Winter is Officially Over!

Here in south Louisiana, we don't really have "seasons" per se. Instead, the weather is pretty much described in 4 ways: (1) Hot; (2) Hot as Hades...this lasts from about end of May through September and it. is. brutal.; (3) Not so hot- this usually occurs during the months of March, October and November; and (4) Cold- this is not most people's definition of cold but for us Southerners, anything under 60, and we are COLD! This usually only occurs during the months of December-February. During this time however, any of the descriptors in numbers 1-3 also occur. April is an all-over-the-place month. Well this year was no exception. I was 9 months pregnant in August. Do you feel my pain?! Miserable. However, we didn't really have much of a winter this year. Sure we had cold days but there were days in December, January and February when shorts were appropriate.

But now, March is ending,  and winter is most certainly over. And with that, I had to pack up Mark's winter wardrobe. I feel like I am constantly packing and unpacking clothes for this child. He isn't overly big- just your average adorable and perfect baby boy. But I swear that boy goes through some clothes! Packing up his clothes is bittersweet for me. I am so excited for all the changes and watching him grow but I would be lying if I didn't say that my heart breaks a little when I think about how fast he is doing so. He is so independent...he wants to get his toys on his own, feed himself etc. George says he is like me, always wanting to do it for myself. I smile a little inside everytime he says this...Mark is a boy after my own heart! Anyway, the sweatshirts, sweaters, and long pants are packed and room was made for his summer rompers and bathing suits.

I know I need to pack up some of his "baby toys," especially the play-gym that he used from birth - 5 months but has not used since. It just sits there collecting dust because Mark is so big that he no longer is entertained while laying on his back with brightly-colored, moving stuffed animals floating overhead. Not him. He would rather be sitting up, holding those said stuffed animals. I asked George several times to pack it up but he never did. Finally, he said he didn't want to because it made him sad to put it away. This was the toy that soothed Mark from the beginning and continued to do so for months. It's music is etched in our memories. When George said this, it melted my heart. He isn't a guy that wears his heart on his sleeve and I am always the one driveling over how fast Mark is growing up. So with this explanation, I did not push him.

I have so many videos of him just staring at these toys.
Just in case I ever forget his love for this mat.
The rocket was his personal favorite!

Instead, there it sits next to Mark's playpen  (which we don't use as much as I thought we would), collecting dust. As far as I am concerned, it can remain there until we are ready to move it because it reminds us of how fast he is growing, to never take one day for granted.

In other news, and in line with the title of this post, I have purchased our first kiddie pool for Mark! George will be working ALL WEEKEND, and I figured it would be so much fun for Mark and I to spend some time outdoors (his favorite) in water (his other favorite).

We're going to have so much fun!!