Ivie

Ivie has been on my mind. I love Ivie. She is beautiful, friendly, so willing to share her love, forgiving, creative, perceptive of the needs and feelings of others, tidy, silly, an expressive dancer, smart, a loving sister, very quick to compliment others, daring and adventurous, photogenic (and has a knack for posing in photos...), a fantasitc singer, and a one-of-a-kind daughter. It is my pleasure to be her mother.

Toddlers

I LOVE,
LOVE,
LOVE
toddlers! Terrible Two's? Whatever! I will mourn the day I don't have a toddler to admire. Norah has captured my heart as well as everyone's who knows her! She talks a lot, but we can't understand much of what she says. Her language makes us laugh though! She is happy, adorable, curious, adorable, silly, friendly, adorable, loving, and adorable. She loves to dance, eat salsa with a spoon, sabotage our cat's personal space, take baths, give kisses and wear everyone else's shoes. I'll let the pictures speak a thousand words about Norah, Norbert, or Norma (as we sometimes like to call her). My dad likes to call her Ignorah (when she's sick of people trying to get her attention) and Mary Lou Norah (because she has the cutest muscle-y quick little body). P.S. Norah has never liked a binkie, but temporarily adopted one when Jane was born. Doesn't Norah have the most beautiful eyes?

Jane

Jane has changed since I posted the swollen, but cute hospital pictures! She is 5 weeks old and is a wonderful baby. She sleeps and sleeps and sleeps. I've never experienced this before in a newborn! We love her.

Before Jane's birth, I spoke with my father about the chaos, tension and overall craziness we were experiencing in our home. Most of this was due to multiple children waking Wes and I multiple times during the night. My wise father suggested that things may improve after the baby joins the family. Often people (little people included) can sense when we need to 'step up to the plate.' How happy I am to report that my father was correct. I thought HE was up in the night, but my children have really stepped up to the plate since Jane's birth. Caleb literally woke us up every night for 7 years and usually ended up in our bed or on our floor. Now, he sleeps in his bed all night. Miraculous. I never thought it possible, but I miss his late night visits!

A good friend recently told me that when you have three kids, you realize you have kids. When you have 4 kids, you realize you have a lot of kids. That is true. I have a lot of kids, but I'm thankful for the opportunity to spend my days with ALL of them!