Happy 18th Month Sloan!

Sloan, you are so big now!  In your actions and attitude!  You are so brave, you want to try to do everything.  On a day to day basis you think you are as old as one of your sisters, you want to play with them, jump off the stairs with them, eat what they eat, use markers that sometimes turn out to be permanent!  All of which lead to a pretty interesting/not so great outcome!  You can sometimes be a little bit of a bull-dozer!  You know exactly how to push their buttons, which I guess brothers can do, and all in the same moment you lay your head on there tummy for a little "I'm sorry cuddle"  You love them, and bug them at once, but you get so concerned when one of them cries or gets hurt!  You have an infectious smile, and you know when I am staring at you cause you show me your baby teeth and a twinkle in your eye.  I love being your mama and seeing you turn into a new little person each day!  Life is full of discovery at every turn and you are so interested in doing it on your own.  So independent!

Here you are desperately wanting an ice cream cone, and Sadie is NOT SHARING!

I love this one, your eye's are deadly!  You pierce me to the core!

I love your face!

You've come a long way already!

My little man, your growing up!  And I still remember when I looked like this, and I enjoyed every minute with you, even all the crazy stuff like the puking, and stretching, and the pushing you out part!  Its was all  amazing and a miraculous experience!  I am so glad we have you!

Here I am, around 8ish months!  I still think I looked cute, but lets be realistic!

Here you are day 2, being loved by your big sis Sadie, and she still loves you like this today!  You love to cuddle up on the couch with her, and read books, and watch cartoons, and sometimes you just walk over to her and lay your head on her tummy!  Its pretty sweet!

This was fresh out of the womb, and you totally look like you have a contented smile on your face!  This is your take on life right now!  Especially if I am around!  Actually only if I am around, you are kind of a mama's boy, but its nice to know I am your favorite person!

I love you, you intense crash-bang, football, touchdown, hockey stick hit loving big boy! Slow down!  You are growing to fast and the baby side of you is slipping away and the grown up boy is pushing its way in way to fast!

Love Mom!

Happy 41st month Telly!!!

Telly, you really love Sadie and you want to be just like her, here you are all dressed up giving her a kiss!  I love this photo!

PLUS: (Cause my hand looks exactly like my mom's, I hope that's not all she passed down, and that I am as good a mother as she is!)

Here is Telly with Auntie Stef, another person she loves, and is so excited every time she comes over!

Telly Emerson Elsie, you are a complex little girl, but I am more in love with you now, than ever!  I honestly giggle at our silly conversations all day long!  You are so petite, and your sweet little nose wrinkles up when you are happy, annoyed, disgusted, or sometimes just because!  You still do "stroke mouth" (its how I can describe it, when you are thinking and half of your mouth in the corner droops right down) and it usually leads to a cry session!  But we get through it, and a lot of the time all you want is to be truly listened to, and understood!  You are such a snuggler and I love it, its a nice change from your newborn days, when you would push away, now its about all that can comfort you every time!  I love our special moments together in the morning when Sloan is napping and Sadie is at school, when we play Barbie's, or bake or just sit on the couch together and act silly!  But everyday you ask me if its pre-school time yet... and to be honest I still haven't decided if I am going to send you or not!  Its a decision dilemma right now, but we will figure it out!  Thanks for being a chocolate lover just like me, we will have lots of fun going on chocolate adventures... or just having a "chunk" at home!  I love you my precious second born blessing!

Here you are on day 3, at home in the beautiful blanket that Auntie Anna made for you!

You look very content in this pic, which was really not the norm!  Things have changed a bit since then!

Auntie Mia is doing her famous pose, with you on day 2!

Here is Sadie meeting you for the first time!  She was so excited that you had finally arrived!

I love you Tell!

Love MOM!

I was most excited this week when...

