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By Meredith Ethington

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Chandler

18 Months with My Baby

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This blog, is after all, a blog about my job as a Mom. And, one of my best parts of being a Mom is watching my kids hit their milestones. 18 months old is definitely one of those. My little Chandler is 18 months old, and it’s killing me, but at the same time, the 13 hours of consecutive sleep he had last night makes it a little less painful.

I love this age. Chandler answers to “baby” as much as he answers to his name, Chan Chan, Chan the Man, and Ky-Chan (when I can’t seem to keep track of which boy I’m talking about). An added bonus is that when you are 18 months old, you get to go to nursery at church. This is a big deal in mormon-ville because our church is 3 hours. Yeah, you heard me right. And, until 18 months old, you are expected to keep your child with you for 3 hours, and quiet. It’s OK until they learn to walk, and then it is absolute torture. So, this past Sunday, he went to nursery for the first time. He lasted about an hour until he was brought to me, while I was conducting a meeting. He was hysterical. So, that was fun. But, I still relished in the one hour that he lasted. None of my kid have disliked nursery. But, this little man can cling to mama all he wants.

This little boy….Because all of a sudden, he seems (and looks) like a little boy and not so much a baby anymore, has captivated  my heart. Maybe it’s because I know he’s my last, but I don’t think so. I think it’s because there is something super special in that kid’s heart. I can’t wait to see it as he grows. He only says a few words. My oldest has been keeping track. She claims he says 12 words. I’m not sure. It is mostly pointing and saying, “Uh uh uh uh?”

But, there are a few….not sure there are really 12. Here are the only ones I can think of right now:

Me! (usually when older brother and sister are asked a question, shout, “Me!!” and he wants to join in.

Mama (music to my ears every single time)

Ba or Bu can mean many things. Ball….Bus

Baby

Yes

Dada

Avery (we heard him say it twice, but not sure if we will hear it again for a while)

Woof (dog)

Woah! (Like pouring my water out on my tray is really cool every. single. time. so I have to do it, and say, “Woah!” like it’s a surprise all over again).

Wow.

He is still obsessed with animals and balls. He goes crazy when he sees either. He just wants to be big, but is still so little, which makes him absolutely endearing. The past few weeks he’s been exploring with water since it’s getting hot. And, he’s not so sure about it. But, I think he’s figuring it’s OK.

Are you sure this is OK Mom?

The blanket and paci are here to stay for a while. And, I’m fine with that because so is the sleep. Did I mention we are getting LOTS of sleep? But, at least he is good at multi-tasking while he holds his blanket.

The one thing that just makes me melt about this kid is his smirk. He has this little smile, with his mouth closed that KILLS ME. I caught it on camera.

He still is not a fan of eggs. I’m trying, but he thinks they’re yucky. And, we’ve been able to give him small amounts of milk cooked in stuff. I consider that a big success considering where we were just a few short months ago.

Life is so amazing with this little kid in it. Today, I looked at him with a baseball cap on him that was at least 3 sizes too big, and I got a glimpse at the boy he is turning into. Moments like that always make me catch my breath.

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First time wearing a hat today at the splash pad park. He kept it on for a little bit.

The heart is amazing. It continues to grow, even when you think it will burst.

I love you my sweet big baby Chandler. I’m not going to tell you to stop growing, because honestly, I can’t wait to see who you will become.


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Comments

  1. Rayna Drago says

    June 12, 2013 at 3:49 pm

    Ahhh…the cutest boy around (besides mine…LOL!) That is a perfect pic of that smirk!!! Love it!

    Reply
  2. Rayna Drago says

    June 12, 2013 at 3:49 pm

    Oh and yeah…a Meredith blog!!! Woo hoo!! My withdrawals are subsiding!

    Reply
  3. barelyherenorthere says

    June 12, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    We’re all in love with our littlest boys 🙂 mine is just my obsession. ..he’s starting to test his boundaries with a cheeky grin on his face, which only makes me want to kiss him rather than reprimand him. He’s just hit 2! It really does make you catch your breath. Really enjoyed your blog.

    Reply
  4. Amber Perea says

    June 12, 2013 at 8:08 pm

    For reals! What a stone cold cutie!

    Reply
  5. bensbitterblog says

    June 12, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    Best part is the nursery! Yeah!

    Reply
  6. mkstump says

    June 13, 2013 at 5:17 am

    Love this post! Made me tear up!!

    Reply

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Welcome! I’m Meredith.

Mom. Writer. Diet Coke connoisseur. Born and raised Texan. Lover of real talk and laughter with a hint of sarcasm mixed in.

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Meredith Ethington

perfectpending

Mom • Author • Mental Health Therapist In Training
Grab my new book, The Mother Load, available now. 👇👇

Night night! 😤 Night night! 😤
If you missed my last post about how raising teens If you missed my last post about how raising teens can wreck you mentally….wellll this is part of the reason why. So lonely! But we are in this together somehow. 😂 Make sure to check out my latest substack and grab a copy of my book —- The Mother Load!
NEW ---> "When there are problems in these big kid NEW ---> "When there are problems in these big kid years, it’s no longer really acceptable to call a friend and air the annoyances of the situation. At least not the specifics.

Sure, you can commiserate with a fellow parent about teenagers being the worst.

