First, I want to give a special thank you to Mal with Mal Wine Studios for taking these amazing family photos for us! They’re stunning and I’ll cherish them forever! You can check out her information HERE, she is a Denver based photographer specializing in family and lifestyle photography!

Giulian is two. How did that happen?! He definitely isn’t “Baby G” anymore, he’s graduated into “Toddler G” and he isn’t afraid to let us all know about it. He’s fun, energetic, learning about a million words a week, and learning how to express his opinions now more than ever. And yes, he’s getting a bit more sassy. He knows what he wants and what he doesn’t want, and he is sure to tell Mom and Dad all about it.

I thought it’d be fun to share a few things that being a toddler mom has taught me. So here we go…

Care Less About What Other People Think

When your toddler is screaming and throwing a fit in a restaurant or at Target, you instantly become hyper aware of the people around you (or is that just me). I’ve learned that the stares and the rolling eyes in that moment mean nothing except for those people don’t have kids. I try to focus on us and figure out the best way to calm him down and continue on with what we are doing. The more I am worked up about everyone’s thoughts or being an inconvenience to their peaceful day, the less productive I am.

Dance Parties Can Turn Any Bad Day Good

When in doubt, dance. Rainy day? Dance. Stuck inside from a snowstorm? Dance. Stressful work day? Dance? Toddler teething? Dance. Life throws you a hurdle? Dance.

Seriously even on our most stressful days, having a family dance party will cheer us right up. You can’t dance (especially to our playlist) and not smile. Really, try busting out your craziest dance moves without cracking a smile. Nearly impossible. Plus, it teaches Giulian to be fun, lighthearted and playful.

PERSPECTIVE. “Ya but, my little boy is healthy and happy.”

I catch myself thinking this a lot. When something bad happens, when something stressful pops up, I’m like ya okay but Giulian is still healthy and happy which is all that REALLY matters. That thought has actually helped me through so much. We had a lot of hard times in our business after Giulian was born, and the perspective that we still have the blessing of health, which matters most, helped remind me of what was truly important.

Appreciate The Big and Little Things In Life

Watching the wonder in their eyes when they see things for the first time brings a greater appreciation for the world we live in. It’s easy to take things for granted, and to forget how truly blessed we are to be alive in this world. The joy he has when running through a field, playing with flowers, discovering new bugs and animals, playing with a stick and eating an ice cream cones brings a whole new joy to us too.

Patience

Okay so he’s currently teaching this. I’m no where near graduation, but it’s a process. I hear this schooling is about 18 years… I’m only on year 2 and have ohhhh so much to learn.