Breathing, Books, & Shoes

June 23, 2025 — 8:52pm

Dear Reese,

It’s not even 7:30 am, and the Monday overwhelm is hitting me. Nothing to do with you, though you start to lose your patience when I have to make a couple of phone calls before we get out the door.

I pick you up and hold you in front of me while you stand on the kitchen counter. I say, “Mama needs to take a couple of deep breaths.” I breathe, you watch me. We get on with the day.

Bedtime is sweet tonight. I read to you while you take a bath. I burned out for now on our bathtime stories — less the telling and more the writing down afterwards. But I picked out a kids’ chapter book from the library last week and I finish reading the first chapter to you while you splash around. It is perhaps more for my entertainment than yours at this point, but I figure it’s better than me sitting there on my phone.

Now that you’re sleeping, I’m researching baby shoes to buy online. I have kept you barefoot for your first year, but now that you are working on standing and getting ready to walk, there will be occasions where you need shoes. MorMor got you a couple of pairs to test sizes. You walk around in Nike tennis shoes outside this evening — I’m holding both your hands, and it’s a little clunky as you learn to pick up your feet, but you’re smiling.

Love,

Mama