As mom's (in my vast 5 years of experiance) I know that finding joy in the little things, is what keeps me going, and reafirms to me why I can, will, and want to continue on this crazy journey!  Its strange in a 7 day period how many high's and low's we can swing between with our kids!  Somedays it seems so significant and on others, the moments may slip by without being noticed, or once again its just me being a spaz! Its one of my favorite terms!  It describes me perfectly, but as we've discussed only one week a month!!  Here are my victories this week!

... Sloan started making "vrrrrooooom, vrrrrroooooom" noises when he was playing with his new cars from Auntie Anna!  (Its a big deal considering he is 18 months and I am the only one who knows what he is communicating with his lack of understandable words!  It'll come little guy!  Don't worry!)

... Telly's  Doctor says she's in perfect health!What a relief!!! (Sort of!)  The rest is up to me to figure out!  I am up for the challenge!  Its why I became a mother after all, "the most difficult, yet rewarding job in the world" spoken by a mother of 13!!!  Wow and I think 3 is sometimes tricky!

... Sadie emerged from her quiet time with the entire cast of Sleeping Beauty, along with costume changes!  They were each drawn on paper, colored, and cut out-meticulously I must add!  The costumes were so detailed, and each colored differently.  She really worked on them and took time to make each item unique, and she was so proud of herself!  And I was so proud of her!  She is growing up so fast, and I hope we will always stay close, even through the teenage years!

I have been saying for a little while as a pep talk (for myself) that I never wanted to miss the moments, and it has sometimes been easy to get wrapped up in all the things we have to do.  But it is my prayer that I will stop, and remember those romantic days of motherhood, and the goals of how I would be different from the world, and take parenting to a new heights and get in the mess, the toys, the paint, and the fun of it, and enjoy my kids, and let them enjoy me.  I want to rekindle that excitement in my own heart, and continue down that path!  I love you Sadie, I love you Telly, I love you Sloan.  

Don't miss the moments!

Happy 63rd Month Sadie!

These are some of my fondest memories of my first minutes (right before) after becoming a mother!  You changed my life Sadie, you came out so beautifully, and perfect, and your face warmed my heart, you were mine, and you and I have had 63 months together!  Where has the time gone.  I love you more today than I did that day, and my heart was so full, I didn't think I could get anymore love in there!  This is my first letter to you in 2009 and this is your year babe.  I love you and support you, you are a blessing to me and Dad!

Our Little glow worm, snuggled right in!

Grandpa Stan meeting you for the first time, and he loved that your name was Sadie!  We named you after Grandpa's sister!  I love you and miss you Gramps!

You started using your lungs right away, and you haven't stopped since!

Daddy was so excited that you had finally arrived!  We held you so close, and we still do!

Our last night at home, just me and Daddy!

Sadie's Most recent Birthday!  5 years old!  October 20th 2008!

You have grown up so much!  You are half way through kindergarten, and you love it!  You love having new friends, and doing lots of coloring, drawing, and any kind of crafty thing!  You love to be outside, (when mommy will brave the cold!)and inside, dancing, twirling,  and singing, and I love it!  I sometimes stop what I am doing, and just listen to you, your tender heart shines through your songs, You imagine you are being the princess, who needs to be rescued!  You are one of my favorite people, and we have so much fun together,   love to laugh with you and be silly!  I hope it will last forever and ever!  I love you

Love Mom!

Letters for my Husband

I thought of this a long time ago, the things I would like to say when I am a basket case, or overly emotion, angry,  (usually right before the oh so wonderful time of the month!), happy, overjoyed, ecstatic or just can't put the thoughts into words.  

What I would say to Rob, if I could calm myself down long enough to say what is on my heart, or maybe just say "sorry for being such a SPAZ!"

Anyways, here it goes, a new series, with love for my husband!

Rob

You were right! (Of course, and I knew, you knew you would be!) And I did come to it on my own!  Instead of noticing all the things you did do, I only saw what you didn't.  You are a wonderful father, and husband.  Thank you for all the hard work you do for us.  Its a difficult job, and not everyone is cut out to handle people every single day, but you do it with grace, and you do it for us.  I need to say Thank you more often.  I appreciate you.  I love you, and I'm grateful for you!

