The joys (and guilt) of mommyhood

So, I normally keep this blog pretty light, but I've been thinking recently of all the guilt that can come with being a mommy. I'm sure most of you have been through this. There are days when I wonder if I have played with Natalie enough, if I should have read her more books, talked to her more, held her more. At the same time though, she is perfectly happy hanging out on her playmat - just talking to herself or grabbing her feet, and I love that she is able to entertain herself! But then there are times like this when I'm sitting at the computer or doing chores (that I'm sure could wait...) and wondering if I should be down on the floor with her. Does it mean I love her any less? Am I a bad mommy for not playing with her as much as I could be? Will she be emotionally scarred later in life because I didn't play with her all the time when she was a baby or not "smart enough" because I only read her 2 books today? I know it seems silly, but that is what is going on in my head. And I don't want you to think that I just ignore my child all day - we talk A LOT throughout the day, I play with her and read books to her. We sing silly songs and listen to music together.

Despite all of that going through my head (and all three of us being sick) the past couple of days have actually been really fun for me as a mom. Hearing Natalie talk, watching her rough house with Josh, hearing her laugh and explore everything around her is amazing!!!

Here are a few shots of Natalie enjoying the beach:

Bonfire

Our friend Scott was in town and invited us to stop by for a bonfire! It was Natalie's first and she seemed to do really well. I just realized that we didn't get any pictures with Scotty. =-( Scott, if you're reading this - we had a great time and look forward to hanging out again...hopefully soon!

Josh is apparently trying to tell me something...

perhaps he was a bit annoyed that I kept asking Scott to take pictures of us...

Hanging out in the bumbo and gumming her toy! =-)

Family picture - not sure what Natalie is looking at

You can see a helicopter in the background. They have been around

quite a bit - bringing water to the nearby fire. We can actually see them

from our kitchen window. The fire is 68% (?) contained now and it is

a lot less smokey here today. Maybe we'll venture out for a walk after

little miss wakes up! Have a great Monday.

Growling and new toys!

I never realized how fast kids go through toys - which is why I'm glad I discovered the used children's store (for used clothes, toys, furniture - not actual used children....)!! Here is Natalie enjoying her latest toy and demonstrating her growling. She is quite loud - although the video doesn't do her justice!