Top 5!  WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO.

 

Joe and I had a super busy weekend visiting family and friends on the East Coast.  We enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving in NJ with my parents!  On Friday, we headed to Brooklyn for an afternoon with one of my college besties and her family.  To round out the whirlwind tri-state tour, we drove to a suburb outside of Philly yesterday for the wedding of Joe’s Penn State friend.  We had a blast and the ceremony was absolutely BEAUTIFUL.  I was nearly reduced to a puddle of mush as I watched the father of the bride walk his gorgeous daughter down the aisle.  I found myself thinking about the day that Joe and I will watch our children get married.  I’m not sure when exactly my wedding guest mindset shifted from thinking about the reception dance floor during the ceremony to experiencing a fast forward of what the future of parenthood might hold.  I suppose it makes me feel old, but let’s not dwell on that point.  I know parenting will present plenty of peaks and valleys but in the spirit of optimism and hope, I’ll share the Top 5 things that I’m most looking forward to!  

 

5.  Bedtime.  There is something just so special about bedtime.  As my friend Megan pointed out last night, babies don’t stay babies forever and I’m SO looking forward to singing lullabies as I rock our future child to sleep.  I’m also a total sap when it comes to children’s books and can’t wait to read ALL the stories while cuddling before bed!    Let’s not forget bath time.  Can you even resist the sight of a little babe wrapped up in one of those hooded critter towels? 

4.  Baby Giggles.  I don’t know many people who don’t instantly smile while listening to a baby laugh.  I mean there are pages and pages of Instagram accounts dedicated to the content.  I’m already a big fan and I know I won’t be able to resist the sweet sound of my own baby’s giggles!!! 

3.   The Grands.  Joe and I are SUPER thankful that our parents never really pressured us about timing when it came to children.  I’m not sure if it’s because they weren’t sure how to approach it, but I am POSITIVE that they had to demonstrate the highest levels of restraint.  I’m already certain that future baby Apgar will be nothing but spoiled and loved by our parents!  My mom saved bins of all my most special baby items in preparation for us to welcome the next generation!  I LOVE this photo of us from my first birthday! 

Joe’s mom has already gifted us his childhood blanket and handmade two beautiful quilts!  Don’t tell them I said this, but my dad and stepdad as well as Joe’s dad, are FOR SURE going to be complete softies when baby Apgar arrives on the scene.  It’s so exciting to think about them as grands! 

2.  Playing pretend.  Kids have the most incredible imaginations.  We had our friends over for dinner last week and one of the little guys had us in stitches with his stories.  He was CONVINCED that there was a “super big T-Rex” in our backyard.  When I asked him what the T-Rex talked about, he jumped out of his seat and did his very best dinosaur impression!  There is something so endearing about watching children explore and discover their creativity through pretend! 

1.  Joe.  I saved the best one for last.  The thing I’m most looking forward to is watching Joe become a dad.  I’ve known forever that he would be a great father.  He’s generous, passionate, curious and at moments when it counts the most, he’s patient!   I can’t wait to watch him make baby Apgar laugh with his humor and wit.  I can’t wait to watch him teach baby Apgar to ride a bike.  I definitely CAN’T wait to watch him teach baby Apgar to value experience!  I find myself pretty sentimental these days and if I type much more I won’t be able to see thru the tears. 

 

I’d love to hear from all of you.  Do you have kids?  If you do, what do you love most about being a parent?  No kids yet…what do you look forward to?