Dear Ziggy,
As I held you on my lap tonight, your head and legs dangling well off my body, it was hard to believe you once resided in me.
I love you.
Mama
Dear Ziggy,
Hello little monster. Lately your will has grown stronger and you like to give me what for.
Well, I just thought I’d point out a few things. Because sometimes we need to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves.
In the past weeks you have:
-Bit me in the shoulder so it left a bruise.
-Bit my fingers numerous times. And hard!
-Spilled the entire sugar bowl, and it was even the Raw sugar.
-Pooped in the tub. Yep.
-Thrown some lying down tantrums in public. Always in public, because you like an audience.
-Wiped your jelly hands on the wall.
-Pooped through a diaper and you never do that.
-There’s probably more but I blocked it out.
So it’s been fun. It has.
You did learn to stack blocks and use your radio control firetruck so that’s a plus. You also like to say “Wow” a lot which is most entertaining.
Yes, your adorableness trumps your craziness much of the time. I just keep reminding myself you’re discovering that you are a human being separate from me. You want to do the things you want to do and that’s that. I’m here to make sure all your limbs stay attached and you don’t get into any brawls. So far so good.
I will always love you anyways,
Mommy
Dear Ziggy,
Staying in can be fun.. especially when there are tons of construction trucks working next door, all day, every day.
But I think the best days we have are the days we go out in the morning and play play play.
Then we come home, have lunch, and if I’m lucky you will take a nice long nap.
I love you but.. those naps help keep me a sane and good Mama. I need them as much as you do.
xoxo
Ma
Dear Ziggy,
When I set out writing this blog, I didn’t really intend on very many people finding it. It was a personal thing- albeit out here on the world WIDE web- but I never thought that too many folks would stumble upon it, let alone relate to or find comfort in it.
Well, they have! And it just so happens that the few I’ve gotten to know are quite lovely. If we didn’t live so far apart I’m sure we’d be attached at the hip.
I will share with you some of their words and pictures. I’m so glad that we were able to touch their lives in any way, big or small. The universe is immeasurable but the internet makes 3000 miles feel like it’s right next door. I am so thankful for these connections.
First is Christine and her little man, Henry. Henry and Daniel are about the same age. C&H and H’s papa all live in sunny California. They are the sweetest little family.
Here is Christine’s first email to me, from back in November of 2009:
Dear Lisa,
I have been enjoying Dear Ziggy for several months now, and I am
finally peeking my head out to say “hello.” Hi! I love your site. As a
fellow first-time mama to a little boy, I have found some comfort &
joy reading your words.
My son Henry is 2 1/2 months old, and just a week or so ago I finally
stopped logging everything religiously too. I am learning to go with
the flow and follow his cues. It’s amazing how well he can communicate
without words (although, I wouldn’t mind him telling me he’s upset
instead of his occasional wailing!).
Anyway, thanks for sharing your stories. I look forward to continuing
to follow your adventures together.
Take good care.
xo Christine
I am still in touch with Christine and Henry, watching them both grow via flickr. What a joy it has been!
Recently, Sharon from Malta (of all places!) contacted us to let us know how much she loves our blog. I was honored, and then I had to google Malta to figure out where exactly it was! She has a son, Giuseppe, 10 months old.
Hi Lisa
It is only a few minutes ago that I noticed that you had replied to my comment:-)) Thank you so much. I’m sending you a few pictures of my son, Giuseppe, 10 and a half months old (almost), and our only son. My husband’s family has Italian roots, hence the son’s name and our surname. I used to have a much more common surname before we got married:-))
I am 32 years old and enjoying ever moment of being a mum, especially the pride I feel in my heart when other people remark about his smile or something (you know how we ‘meme’ s are:-)) I cannot say that I don’t have difficult moments as he’s with me 24/24, 7/7, but generally I think we’re doing ok, or maybe very good as he always seems so happy. I don’t know. It’s all so new for me! To tell you the truth, I have a mountain of books about all types of parenting, each with it’s own piece of advice, which I refer to from time to time, but which many times I feel like burning (should I do you think?)
I won’t go on and on about us. Give you some time to look at the photos. Tomorrow Giuseppe and I will be going shopping for some shoes and a cap (while daddy is at work). He’s outgrown all the caps he owned, and it’s beginning to get sunnier already here.
Take care Lisa
I really admire your commitment in keeping ‘Dear Ziggy’.
