Thursday, February 26, 2009

Surviving a Minnesota Winter

Every winter towards the end of January and into early February my humor about the weather has left the building. It is discouraging for me to realize that I still have three to four months of snow and cold ahead of me.

This year I have managed to remain optimistic for longer than usual. The calendar shows me that it’s nearly March and I’m just now getting to the grumbling about the weather stage of winter. The difference this year is that I have this sunny baby to brighten my days. That’s not to say that my other two children didn’t brighten my days though, because they most definitely did, and continue to do so. But this baby, my last baby, was so long in the waiting for that compared to the winters when I was simply dreaming of a third child this winter that she is here and beautiful and smiling is brilliant, almost blinding in its light.

But even the baby is starting to protest the blanket thrown over her face as we venture out in the cold. Yesterday the temperatures reached 40 degrees and we ventured to a few stores while her siblings were at their respective schools. Instead of carrying her in her infant car seat as I have most times, I took advantage of not freezing my butt off and not needing to get in to each store as quickly as possible and took her out of her car seat. She rode in the seat of the shopping cart for the first time.

She loved it. She was kicking her legs and looking around despite the fact that I’d just taken her to her nine-month well-child visit and discovered she’s cutting eight teeth at once. So this year the winter-- as it lumbers on slower than most of us would like—is much more bearable for me. I get to see it through a baby’s eyes.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

egads I am so ready for winter to be over and I know I know April could bring snow. sigh.

I need a sunny baby :) oh wait got one in the oven hehe!

Anonymous said...

You have a great outlook! I'm so ready for this one to be done. (This, she says as they kids were released early from school because of snow today.)

Madeline said...

If it gets down to 40 here we think we're freezing. No lie! I can't imagine living where it stays below 40 for prolonged periods of time. You are very brave. :)
Babies do make you look at things so differently. I'm glad yours is helping you weather the cold!

Angi said...

I am also getting that "spring fever" feeling - it was nice to hear that your winter was brighter this year :)

Jeff and Charli Lee said...

Only one more week until daylight savings! That always makes me feel like there's hope I'll see actual grass again.

Holly said...

Seeing through a baby's eyes ... so sweet. :)