But, to be honest - they’re not the worst. They’re kind of amazing. But their problems make me tired to my core." 

Read the latest on my substack. I promise you'll relate. ❤️
So sweet. ❤️ Follow me @perfectpending and bet So sweet. ❤️
Follow me @perfectpending and better yet buy my book or subscribe to my substack to support me.
"I don’t know about you, but I don’t really wa "I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want same-ness anymore. I want messy. I want admissions that shit is hard and we don’t have it all together. I want to have a makeup free, messy bun in my sweats run in with a mom friend and not feel worried she’s checking out my un-groomed eyebrows.

I don’t want to try to give off this illusion that I’m control of my life any better than the next person. It’s a shitshow for all of us, and we continue to hide it for fear of what? Being human?"

Read the rest on my Substack. Link in profile.
WHAT IF THIS IS THE HAPPIEST I’LL EVER BE AND I WHAT IF THIS IS THE HAPPIEST I’LL EVER BE AND I MISS IT? What if I miss the best time of my life. What if it’s right this second?
What if it’s right now while I’m in finals week of grad school, and have a kid that’s sick? 
I already miss so much. The gummy smiles of babes without any teeth. The squeaky voices of 2 year olds. The babbling of a baby that’s just trying so hard to say mama. The grammar mistakes my kids make when they’re talking that I don’t have the heart to correct because I love it too much. 

I miss a lot about those younger years that have already slipped away. My youngest is sick, much like in this picture, but he is too big to snuggle in my arms now when he’s running a fever. 

Today I had the thought, what if this is it? What if this IS the happiest I’ll ever be?
For a moment, I lingered in that thought as I stood over my sink and did the dishes. I started to cry.
Am I missing it? AM I? I felt a tug that maybe I was. Maybe I wasn’t relishing enough, and enjoying enough, and being present enough.
But, then I realized, it will never be ENOUGH. 

Read the rest in my substack ❤️
New year, same me. 😂 #mentalhealth #anxiety #de New year, same me. 😂
#mentalhealth #anxiety #depression
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I’ve got to admit - I’m kind of over all of th I’ve got to admit - I’m kind of over all of this. *sweeps arm generally at planet earth*

Look, I’ve never been a half glass full kind of gal. I can ALWAYS find the negative in every situation. 

But, right now it’s easy to say that I’m over it. It being.....

The state of our economy. Social media. People being unemployed. People being racist and homophobic. The debate over politics. People judging people. ALLLLLL of it. 

Everything is crap right now. We joke about it a lot. We have to in order to survive. 

It’s the one millionth day of January but Spring feels so far away. 

I’m over these four damn walls that we call home. 

Yeah, I know. Even as I’m typing this it all sounds like a bunch of ungrateful whiney BS. I hear it. I don’t need you to point it out, Karen. 

But, my guess is you’re reading this right now and realizing you’re over it too. Whatever “it” is in your life.

Some days the world feels like total crap. Everything is a mess. Everything costs too much. For E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y. 

Yes, even for you Karen. ➡️➡️ to keep reading.
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But, the loss of yourself in motherhood is real. And It’s not talked about enough." 

Do you feel like you lost yourself in motherhood? How? I really want to know. 

Psss - I am in grad school to become a therapist, and am not ashamed to ask that you subscribe to my paid substack. I just lowered the cost to $36/year! That's like $4/month and you'll have access to all my previous posts, and some new weekly short posts to give you ideas to help with balancing motherhood and your own mental health. I'm learning a lot in school, and will only continue to do so, so subscribe and we'll support each other. ❤️
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Saaaame. @womenwhorunwiththemoon Saaaame. @womenwhorunwiththemoon
I’m sorry are you really wearing doc martens and I’m sorry are you really wearing doc martens and a dress with spaghetti straps and a Tshirt under it while you’re telling me I’m doing it wrong? 🤣 Life is wild. Teenagers are fun.
Found in my pediatricians office. 🤣 What’s th Found in my pediatricians office. 🤣 What’s the moral of the story friends? If you think your household is always sick - it’s because they probably are. Kids make everything more germ-y
Here’s what I do know 👇 No one knows what th Here’s what I do know 👇

No one knows what they’re doing. 
We all feel like imposters. 
Our kids love us anyway. 
We’re all going to be OK. 
You’ve got this (as much as any of us do) 😘

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"By trying to be perfect, we're actually trying to "By trying to be perfect, we're actually trying to avoid being human." 

Do you struggle with perfectionism? Parenthood has helped me quite a bit, but It's something I've battled my whole life. I still struggle occasionally, although it's gotten better. But, let's stop trying to avoid being human and instead embrace ourselves an in turn embrace the entire human race. ❤️ I'd love to hear how you embrace being imperfect. 

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Mood. Mood.
Some of you wanted sources on my last reel where I Some of you wanted sources on my last reel where I said we only need to be getting it right 30% of the time for our kids to have secure attachments. Well I wrote a bit more about the concept of being the “good enough mother” a term coined in the 50’s by a researcher and pediatrician. Check it all out in my newest post. Link in profile.
It’s true! Researchers have found that as long a It’s true! Researchers have found that as long as you’re doing the repair after mistakes the other times - then 30% is enough! Sometimes I worry I’m not doing it right but I definitely know I’m doing it right 30% of the time! 
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