1 child....34 birthdays

Can I just say that 1 child is so much easier than 2...not better mind you....just easier.

Last night my older son L spent the night at my mother-in-law's so we had the evening with just E.  Not that this is the first time L has spent the light elsewhere but it is indeed RARE.  My husband and I kept remarking on how easy it was to just have 1 child.  

No spats to break up.  

Less demands.  

And just quiet.  

We wanted to do something special with E so we took him to a new park and let him go wild on the playground.  He had a blast.  Then we took a ride in the Jeep with the top down and got him some ice cream.  

I think the little man was in hog heaven :)

After we got back I home E and I placed race cars down the hall.  I was the Batmobile and he was Speed McQueen.  I had so much fun playing this simple little game with my baby boy.  It reminded me how important it is to have this one-on-one time with my child.  Somehow we still seem to have this time with L but not much with E.  Being as he is the second child, we really haven't had much time where it was ever just him and I.  I was surprised to realize that I have been feeling guilty when I love on E because L would be sitting right there and I was afraid he would feel neglected so I often cut the snuggles short with E to keep L from feeling bad.  I've been doing this unconsciously and and it just hit me when I was snuggling and loving on E last night.  I dearly love both my children and don't want either of them to feel neglected but I don't think shorting E on the snuggles is the way to go.  I'm SO glad I realized what I was doing so I can change it. I'm gonna love on them both freely now.

We called L at grandma's to say good night.  We had him on speaker phone but he didn't realize we could all hear him.  He and E talked for a few minutes which was completely adorable...then he went and really melted my heart.  He asked E to tell me that he loves me and Happy Birthday (which is today but I won't see him until after work).  I can't describe how in love with my boys I was last night.  

One near and one far but both in my heart.  

They are such gifts.

So that leads me to today, which is my 34th birthday, and finds my very emotional for some reason.  I just want to cry about everything...my blessings...my disappointments.  I guess reminders that time is ticking away will do that to you.

How about you?  

Do you welcome birthdays or dread them?

I guess I do a little of both :) 

Happy Wednesday!