Back in perspective: Ten things I love about you

While having a particularly hard day coping with the stresses of pregnancy, an active toddler and a never ending pile of chores I stumbled upon a blog post on one of my favourites Fabulous Mama Chronicles.
I thought it'd be a great exercise to calm me down and to put things back into perspective.

So Charlotte, these are ten of the things I absolutely adore about you.

1. Your sense of humor. You can find comedy in everything. You don't mind falling because it's funny, you love any sort of game and you love to make people laugh. This morning you walked around the kitchen with a  re-usable shopping bag on your head and as you bumped into the door frame yelled "Charlotte's funny girl".....How can anyone not love that attitude!

2. Your maternal instincts. I love seeing how you care for dolls, stuffed toys and real life animals. You "wear" your doll around the house in a makeshift baby carrier while giving it soft kisses on the forehead and speaking to it ever so softly. When you decide the doll is tired you wrap him up nicely in a blanket and place him gently in your bed. You love to hug and kiss all of your stuffed toys and treat them with the utmost gentleness. You love every single animal. You run up to them without fear and give them kisses. To our animals at home you let me know when you think they are hungry or need water and you try your best to give them little kisses on the mouth. I enjoy seeing you live with such love and I can only hope I am giving you all the love you deserve in return.

3. Your fearlessness. You will try anything once. Although sometimes it gives your poor mother a heart attack I admire how you just jump right in and experience life. I haven't yet found a food that you weren't willing to try, you clapped and laughed joyfully at the loud booms of the Canada Day fireworks at one year old, and you are the first kid running through the water at the splash pad to show them all how it's done.

4. Your love for your unborn baby brother. You are so thoughtful and you completely embrace an idea that I'm not sure you could completely understand. You try to put crackers in my belly button because "Jax is hungry" or a soother because "Jax is tired". I know things won't stay so simple when Jax is born but I love how you are just so open to loving him.

5. Your smile. This seems like a simple one, but I love how you smile with your whole face. How your eyes just sparkle and your cheeks get all rosy.  No inhibitions just pure joy. I wish that everyone would smile like that because it's infectious and the whole world would be happy :)

6. Your love of music. Most toddlers love music but I feel like it goes further with you. You know words to songs I don't even like! You can recognize songs from the first few notes and I always catch you singing to yourself as you play with your toys. Music has been such a big part of my life and I hope it can make you as happy as it has made me.

7. Your snuggles. Not just when you are tired or sick but the way you pry your arm in behind my back as we watch your favorite movie. It's so adorable that you'd want to have your arm around me when it's such a tiny little arm! I love how you think of snuggling me right in the middle of playing or while I am pushing a shopping cart, reminds me to appreciate all the little things.

8. Your amazing memory. I am seriously impressed when we go somewhere we haven't been in months and you recognize it, then you go so far as to ask if the friends you saw last time will be there! I know I am your mommy and everything you do amazes me but I feel like with that memory we could win so many Jeopardy games and pay for the best colleges in the world.

9. Your ticklish little bum. Something that might seem a little creepy if I didn't birth you. Mothers always think their babies' bums are just the cutest thing on the planet, but I get an extra little treat with you. If I pinch your bum you immediately start laughing hysterically and squirming uncontrollably. But heaven forbid I stop! Then I hear a faint little voice, out of breath from all the laughing ask "more tickling bum?"

10. Your love of books. You are definitely not the type who can have story time before bed. You get sooooo excited when listening to books that you bounce up and down in your seat and giggle the whole way through. Once I read one book I'd better settle in with you for an hour or so because I know I'll be reading every single book you own at least twice.

and just as an added bonus: I love that you are my little sidekick. Everywhere I go you exclaim "Charlotte coming too!" and if you need to go somewhere with daddy or with anyone else you ask "Mummy's coming too?" It makes me feel so loved and so appreciated <3.