!
You haven't lived until you've had to handle a diaper blowout SO BIG that the only way out of it is to cut your baby's clothes off of her to avoid covering her head with poo.
There is absolutely, positively nothing worse in the entire world that seeing your child in pain and not being able to help her.
Never leave home without an extra set of clothes for yourself & at least two extra sets of clothes for the baby.
Baby pee dries quickly and doesn't require a change of clothes (no one will ever know...)
Picking little baby boogers is more fun than it should be.
If Josie is totally relaxed and smiling, she probably just pooped.
Thank goodness the baby doesn't realize I usually don't know what the heck I'm doing.
Lou has missed his calling as a performer of children's songs & should definitely look into recording his smash hit "Mama's Milk".
Nipples stretch like rubberbands.

Three Schneiders

Friday, September 11, 2009

Saying Goodbye Stinks!

3 comments:

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