Elderberry Syrup, Ugly Crying, & Christmas Love

[ONE]

Elderberry Syrup. Have you heard of it? Do you use it? I am singing it's praises. Here is a brief description from Mountain Rose Herbs:

Found growing in moist areas along rivers, roads, and in forests, this immune boosting botanical has a long history of use in traditional European medicine. Elderberry syrup is a proven remedy for preventing and recovering from the flu, colds, excessive mucus, sore throats, and contains large amounts of antioxidants, potassium, beta carotene, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C. Take a tablespoon daily to ward off illness and a teaspoon every 2-3 hours while sick. For children under 2, add the syrup to hot water to kill any microbes in the honey. You can even drizzle the delicious syrup over pancakes, yogurt, or ice cream!

I bought this one, originally for Pig, but he wouldn't drink it{he's missing out cause it is yummy!}. Both of my boys got sick, and so I started taking a tablespoon of it every day, even though I had zero symptoms. A few days later when my kids were really in the thick of their colds, I could feel my body starting to get sick. I kept taking the syrup, and after each dose, I would feel back to normal until the next day when I could feel it coming on again. Long story short - the cold tried to get me, and it lost to the almighty Elderberry syrup. Can't believe how awesome this stuff is! {You can make your own, which I totally have been wanting to do forever}.

[TWO]

There were two articles that really got to me this week. The first one was Ten True Things About The First Year of Parenthood. I wasn't even going to read it since I'm a second time mom, but I kept seeing it floating around on Facebook and finally took a moment to read it. I actually related to it more as a mom with a toddler, because parenting didn't get truly hard for me and I didn't become insecure of myself as a mother until he was closer to two :

You will be a different parent every morning to a child who will also be different, sometimes changing in just hours, or minutes, or before your eyes. There will be good days and bad days, good minutes and bad minutes, good choices and not-so-good ones. You will do some things, probably a lot of things, wrong. Be gentle with yourself, because you are wildly loved and incredibly needed.

Your baby is the only one of herself who has ever been, and you and your partner are the only experts on her. Your baby will not behave like the books say, won't like what she's supposed to like, won't do what she's supposed to do when she's supposed to do it, and that's normal and great and perfectly OK.

Every once in a while as a parent, one of the things that you thought would be really difficult turns out to be incredibly easy and drama-free. This is called a miracle, and though it might be somehow related to some book you read and the alignment of the stars and a magic way you pat the soles of your baby's feet and the tea you drink on Thursdays, it's still mostly a miracle, and the odds of that same miracle happening to EVERY OTHER PARENT EVERYWHERE are pretty slim, even with books and stars and tea and so much foot-patting. We get excited in our victories, and want to share them, but it's important to remember that we are all struggling with different issues.

Raising babies is the hardest thing many of us have ever done. We can tear each other to bits, criticize choices and turn up noses, or we can love each other, admire adorable babies, offer a hand and celebrate victories. This is not a difficult choice, people. Nobody cares that your way is better. Everyone cares that your kid is gorgeous and let's chat over coffee and what have you been doing with your hair lately because, girlfriend, you look fabulous. Don't be horrible. It isn't really that hard.

[THREE]

The other article I read that touched me was A Letter To My Adopted Son: On Having To Share You. Reading this made me {ugly cry} and realize how special and sacred a mother is to her child.

It is not always easy for me to share you with her. Sometimes, I feel surprised, mad, sad and scared by how attached you "still" are to her. I confess that I have counted the years that you have been with me vs. with her and wondered why the love and longing scales continue to tip so deeply in her favor. I imagine that sometimes you feel that way too. The truth is that I will never be able to fill the space that she occupies. And while I may be jealous of the way your heart still speaks to hers, I'm glad that I am not the missing hole.

One of the hardest things to reconcile in my heart is the fact that my greatest gift was your greatest heartbreak.

There is pain and heartbreak that comes with being your adoptive mom, but I do not believe it rivals the pain you feel, or the pain your first mother feels. So, I will accept the gift of humility that has come with the gift of you, and allow myself to speak the truths you need to hear.
Your mom is beautiful. She is smart. She is loving. She is special. It is OK to miss her. It is OK to love her more. She loves you, too.

[FOUR]

This week Dacky has really started walking. He's walking everywhere. I bumped into him in the hall as we both rounded the corner at the same time, haha!

Soooo...it's like Pig finally sees him as a person and a buddy! They have been playing together so much this week! And I'm finally enjoying using the bathroom in peace at least twice a day, woot woot!

[FIVE]

I'm gettin cray on Pinterest with my Christmas pins. I can't help it; the holidays are just SO magical with little ones!!! And now that Pig is almost 3, he's going to be really into it! All the Christmas movies, baked goodies, sipping hot chocolate while riding around looking at lights, being with family, Christmas morning...eeek! These are some of my favorite pins and plans for next month: