Bee in the Wild: 2 years

Two years running, this girl has my whole heart. Phoebe is thoughtful and cautious and yet utterly defiant and independent at times. She is genuinely trying to make sense of the world around her and I feel great pangs of guilt everyday that I am not exposing her to little gym and kinder music outings like her peers are (who perhaps don't have baby brothers holding them hostage). Phoebe loves hiking and riding along in the pack-pack on daddy's back. She can spot a dandelion puff from a mile way. Our afternoon walks are perfect opportunities to collect rocks and sticks and even chewed gum (before mommy noticed). She loves to crawl into her little brother's crib and their two giggles in the morning are the very best thing to wake up to in the whole world. When it's raining, she knows that it's time for rain boots and can put them on all by herself. When the weather is stormy she is cautious and keeps close to my legs in the event of booming thunder. One day while I was reading and rocking her down for a nap she was particularly uneasy about the ongoing thunder storm. I did my best to reassure her that all was well and that the sound of thunder was simply the clouds bumping into each other in the sky. She looked up at me with big concerned eyes, almost on the brink of tears, and asked "birdies?" I realized her kind little heart was worried about what was happening to the birds during the storm.
A morning outing to the zoo is sure to be the highlight of her day and by now she knows her way around and doesn't need mom. Julian and I have to be quick if we want to keep up with those long legs. The elephants, otters, and seals are the must stops. However, her favorite part is riding the carousel at the end. Such a treat! I love to see her eyes widen and she takes it all in.
She was terrorized by a bee one day while sitting on the back steps. It didn't sting her, all I can tell is that it was flying by her and she had a sheer panic attack and screamed like I've never heard her before. She screamed the same way for about 2.5 hours of her naptime. I couldn't really understand why she was so scared, only that she kept saying "bumble bee fly away" about 100 times through hard sobs. She lost it a couple more times during the day because there was a fly in the house. Blood curling screams and huge tears. We were both beside ourselves. These are the moments that I will look back on when she's 16 and long for. But that day was really hard.
Phoebe is cautious around strangers and can be slow to warm up even to grandparents. But in our home she is a lively chatter-box with the most exuberant little personality. She does a good job mothering Julian and sometimes needs reminding about who is actually the mom. Phoebe makes us smile and laugh everyday. She holds us accountable for family prayers and is loving the nursery at church. Every day she is a reminder of miracles in our lives. We love her so much. 

A bum way to start the summer

Miss Phoebes fell off a kitchen chair and broke her right clavicle this week. I was only 3 feet from her but had my back turned to the stove so I don't know exactly what happened. Only that when I rushed to pick her up she was so inconsolable I instinctively knew something was definitely wrong. We snuggled on the couch for a bit, but every time she would move her arm she would burst into tears. She was incredibly brave at the Instacare, but having to pin her down for the X-ray nearly sent us both through the roof in pain. They obviously can't cast a broken collarbone so we are trying a sling to help keep her arm still. But she's two afterall. And rather wiggly. She will seem ok and forget about it for a moment, then try to reach for something or move her body and immediately feel the break all over again and burst into tears. This happens about once a minute. She will have to learn how to protect the break on her own. To help her sleep at night we wrap the arm close to her body. These kids are resilient and I'm certain she'll be back to her old self within a few weeks. I'm not sure we could have survived the day without chap stick. She LOVES chap stick and it seemed to be the only thing that could take her mind off the break. Pain management is tricky and she's frustrated about the loss of independence. Totally bum way to start the summer.

Bee in the Wild: 21 Months

Oh where to start! Our little Bee is such a character at 21 months. She has an adventurous and social spirit, in the right circumstances, and is always up for getting out of the house wherever that may be. Often she will gather up her boots and head to the front door saying "boots, kids?" Clearly she is letting me know that she needs a play-date and some new experiences outside of what Julian and I can provide. We've been going to a neighborhood music group, story time at the library, or play-dates with friends when possible. All of which she loves. Surprisingly (or not-surprisingly) she's been a little hot and cold with the nursery at Church.
Being outside is a huge deal for this girl and this winter has been particularly challenging to keep her occupied and entertained on days when it's just too cold to be outside. For Christmas she received a little roller coaster from Grandpa Lee and it's been an absolute life saver. She loves to ride it over and over, send her dollies down, and has even mastered going down backwards and hands-free on her own. It's been good practice for learning how to take turns when friends are over. When the weather is permitting we make sure to squeeze in a walk around the neighborhood or stroller ride to the park to work out those winter wiggles. 
Phoebe has taken on the role of little BIG helper and wants to be involved in whatever mom is doing around the house. Whether it's changing laundry or loading dishes or writing thank you notes, Bee wants her hands involved in every step of the process. We've been hearing a lot of "Phoebe do it" and "Phoebe try" and "Phoebe's turn" around these parts. She especially loves helping daddy "fix it" and he can always count on her to hold his tools while on the job.
Our little book worm loves to read books and plays with her books as much as she plays with any other toy, if not more. While I'm putting Julian down for his morning nap Phoebe will gather her favorite books on the couch to read, and much to my great surprise and delight, she usually does stay on the couch and read quietly through her books. Phoebe's favorite books right now are anything to do with Grandpa or birthday's, the Landy series, and the Knuffle Bunny's. The cutest thing...she says "amen" at the end of every book. Of course I never correct her, because I never ever ever want her to stop.
Meal time can sometimes be tricky and lots of food ends up on the floor, which drives mom absolutely bonkers. Currently her favorite foods are hummus, applesauce, peas, pizza and string cheese. Her favorite snacks are dried mango's, Cheerios, and fishy crackers. She is really into dipping foods right now and asks for some "dippy" at every meal. We often have graham crackers and milk after dinner and she loves to dip her own crackers. She will gingerly plunge her cracker into the milk at just the right angle and then squint her eyes and say "no nuff" until eventually mom or dad says "that's enough!" and time to pull the cracker out before it becomes too soggy. No matter what it is, she wants a bite of whatever you're eating, especially if it's a treat.
Birthday's have really made an impression on Bee lately and we sing her own special rendition of Happy Birthday Cake to practically everyone in our family - and even Santa and Jesus - several times each day. Between uncle Dan's birthday, mom's birthday, and plenty of references to birthday's, cakes, and singing from her books, it's no wonder she's obsessed. She understands that life is a party!
Mom loves having someone to chat with during the days now, and Phoebe is proving to be a great conversationalist. She is stringing together sentences and making connections between objects and circumstances. Her memory is razor sharp. Phoebe can't yet pronounce her "L" sounds and substitutes a "ya" sound instead. Words such as "dolly" then sound like "dai-ya" or Ellie sounds like "Ai-ya." But by far our favorite word she has invented is "chip-ix" for "chap stick." She's quite obsessed with daddy's chip-ix and is always hunting his pockets for it.
Phoebe is smart and sensitive, a real thinker and often silly. She loves her brother Julian and although she does have her big sister moments of pushing him over or stealing toys away, she can't stand not to be near him. If little bro is still napping when she wakes up from her afternoon nap, she will stand at the stairs and call down "Juju, wake up!" She loves to love him and is constantly reaffirming her love with plenty of snuggles. Phoebe is a doer and wants to be challenged. She is eagerly learning her colors and shapes and counting. We are amazed daily and are soaking her up, tantrums and all. We simply can't imagine life without her.

Bee in the Wild: 18 Months

She calls me Honey. At 18 months Phoebe has discovered the moon, and rediscovers it almost every day in her books and outside in the sky. The wonder! Words are flowing out of her mouth at a rate I can't even keep up with now. But for the sake of documenting, Bee can pronounce and produce in context these words among others: ball, oh-oh, moon, bee, eye, nose, ear, shoes, cheese, excuse me, bless you, cookie, pizza, eat, hat, sippy, please, thank you, binky, open, windy, raining, car, truck, boots, shoes, socks, teeth, brush, comb, hair, push, pull...
Bee loves shoes and is beginning to pay attention to her own wardrobe. When she senses it's time to go, she will bring me her shoes to put on.
We have been working on our manners and Bee says please and thank you effortlessly (sometimes with a little prodding from mom and dad). By far the cutest though, is Bless You! after a sneeze. We die. She can push the red kitchen chairs all around the house to reach what she needs. Practically nothing is out of her reach now. Bee will ask for a "moothie" almost every morning and guzzles it eagerly, bringing her sippy cup back for a refill.
She can be a bit naughty all of a sudden. Mom has a lot to learn about being patient and getting ahead of the problematic times of the day, like dinner time. Phoebe wants to be in the kitchen doing whatever mom is doing. But we are quickly finding that the kitchen is not big enough for the both of us to cook in. Bee loves to twirl around in circles but then is so confused by the resulting dizziness and inability to remain on her feet afterwards.
We take long walks around the neighborhood to help burn energy before naptime. I'm really careful not to rush her, and allow her to touch and smell and sit in everything along her path.
Right now she does this "amused" face and I'm struggling to know how to accurately describe it. We snuck in on her one night and just then the neighbor's dog barked. In Bee's sleep, she opened her eyes and took a short deep breath in with an open puckered mouth. It was the cutest thing we'd ever seen. Mom couldn't keep in her laughs and fled the scene before it woke up bee.
Her curiosity is insatiable. Toddlers are into everything. Then there are some toddlers who are really into everything. And then there is Bee. Who takes it above and beyond. She is my tornado. If it can be opened, she will open it. Empty it. Then close it. Push, pull, bend. Drop, roll, throw. Over and over all day long.
I find myself fighting to keep her little yet also cheerleading every big step with anxious exhilaration.
She is Juju's biggest fan. She talks about him and says his name almost constantly and in every phrase that exits her mouth. Juju is the first word that comes out of her mouth in the morning. She is always worried about where he is, if he's coming with us in he car, and making sure we don't leave him wherever we are. She squats down in front of him and says "bebe happeeee, ah-BOO!" to get him to smile.
She can become possessive of my phone and has figured out how to turn it on and swipe to open the screen. Clever girl! Probably my most favorite thing she does right now...she calls me "Honey!" Especially when she's frustrated or needing some specific attention from me. She will come up to my legs and push them saying "honey honey honey." Sometimes from her crib in the morning I hear a "Honey Momma!" calling out for me. I couldn't possibly love it more and am honored to be this little Bee's Honey Momma.

Epicenter

Standing behind her high chair I twist the top square of Phoebe's medium blond hair through an elastic while she is momentarily distracted by licking peanut butter off apple slices. I have about 4 seconds to secure this elastic before it becomes a wrestling match. She is serenading our little threesome with a new song the world has never heard and may never hear again. I'm in love with her nonsensical babble. The southern sun is pouring through my kitchen windows warmly as it does everyday during lunchtime. Julian is perched in his hand-me-down pink bumbo seat on our kitchen table watching intently and cooing at us while chewing on his bib, which is soaked clear through with his own spit up. In fact, a pool of spit up has begun flooding the table below his feet. It's disgusting, actually. He is so handsome. He catches me looking at him and jerks his hands excitedly up to his face squealing in delight. This is it. The epicenter of my day. The moment where my heart raps against my ribcage because the love I have for these two babies is so powerful, so genuine it takes me out for a brief second. It's the moment that makes the difficult hours preceding and the difficult hours ahead not only bearable but absolutely worth it.

Wild and free, forever she may be

You have these days as a mom, where you want to freeze time just so everything would be still that you might step back with a long breath to pause and simply marvel at the little people who own your heart. This was one of those days. She is one of those people.

Willa's Workshop and Fairy Festival

My mommy heart had been craving some one-on-one time with Phoebes and Willa's Fairy Festival seemed like the perfect evening outing for us girls. We were first timers to the festival, which was wonderful and magical, even for the adults. Little fairy's (and pirates, and gnomes, too!) running all over the gorgeous host estate. All for a good cause. We met some of our besties there too, which made for a super fun glitter filled evening. The weekend before I made a quick trip to the craft store and was able to whip up a fairy wand for just a couple dollars. I like my wand, I mean her wand, so much I don't let her play with it. Ha! Spending precious time with my fairy was just what I needed that day.

Friends: Bee, Jane, Caroline, Leah, Gigi

Note: I read the festival raised over $27,000 that night to help open doors for women in education. Absolutely amazing.

"You can do anything you think you can. Knowledge is literally the gift of the gods, for through it you can solve every human problem. It should make you an incurable optimist. It is the open door."-Robert Collier

Bee in the Wild: 15 months

Note: Bee's grandparents were a little sad when we told them her blueprints were being retired after months 1-12. We live close, but not close enough for them to see her everyday. I know these updates are enjoyable for them to read and catch a glimpse into her life they might not otherwise know. I thought about using a white wall background to continue these "blueprint" type updates, but then I pictured trying to get this rambunctious toddler to sit still against a wall while we take her picture. Not gonna happen, right?! The new "in the wild" posts will aim to capture Ms. Bee in her element, un-staged, au naturale.
At 15 months old, this little sugar bee is busy learning and playing and doing all day long. The last few months we have seen the beginnings of her imaginary and pretend play. I love it! She loves to play with bowls and spoons and will "mixy mixy" with such determination. She even brings me the spoon for a taste test of her exquisite cookies, eggs, and other "yummy nummy nums."  When mommy is wearing her apron, Bee must wear an apron too. Often it's all she's wearing. Her pretend play also involves her babies, which comes as no surprise given that we talk a lot about babies around here. She mimics the way I tend to Julian by swaddling, burping, kissing and loving on her dolls. While I'm in the rocking chair nursing Julian she will bring me her babies and blankets to swaddle over and over again. She is learning to be such a good little nurturer.
As a parent it is amazing to observe her constant education and you can literally see her mind working as she processes new material. Bee loves books. We read stories together in the rocking chair before nap time and bedtime everyday and anytime in between. She points to all the ladybugs in every book, and in fact refers to ladybugs, butterflies, bees, and other insects as "bees!" She taps her pointer finger, either in the air or on the object, when pointing at something. It's adorable, trust me. Some of her favorite books include the entire BabyLit series, Little Blue Truck, Welcome, Little One, Goodnight Gorilla, The House in the Night, and The Swing to name a few.
Bee loves her backyard swing and calls it a "weeee!" When she wants to swing she will point outside and declare "weeee!" and when she sees swings or slides with children on them within her books she will point and exclaim "weeee!" Like most toddlers, Bee loves to be outside exploring and investigating. She still puts e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. in her mouth and rocks and sticks and dirt are no exclusions.
Bee is a really great sleeper and loves being in her crib with her binky and blankey. Some days she doesn't want to get out and leave binky and blankey behind. She searches the edges of her blanket until she finds the right corner and clutches onto it with her fist, then softly rubs the corner on her face as she soothes herself to sleep. Bee is taking two naps a day, at 10 am and 3 pm (roughly).
I bought a small set of stacking cups for Bee which has proved to be the best $4.88 I could have spent. Bee worked hard for days and days until she mastered stacking and unstacking all the cups in their correct order. She concentrated so hard on mastering the cups and it was a joy to see her brain hard at work. Cups all day, in the car, in the bath, and all over the house.
We taught Bee a few words in sign language to help her communicate better with us. The two signs that stuck the most are "more" and "all-done." This is particularly helpful at mealtimes, but she has found a way to translate them into the rest of her world as well. The sign for "more" has become the universal action signal. If she brings a book and signs "more" she wants you to read it. If it opens, closes, makes a sound or moves, the "more" sign is asking to make it happen. Likewise the sign for "all done" means no more food, no more vacuuming, no more of whatever is ailing her.
Lots of words are beginning to pop out of Bee's mouth, including cuppy, hi, Juju, momma, dada, bee, and baby. She has discovered the word "NO!" and uses it often and repeatedly, especially when she is doing something she shouldn't, such as stealing Julian's binky. She will snatch it from his mouth and run it over to me saying "no no no no no!"
Bee loves her little brother and is constantly leaning her head towards him giving kisses and hugs. Sometimes this translates into a head bonk and both of them are sad. Usually the first word that comes out of her mouth in the morning is "Juju!" and she goes running into our bedroom searching for him. She gets very excited to show him toys and books and as sweet as that is, it's also a lot of work keeping him safe from her excitement. I pray everyday that they will become the best of playmates, but for now we are focusing on being soft and not putting things in his mouth. Let's hope that in a year she will be as willing to share with him as she is now.
Whew! I'm exhausted just reading over this update. It's only taken me two weeks during my brief nap times breaks to finish writing it. Our Bee is a beautiful, smart, strong-willed little soul and we are grateful for her life and spirit everyday.

It's a Bee-Day Party!

We celebrated Phoebe's FIRST Birthday with a little Bee-Day Party for family and a few friends. It probably wasn't the first birthday extravaganza I had worked up in my head throughout the year. But even being 9 months pregnant I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully everything came together and I was really able to enjoy her and our families on this special day. We are no where close to being settled into this new house, but it is incredibly nice to finally have a space to gather our families. This little girl is loved by lots of people, what a blessing for her!

