Ellie Talking to Her Baby Brother

From the Driver's Seat

I was driving in the van the other day with the farthest backseat filled up with my treasures.  My five and my seven year old sit on either side of our sweet, tiny newest.  I was quiet in the front and I just listened.  I listened to the voice of my dear seven year old change to mine as she spoke words of mushy praise over our little prince.  Like a true momma, she was slathering him with love of all sorts making sure he was the right temperature, that he had his pacifier, and that his little hands wouldn't move too much and startle him awake.  This little girl, who so unfairly was denied the kind of momma love and nurture that she was now delivering,  looked up at me and said, " All I want when I grow up is to be a momma like you!"  What a beautiful and incredible wish that is held so highly in that girl's heart.  This girl, who has so desperately wanted to know the love of a momma herself and who fought so long to keep the walls around her heart so rigid in an attempt to protect herself from further abandonment nearly stealing her deepest desire for love and belonging from herself, wants to be a momma just like me.  Just like me..flawed, broken, and imperfect.  She wants to love and nurture a dear one of her own, and to see her model me in every single way as she lives out her mothering role with this newborn is absolutely beyond words.  That God would give me the place of momma in the hearts of my little girls, and then allow me to see how my love is molding them..what a privilege!  How dear and incredible this life I am living has turned out to be.  Bigger and better than my wildest dreams, and while the chaos is real each minute of everyday I wouldn't change a minute as my hands are certainly full, but my heart is much, much fuller!

First Day of School

Fourth Grade. So grown up!

Pre-K.  Her first year of school.

College Sophomore.  Her first apartment.

Second Grade.  Homeschool looks good on her!

Kindergarten.  This is Molly's first year of homeschool so when I invited her to the table to get started our first day, she said, "UH, no thanks."  Then we explained that it was our school, and she said, "Oh, Homeschool." 

AFOs Are on the Way

There are so many big changes for this baby girl recently that I need to record them.  She is napping in her crib without a fight every afternoon, going to school, and now getting some spiffy new leg braces to help support her as she stands.  She fell asleep while being casted.

It made her quite an easy patient.

We picked out some fun ladybug print for the braces.  I can’t wait to see her in them.  She is so close to walking.  She is making great gains.  I am excited to see how these help her.

Cullen’s First Bath

It was a few days before our little man could have his first bath.

Being so tiny without much fat makes it hard to regulate your body temperature when you are so young.

He was so tiny in the hospital sink.

Needless to say, when the time came, our little guy was not a fan.  He still doesn't love his bath, but he tolerates it. 

No Front Teeth

Seven and a half.  How I love thee.  You are toothless, adorable, and spunky.

You are very articulate.  You display an ever maturing view of yourself.

You love with your heart wide open.

You have remained big, loud, and larger than life like your partner six and a half,but you are better!

And I can’t imagine loving you more!

Holding Him for the First Time

Who could have imagined these precious girls would be snuggling a newborn baby brother?

God is so good!

The babes are precious!

We are blessed!

Meeting His Sisters

Our boy was born around noon and our little girls came up about 6:00 to meet him for the first time.  It was a precious and beautiful moment.

Jillian came right in and kissed his little head.  The other two were equally as loving.

He was still having some trouble regulating his temperature so they didn’t hold him yet but how they loved him instantly.