Split Mom Update - IAN IS 1
Last month (ok this post is late -- February) was a busy yet exciting time for our family as we celebrated Ian's first birthday! It is so hard to believe that a year has already gone by. As the old saying goes: "time flies when you are having fun." I know for me, this first year was interesting. Complex in the first few months finishing law school with a newborn. (For those who asked, I AM working on a blog post about having kids in law school) & after law school adjusting to being a stay at home mom (also more on that later lol) I was quickly reminded that life with an infant is no walk in the park! I found myself re-adjusting to being a mother all over again. I had to relearn a ton, as so much has changed in the last 13 years.
It really caused me to pause and appreciate the time! To reflect and focus on what matters & ignore the things that do not. I've learned most importantly to cherish each and every moment of my kids lives! Because here it is I have a 13 year old (& I am still trying to process that, meanwhile he will be 14 in less than 6 months -- haha) & now a toddler. They really do grow up fast.
All in all, we have a very interesting home life for sure!
Having Ian in the house has made me realize that for every "first" milestone were celebrating for him, were also experiencing a ton of "last" for Shaun. It's painful at times to even accept that kubb will be out of the home in 4.5 years, on his way to college or wherever God leads him. MIND BLOWN.
Speaking of first and last, on Ianβs first birthday we also had kubbs last middle school basketball game. (They won by the way. They went the entire season undefeated, and Kubb shot the buzzer beater, it was pretty epic!-- I was so busy enjoying the moment I didn't capture it on my phone, but I am ok with that. I was there, we saw it, and we celebrated with him in that moment :) )
In addition to reflecting in the past 12 months, I have also found myself doing something I never want to do as a parent; compare my children. Ok I know at this age it's no biggie but I don't want to create that habit of having Ian live up to the expectations we have because of Kubb. {Moms of multiples, how do you not compare kids?}
Ian marches to his own beat! I feel like we are in for such a treat raising him because he will surely provide us with TONS of great stories as he grows up, given the little personality he has already. Ok but back to the comparison trap, Y'all KUBB WAS THE PERFECT BABY ( I mean he's still a pretty amazing young man) but when I say he was the poster child for good babies, he was just that. He never cried, he would let family hold him (rolling my eyes thinking about how funny acting Ian is to everyone lol) he slept through the night around 6 months old (Yea, Ian is 13 months and STILL HASN'T quite figured out sleeping through the night yet,) Kubb hardly ever got sick( we had two hospital visits with Ian in his first 12months) Kubb hardly cried, or anything, he was just a good baby!!! --- I know they say all children are different but I didn't quite understand it until now... Ian is the TOTAL opposite of Kubb as a baby. I thought for sure some things would be the same, nope! lol
Kubb actually said to me that "God knew what I needed when I had him" insinuating that I was young, and clueless when I had him, so God looked out. I couldn't help but laugh because that is so true. I was a scared 15 year old kid myself who had no idea how to be a mom. God made it easy for me with Kubb and spoiled me in the process.
BUT I LOVE IT. I love being able to learn to parent again through a totally different experience. I love learning who Ian is and what he likes, instead of trying to just "do what I did with kubb" I've had no choice but to reinvent the wheel and it's been an exciting year!
What I love most about my "SPLIT-MOM" experience, because it really is an experience. (If you're clueless on what a split mom is, go here) is the relationship Kubb & Ian are developing. It absolutely melts my heart! Although they are 13 years apart, they get along so well for the most part... Y'all they even fight like brothers already, haha. Ian looks up to kubb, he tries to copy everything he does, he yells at him, tries to play the PS4 with him, they eat cereal and watch saturday cartoons together, its just cute. Ian actually learned to say Kubb before saying mama (well he still doesn't say mama, mommy,, ma or nothing! lol - If you ask him to say mama, he will say dada and laugh! He trolls me, daily.) He likes to go in kubbs room to get his attention. By attention I mean knocking all his stuff down & rolling his basketball out the room knowing kubb will chase him for it. He calls for him, and sometimes kubb will just come save Ian from his "boring parents!" They're such a dynamic duo already!!
I pray as the years go by they continue to be best friends and celebrate each others "first" & "last" together as a team!
What's happening in this picture? - KUBB: Ian smile IAN: Nah bruh.