Bee-day treats

 

Aunt Brook was a little skeptical about giving Bee first rights to that beautiful beehive cake she made, so I made her a little "smash" cake that she could destroy all on her own.

 

I know, right?! She's the best. Fist ever taste of sugar...she wasn't that impressed.

Get it Bee!

 

Bee received plenty of thoughtful gifts from her party guests including blocks, flashcards, books, a special dolly, and a quiet book from Grandpa Lee. Brad and I gave her the bumble bee Wheely Bug to cruise around the house with.
Something I don't want to forget: I knew I would be great with child, just having moved, etc. so I did my best not to overwhelm myself with excessive party planning. She's ONE after all and couldn't care less about the hullabaloo I was creating. I called a local bakery to ask about making sugar cookies frosted with a simple bumble bee on top. They wanted a whopping $3 per cookie. UM. No thanks, I'll make them myself! I'm so glad that I did. They were the best sugar cookies I've ever made and just imperfect enough to be perfect for my little bee.
A few other details:
Papa Ed loves pizza from The Pie, so we ordered it special for him!
Aunt Jen came over one night and helped blow up yellow, silver, and black balloons.  
Kim helped me string the balloons together in a big banner that we hung across the backyard patio.
Aunt Polly and Joann came down from Logan to be there.
Aunt Brook made the beautiful glazed beehive cake, almost too pretty to eat! She borrowed a beehive water dispenser that was perfect as well.
Aunt Michelle took all the pictures, such a gift, so that I wasn't stressed about not capturing these details.
I was grateful for all the help! Seriously, even tying my shoes at this point is insurmountable without assistance. Ha!
Happy Birthday to my sweet little bee!

Bee's Blueprint: 12 Months!

Hard to believe this is our last Blueprint for baby Bee! My gosh, that first year just sails away. Our baby is growing right up UP UP, and I mean tall! She is taking charge of her toddlerhood and walking and running all over the new house like she owns the place (and of course she does!). With that has come a flurry of bumps and bonks, especially on the hard wood floors, and she suffered her first goose-egg (the size of a ping-pong ball!) just a day before her first birthday. Momma and Bee shared some tears about it and snuggled in the rocking chair until we both felt better. She's a tough little soul, inside and out, and doesn't let much slow her down. Bee's hair is growing long enough to fall into her eyes so we've been pulling it up into a Bamm-Bamm pony-tail and it's all sorts of cute. There is something about that first pony that just pricks a momma's heart. We've started to see small glimpses into the beginnings of her imaginative play. She will take a bowl and spoon and mix them together all over the house saying "nummy nummy nummy." She will bring me the spoon for taste tests as needed. We often comment on how we can literally see the wheels in her head turning as she thinks and works herself through certain situations. Babies are smart! The stairs in the new house are an attractive novelty and Bee can easily climb herself up them, but getting down will need lots of practice. Baby gates are a must! Bee makes us laugh constantly and I'd be fibbing if I said I didn't think that everything she did, even when naughty, was magical. She enjoys the art of the chase and giggles and squeals when she's finally caught and receiving an over-abundance of squeezes and kisses trapped in our arms. She's starting to find her voice and says a few words like "hi," "bebe," "yummy," "momma," and "dada." Bee LOVES playing out in the back yard kicking her yellow ball and finding sticks and interesting leaves and eating dirt by the fistfuls. It's just what this kid needed. We are so happy she's ours, we'll keep her forever!  
12 Month Stats:
20.5 lbs (25%)
31 inches tall (97+%)

Baby Bee Turns ONE!

Be still my soul. My little baby is growing right up and somehow someway someone has allowed her First Birthday to creep up behind us. My bestie Jessie (who is our unofficial-official family photographer) captured her sweet and spicy personality spot-on. This child brings light into our lives and these pictures prove it. Her Bamm-bamm ponytail. Her crooked little grin. Her pat-a-cake clap. Blowing kisses. Walking. Talking. Big blue eyes. Her first pair of Levi 501's and red Salt Water sandals. Her shy, curious, hesitancy about life on earth. My book worm. My lovey dove. My Bee. Daddy's happy girl. Momma's forever baby. This is our Phoebe at one year old.
Some of our fav's...

