Santa Pics! (that week in December before I had a baby)

I know we are into the new year full swing, but there were some precious moments to remember from the last few months of 2014.  At 39 weeks pregnant I was beyond ready to get our little guy here, so the five and a half of us (aka big belly) paid a visit to Santa Claus at the Windermere Real Estate office and walked through the mall for no other reason than to encourage baby to come!  (That might have been my only reason, but of course the kids were delighted to see Santa and we had some Christmas shopping to do, too.)  I think these pictures turned out so cute!  I wish I would’ve had them dressed up in fancier attire for heaven’s sake (hello Hello Kitty!), but I was kind of in a pregnancy fog for the most part, and my thought process consisted of one foot in front of the other! Really though, the photographer took her time with our family and then e-mailed these pictures to me at no extra charge.  It was definitely a nice surprise in my inbox the week before Christmas.

A Letter to My Dad

(The last photo taken of my Dad, June 2014)

My Dad, My Hero, My Friend

 

I miss you.  Not just today, but every day.  I wish I could call you on the phone just one more time.  I can ask you if it’s bad timing or not to which you would then reply, “It’s never bad timing to talk to my beautiful daughter."  I’m so glad I always told you how much I loved you.  I know you love me, too - unconditionally.  Your strength gave me a sense of stability & safety.  I’m trying to be strong Dad, but the tears come like waves.  Someday we will understand why your life was shortened.  I continue to yearn for answers, but the Lord rebukes me and reminds me to, “ Leave it to Him.”  I know that you will continue to watch over me & my family.  Thank you for always making me feel like the most talented, capable young woman in all the world.  Thank you for genuinely being in awe of everything I was trying to become.  Thank you for being the most forgiving, compassionate, good-humored individual I have ever known.  Thank you for being MY Dad.  Someday we will meet again, and my joy will be full, but until then, I will strive to be a daughter that will make you and my Heavenly Father simply rejoice.

I will always love you until we meet again.

Four Weeks

Last Sunday marked exactly four weeks old for little Luke.  With the birth of each child, my heart grows bigger.  I feel so much love for my children - not just collectively, but individually.  Luke has a special demeanor about him.  He occasionally takes a pacifier, but he’s perfectly content to be held really close, swaddled tightly.  

Each day has been a little different up to this point; he’s growing too fast for me to count on much of a routine, but the feedings have been spreading out more & more.  (Last night he slept from 6:15 pm - 9:45 pm, and after a cluster of feedings & wake time, he slept again from 1:30 am - 6:15 am, his longest stretch yet.)

Gabe always wants to “pet him.”  I love being home in the mornings with my two boys while the girls are away at school.  It’s kind of surreal after going through a chapter with two little girls always at my feet.  Gabe has been throwing a few outrageous tantrums here & there, but he’s trying his hardest to be a big boy, and I’m proud of him.  

It’s hard to explain, but I miss my other kiddos at times!  We’re all learning how to adapt to life with a whole new person in our family as I figure out how to meet everyone’s needs.  The girls are learning to be more independent, and we’ve had a few frustrating moments as a result (preparing backpacks, frantically looking for library books on library day, cutting up own pancakes, etc.), but I love watching their minds work for themselves, learning to really apply the value of self-reliance.

Man oh man, I’d like to share more, but I have a sweet newborn who needs to be fed. :)

Love, Sharee