Dear Maverick - Mother's Day 2009

Dear Maverick,

So to honor our 2nd Mother's Day together, I really wanted to do something special with you since this will be our last with you as an only child. In this case, I am going to have to chalk this one up to your mommy's mind being willing, but my flesh was oh so weak. Much weaker than I anticipated. It was very important to me to do something special together and we had DVC points to use up before this summer, therefore, I thought a trip to Disneyland would be just the most perfect thing. And you were perfect! It was me who was lacking energy even more than I thought in these final weeks of this pregnancy with your new baby brother. You were such the trooper and I spent a good bit of time relishing you and reflecting on your achievements over the past year and how much fun you are to spend time with as I waddled around the resort with you.

It has been the best year ever even with the middle of the night wakings, the sickness, the mystery of trying to figure you out. I would not change a thing about what a cool little guy you are becoming. I frequently tell others you are so much cooler than I ever even thought about being. And it is true. It is such a privilege to get to be your mommy.


Every day is special with you and I cherish each and every one together as we have learned this year how fragile they can be. Our adventure this weekend although somewhat abbreviated due to my physical limitations, was still so so fun. However I have learned some things:
- Hotel beds are not good when you are in your last trimester
- You are a great sleeper at home...not so much when we are away
- You will wake up every time I get out of bed in the middle of the night when sleeping in a hotel bed.
- My hips, back, feet and more are not up to multi-mile treks around a park and standing for long periods of time in my last trimester.
- You can go a really, really, really long time without a nap...even when I want you to take one.
- You seem to enjoy Disney as much as your mommy does. I look forward to spending many fun days here in the future.
- I was soooo disappointed that Peter Pan was closed. It is my favorite Fantasyland ride and it was one of the big driving factors that got me to make the decision to even go. I wanted to take you on it with me and point out all the things I love about it...darn refurbishment. If I had known it was closed...I might not have come at all. Disneyland without Peter Pan? Unthinkable.

That being said, our time at Disneyland was a great way to commemorate our last year together. We did manage to conquer quite a few of the classic attractions and you seemed to enjoy them...I know I so very much enjoyed watching you experience them. We started with the classic Dumbo:

It took you a bit to realize the little knob moved the Dumbo up and down, but once you did...you were all over that. Making things move is right up your alley right now.

We then hit the carousel and walked, um...waddled... around it until you pointed out to me the horse you wanted to ride.

We got you strapped in and once it finally started moving you got that cute mischievous grin on your face as you watched the mechanics of the up and down.

We moved on to the teacups...you liked it...but were not quite sure what was going on...

But in the end...it was all good...


You had your favorite snack...a whole apple...

It still amazes me what you can do with a limited number of teeth...including bite your mommy's big toe...but we wont get into that and your continuing foot fetish right now.

And of course...Small World! Which you loved...you were enthralled the whole way through the ride


And no trip is complete without a loop or two on the train. Now, this was another area of learning curve for your mommy...as I had stroller, diaper bag, day bag (with our swimsuits for later), your bottle, my water, your "monkey leash"and everything else we had shoved under the seat of the stroller and they wanted me to take you out...collapse the stroller and then move the folded stroller, the newly walking you, the "stuff" we lugged around (and I use the term "we" loosely as you weren't carrying a thing), me and my pregnant belly through a turnstile and down the line to board the train. I am sure we provided much entertainment to other waiting guests as they watched me attempt to get things ready to go through the turnstile. Thank goodness there were not too many people there. I finally begged one of the worker's for mercy and they let us go up the exit to at least unload onto the train before collapsing the stroller. However, this has given me much pause about how to do this in the future with TWO of you! The train ride may just become a round trip thing where I leave the stroller and we come back to it...instead of a means of transportation to another area of the park. I have to really think about this before we go again! This will require a strategy...

But there will be time for strategy later...now it was time for a ride on an almost deserted train...

I think a day trip to Travel Town Train Museum is in our near future...

We jumped off with minimal grief after a couple of laps (so mommy could rest her weary hips, back, feet, etc...) and headed to the jungle cruise.

Aaaaah...the magic of the jungle cruise. I so remember the animals being "real" when I was little. I wonder how long the animals stay "real"? You LOVED the boat and even gave the cruise guide a couple of giggles. You found him very funny...and I admit, he was one of the good ones!

The famous "back side of water".....oooooooohhhhh....

You were fascinated by the animals...I hope they stay "real" for you for a long long time...

We then were headed over to see Playhouse Disney and found ourselves with a little extra time, so I gave your new Monkey Leash a whirl...I understand this to be the latest in toddler fashion. And the way you have worn it around the house, you would think that you thought you were the coolest! However, for the first time using it in the real world you realized that the loooooong monkey tail could, in fact, hold you back. (insert evil parent laugh here) And this revelation was very irritating to you....as evidenced by the small fit you had when you realized you could not go any further...no matter how hard you leaned and pulled and tried to make yourself go. I know this must be very frustrating for you. But it was entertaining for everyone else who got to watch your fit throwing...I would have taken pictures...but I was too busy trying to help you understand how this thing was going to work. yeah... right.

However, you need to understand why I bought you this leash. Since you have become more mobile and I have become much, much slower given my current physical condition. And although I do not think you are at top speed just yet, I know you are going to be a little hard for me to keep up with in the coming weeks and after I have your baby brother to tend to as well. And given your last performance at the Kids Museum when you wandered off trail and under a 2' "bridge", and your very pregnant mommy could not get herself going fast enough to catch you...the time had come for some sort of assistance...

I don't live with the illusion that walking your kid on a leash gets you on many covers of parenting magazines. But I don't care. I am going to have bigger problems. So hopefully the world will not judge me and my best guy on a leash.

You were soon relocated to the stoller, when your frustration level and mine reached maximum capacity. But we did make it to Playhouse Disney. We sang, and danced and had fun and then I thought you might pass out as I walked around the park as you had been up for going on 6 hours now.... You thought otherwise. I soon could see that you had no intention of going to sleep and I was really, really feeling worn out, so we stopped off and got you some milk and a snack and then loaded ourselves up and headed home. Once you were loaded in the car you were asleep before we hit the edge of the hotel property...and slept the whole way home.

Thank you for a great time. Thank you for being such a great kid. Thank you for letting me be your mommy. I think you are just the best thing ever. I am sure I have said that before. I am sure I will say it again. Because it is true. I remember when you were such a small thing and looking at other little boys walking and talking and playing and thinking you would never be that big. Now as I see you starting to develop into one of "them", I am amazed by the little individual you are becoming and I am oh so proud of all you have accomplished. I love you. Thanks for a fabulous Mother's Day...

Love,
Mommy