Heidi

P.S. On a heads up note:  Right a round this time each month ( just add 28 to 30 days from today) you can guarantee that I will probably need to write you another letter like this one!  BUT  It all could be avoided if you went out of your way to not let me get my buttons pushed, by me pushing yours and you naturally pushing back!  Because you do have so much control over that!  That would save me a whole lot of cheeky words that I don't really mean, and save you from having to let me know how ridiculous I am!!!  Does it sound like a plan? Or maybe I could just retreat for a few days, out into the country by myself, with no one to yell at!  Or you could... either way, I will send you a reminder email, so we can save ourselves a whole lot of trouble!  Or I could just get pregnant again...  because we both know that I am a dream compared to who, and what I have been in the past few months!  The only thing I cry over then is that I am hungry!  Sorry again,  I do love you!  I am sure one day I will be able to gain control of it, and not blame my rapidly changing emotions on hormone levels!

Thank  you, you are better than I could have hoped for!  Loves

 

A Bloody What???

It may be inappropriate (wait till I get to the end to make the judgement!) to tell this story, but I just can't let it pass by!

The whole fam was at the mall a couple of days ago, and we needed to ride the elevator up to Build-a-bear workshop(its the girls favorite store, even though we have never actually purchased anything!) We have a monsterous stroller, and its the only way to get from one level to the next!  As I walk into the elevator, what appears to be a bloody KLEENEX is sitting on the floor, and I mentioned to Rob "Watch out for the bloody KLEENEX!"  Sadie was standing right there, and didn't quite hear what I said, but Instead of drawing more attention to it! I just told her not to worry about it!

Well her little mind must have been at it, because about 4 or 5 minutes later, walking through the mall, I see a gleam in her eye, she looks up at me, so proud that she has figured out what Rob and I were talking about and here is what she says... "  I know what you said... A bloody PENIS!"

It was much to my shock and amazement, and the laughter that escaped me what loud, and genuine! I am so glad that we have succeeded in teaching our kids what each and every body part is called, but I sure hope we don't ever see any of those on the floor of the mall elevator! 

Ahhh kids, oh how there little minds work!

Auntie Anna you make us look great!!!

Thanks to Auntie Anna (once again) Sloan is the cutest and coziest this season!  To whoever reads this, or may eventually read this, she (being Anna) is the most talented and loving person!  The reason those two go together is because you really get a genuine home made feel from all of her knitting, and the warmth that is felt from her blankets, sweaters, and anything/everything else is like a huge hug!  Thanks for all you do for me, not just the wonderful and heart felt goods, but being there for me, and loving me, and just being awesomly you!

What a Beauty!!!  The baby and the sweater!  Last year it was a jedi sweater and this year its a woodland fairy!  You are soooo Talented!  And I love reaping the benefits!
And to attest to the girly-ness of the sweater, I've discovered, Its NOT the sweater its the HAIR!  A little girl we met at Joey's Only named Ava who is 1 month older that Sloan, walked up to him and said "little girl"!!!  So its not just the adults getting him mixed up with the opposite gender, but also his own peers!  He was wearing a brink green necklace as well  that belonged to Sadie, so that probably didn't help either!  

 It also reminded me that my son only says 3 words (other than mama of course) 1. NO! 2. HOT! 3. DOWN!  He's got a long way to go in 1 month, if he expects to reach the level of the little girl in Joey's, at least he has what he needs to defend himself if it happens again!

Scenario...  Ava:  "Hi Little girl"

Sloan: "NO!"

Thought Bubble Sloan: " I am a strong boy and I can push you..."

Sloan: "DOWN!"

Thought Bubble Sloan: " But you are kind of...

Sloan: "HOT!"

Thought Bubble Sloan: " Maybe we could hangout sometime?"

Something like that, and I am sure there are a thousand other ways it could go!!!

I am to blame for him being called a girl, but I have a dream of him with long hair so until he tells me to cut it off we are going for it!!!