Just an ordinary day

I've gotten into the habit of just writing about milestones in my family's lives. The big events, the wow moments of life, forgetting that life is made up of many more ordinary moments than extraordinary moments. So today I'm going to tell you how a typical day in the life of the Stokes goes. My son wakes up anywhere between 730 and 815. Usually he lies in his bed talking and singing songs to himself and his animals. I just lay in my bed listening to him and smiling. When he's ready to get up he stands up and starts saying mama and that's my cue.  Out of the bed I hop and into his room I go.  Someday see want out immediately other days he walks back and forth in his crib telling stories and throwing his animals at me.  Once we are out it's time to get down and either read a book or two or go find daddy in the bed.  It's quite a sad day when daddy is at work and not in the bed.  Then it's time for diaper change which is Noah's cue to pitch a fit and then downstairs we go.  First we let the dogs out then it's time for a drink and first breakfast.  First breakfast must be mobile as Noah likes to walk around the house making sure everything is still good.  After first breakfast we have to check out the outside world, then after about thirty minutes or so real breakfast can commence.  Now some days we head to the gym in the morning, others we play inside/outside, or Noah goes in the hiking pack and we take the dogs on a "w" word.  Sometime between 11 -1230 Noah's ready for a cup of milk and a nap.  Naptime is anywhere from an hour to two hours.  Then lunch after nap, now depending on if errands need to be run depends on whether we eat lunch out or at home.  Afternoons consist of playtime or pool time, and of course more reading.  The kid became a book lover while we were in Florida.  Dinner is usually 6 - 630 then bath night time clothes and if Casey's working we hang out and wait for daddy to get home then it's bedtime. So there ya have it a day in the life of our little bug!!

Father's Day

So I know this post is extremely overdue, but I've been pondering what to write for a while and I'm still not sure.  I thought about leaving a Facebook post for my husband on Father's Day letting him know how amazing he was, but it felt awkward and forced mainly because everyone was doing it. Part of me wondered are you wanting to write something to be like everyone else or do you truly want to say something about the father your husband is? So, needless to say I waited and waited and waited.  But now at 11 something at night in July I've decided to write about the father my husband is, isn't and will someday be.  My husband is not my dad nor is he his own dad though I think he and my dad share more commonalities.  He is his own father figure, something I'm extremely proud of him for being mainly because I know how hard it's got to be.  My husband knew exactly the kind of dad he wasn't going to be, exactly the kind of husband he was t going to be as well.  So how when you know what you don't want to be do you figure out what you do?? Casey never seems to look to other men for guidance on how to be a father to our Noah, he just is.  He seems to have his own ideas which sometime don't mesh with mine but then again who said they had to right??  But he loves his son and that little boy adores him, I think there's a reason little ones say dada before mama.  Because those dads are their little hearts their little role models.  Noah walks around the house saying dada when Casey's not at home.  His newest thing is when I get him out of bed in the morning I get a quick snuggle then Noah wants down.  He'll play in his room for a while but eventually he toddles his way into our room and immediately wants up on our bed where his daddy is. The way his face lights up when he sees his daddy and proceeds to fall face first onto his chest for a hug just reiterates how well God chose the father for my son.  When Casey isn't home Noah sits on the bed looking forlorn and whimpering waiting for his daddy.  He then proceeds to hit the pillow like they're hiding his daddy somewhere! It's quite humorous.  So to my husband the father of our son.  You are the best person to raise this little bug of ours.  You may have felt lost and useless in the beginning but this little boy loves you completely, and his mommas pretty fond of you too.