It’s not like I need to be reminded, but it does warm my heart and make things a little easier knowing that millions of women all over the world are raising up their babies, doing the best they can, always hoping they’re doing the right thing. We are not the first mamas. We are not the last mamas. It’s so wonderful that technology has brought us together so that we may find comfort and solace in our common experiences. I feel so lucky to be alive during this age.
I hope you get to meet Giuseppe and Henry someday, Daniel. Your mama had a Japanese pen-pal when she was 13 years old. She never got to meet Harue Komatsu from Hyogo-ken, Japan. She really wishes she had.
xoxo,
Mama
Dear Ziggy,
You are..
So full of wonder. It’s what keeps me going.
The peace and the beauty of your sleeping face. It is the essence of purity and hope.
I want to wrap you up and tuck you away and keep you safe from this world always. But I know I will have to loosen my grip one day. For now, though, I keep you close. As close as you’ll let me.
You have me,
Mama
Happy Chinese New Year!
It’s the year of the Rabbit. A lucky year.
Dear Ziggy,
This winter has been rough for NYC. Probably one of the toughest I can remember. We’ve been snowed in, oh, 3 times? Or is it 4? I’m not sure. So we’ve been cooped up a lot, getting on each other’s nerves. The white stuff is melting now and I hope it’s gone for good. If not I might have to whip out my emergency snow day activity: finger painting with pudding.
We did take a few trips outside to eat snowballs and complain about how cold it was. You warmed up to the idea once you realized how soothing the snow was to your teething gums.
I am a homebody, but that much snow was even too much for me, if you can imagine!
Here are some new things you do, just to keep track:
If you hurt yourself, you cry and then you start waving goodbye and saying “bye” over and over. Because it’s time to leave the painful situation!
You say “sssss” if I ask you what the snake says. You also make a trumpeting sound if I ask you what an elephant says.
You shake your head “no” vigorously and for no reason a lot of the time. You have entered the terrible twos already. You stand on the couch because you know you’re not supposed to. You throw your food on the floor because you know you’re not supposed to. You refuse to nap because it’s boring. Falling down tantrums are starting to happen. Yay.
You like Thomas the train. You call him Tah-tah (Thomas) or Tah-tah-tah (choo-choo train).
You like to take off your clothes when I’m not looking. Thank goodness you haven’t figured out how to take off your diaper yet. Oh boy!
You’re still obsessed with books and will have me read you all 5 zillion that you own, over and over, all day every day, if I let you. This means there are days where I have to hide your books in order to get you to do anything else!
You kiss us on the lips now if we ask for a kiss. The first time you did it I about died right there. It took 16 months but it was well worth the wait.
I love you,
Mama
Dear Ziggy,
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.
-Mark Twain
We took a visit down to North Carolina to see some of our friends and family a few weeks ago. You had a lot of fun spending time with your Grandma and Pop Pop, your Uncle Derek, your second cousins, and more!
You were pretty good on the plane both ways. I think it’s because we bought you your own seat. We have a few big trips coming up this summer. They don’t involve planes but they do involve long trips in the car. I hope you like exploring new places as much as I do. There is so much to do and see in this wonderful world and I can’t wait to show you!
Love Always,
Mommy
Dear Ziggy,
I am on a mission to make sure you aren’t anti-social like your Mama over here. Every day is a struggle but I am trying my best! We’ve been out and about seeing all of our friends lately. It’s a new year and I think everyone has the same resolution: be more social! Let’s play!
Our playdates have all been pretty positive so far, except for that one where a kid kept taking everything away from you and you both cried for 2 hours. You are very polite and so far aren’t one to take things away from others. You don’t push or shove or hit or pinch. And you don’t understand why other kids do that sort of thing but you know what? You’re going to have to learn someday that the world isn’t all rainbows and goldfish crackers.
And who knows, maybe next month you’ll start being territorial. But for now, I’m enjoying the sweet boy you are.
I love you, Sunshine.
Mommy
Dear Ziggy,
You continue to amaze and delight us on a daily basis. You are silly, fun, crazy, full of energy, and only lately have you turned cuddly and squeezable. We love you to the moon and back. Here are some of the faces that kill us (and everybody else).
You are obsessed with belts and buckles and figuring out how they work. You love balls, trucks, Big Bird, Elmo, books, and being chased. Your giggles are the closest thing I’ve found to heaven. Did you know?
You are a flirt and seem to like grown-ups more than babies. You especially like to sit in the laps of other moms. If another mom doesn’t talk to you when we are out you will stare and stare and make googly eyes at her until she does say hello or smile at you. You are on a mission to make the entire world know you and love you. You’re doing pretty great so far.
Yours always,
Meme