Momma's fav

"Bee!"

Great-grandma's table and chair and doll

All in a year

This month is an especially busy one for thebradleeduncans as we prepare to move but I'm determined not to let anything overshadow my little Bee's first birthday. Many wonderful miraculous things have happened to our family this year, but none so blessed as how our sweet little first born baby girl went from this:

to this:

 

 ...all in a year! 

(More pics from JOP to come)

Bee's Blueprint: 11 Months

My baby is now 11 months old and I'm in so much denial about it. Where did my baby go? Bee is now officially a toddler, walking around solo like she owns the place. Let's face it: she does. She has the cutest little Frankenstein toddle...but takes her fair share of trips and falls several times a day. New bruises and war wounds are just a sign of growing and learning to operate that strong little body of hers. She's usually pretty tough to shake it off after a few cuddles and kisses from mom or dad. Bee has really latched on to one of her blankets and holds it to her face as she takes a bottle or falls asleep. She still takes a binky, but both the blankie and binky stay in the crib until nap or bed time. If she has her binky and blanket she can sooth herself to sleep with no problems. When we come get her up from a nap she will wave bye-bye and blow kisses to her animals, binky, and blanket in the crib. Teething is a constant and continuing distress but Bee seems to handle it pretty well. It feels like we are always on the verge of another tooth popping through. She amazes us with her growing intelligence and is absorbing more than we know. Her curiosity is insatiable! Currently she is a big fan of avocado, curry, tomatoes, and yogurt. She certainly prefers to feed herself, but momma finds it far more efficient to use a spoon as often as possible. On weekend mornings daddy will bring her back into bed with us and she gets such a thrill playing in the blankets and pillows. She is just beginning to learn a few animal sounds and will sometimes do an elephant trumpet and dog bark. Yep. It's the cutest ever. Bee is sweet and happy most of the time, but every so often we get a little glimpse of her SPICE that tells us she is not messing around. We sure love this sweet and spicy toddler, oh yes we do!

Conference Weekend: Baby Steps at Gwampa's

Spending part of Conference Weekend at Gwampa Lee's house, Bee practices taking some baby steps with the encouragement of her aunts and uncles. Atta girl! Momma looking very pregnant with baby brother. Atta Girl!

Bee's Blueprint: 10 months

Bee's wild child has been in full force this month and her stubborn little personality is beaming! Diaper changes are still proving to be difficult which has momma trying all kinds of shenanigans to get it done. We are giving her more and more table foods these days and she's generally a good sport about trying everything, but will let us know when she's over it by dropping it on the floor and waving bye-bye. Blueberries are her most favorite food right now. She squeals when she sees them coming and bangs her tray in fury when they are gone, hence, our blueberry monster. Fruit of any kind is a big hit at meal time and veggies are tolerated if they are the only option. Bee took her first few steps right at 10 months! She's still a bit unstable on her feet but is gaining more and more confidence every day. Crawling is definitely still the most efficient mode of transportation. When she hears the bath water turn on, Bee will head straight for the bathroom eager for her tubby-time. She is taking two naps a day and will put herself to sleep after books, songs, and snuggles. Bee loves to read books and "help" turn the pages. It seems she is learning new tricks everyday. She will  high-five, clap, dance, and sometimes give kisses on demand, of course always on her terms. We are working on sign-language for a few simple words such as more, all-done, please, thank you, etc. Bee despises the vacuum and gets nervous and scared when it rolls out. Needless to say, I don't get much vacuuming done unless I'm holding her and at 7+ months pregnant that becomes slightly interesting ;). Bee is curious and fearless and stubborn and sweet and smart. We sure do love this little wild child and are enjoying every bit of her.

We love the park and can prove it

Park initiation of Spring 2013. Try not to be surprised when I claim that I actually attempted to whittle down the park photos. I did make an attempt. But honestly, as her mother I could never have enough pictures of Bee in that baby swing grinning ear to ear. I couldn't be happier that she is a fan of the swing. It's my favorite! I used to drive past parks often before I had Phoebe and wonder if I would ever have a baby to fill the empty swings. These baby swings will always represent a very real heartache that has completely come full circle for me. Now when I drive past an empty swing I say a silent prayer for the mother who has not yet filled it.