I was hoping to do this in January!! I had the pictures together, but then as you know, this thing called life just keeps moving. So let me start off by saying that I am not the perfect parent, nor do I have the perfect children. I know this may shock some of you, so let it soak in a bit and then move on. I only say this because as I give you an update on each kid I will mostly focus on the positive and refrain from going on and on about what individual challenges they each bring to my life. They joy always outweighs the tough stuff, and as a friend reminded me a while back, they are refining me as much as if not more than I am them. So without further ado......
J
So I know one of the pics includes his sister, but it represents a big part of who he is: a lover. Not just a "love ya" kind of guy, but he loves hard and sometimes it may come across too strong to the siblings, but e took it well there. J is 8 1/2. Almost nine, which means almost ten and that is crazy to me! Sometimes he still seems so young, but in 3 years we are talking about Jr high, and possible girl interest. Yikes. This kid does everything will full gusto. In school he's doing great, and anywhere he's not completely acing it, it's because he rushes through it to move on to something better. He claims he doesn't like to read, however he reads before bed every night and is at the top of his class in reading. He loves to learn new things and share it. He has been reading an almanac that my grandma got him a while back and loves to enlighten us with his new found knowledge. He still loves is legos, and his wii. He is enjoying his cello and has a concert coming up in the spring. It will be good to get him outside again when things warm up. He'll start baseball in the spring...but this boy has a beat and I really think he should take dance! He talks to the baby in my tummy without prompting. He plays ball and wrestles with V. He is such an emotional guy. We are learning ourselves on how to teach him to control his emotions without snuffing out his passionate nature. Just the other day something came up about the pro-life march in DC. I had to tell him what an abortion was, as age appropriately as possible, and tears immediately welled up in his eyes and he yelled, "you're not going to do that are you?" He feels deep. I just pray that he'll take all this and let the Lord use it for His glory.
E
My 6 yr. old little girl. She is such an interesting combo of personality. On the whole I would say she is a mellow kid (in comparison to J) but she can wrestle with daddy and the boys and hold her own. She loves her dolls and crafty things and coloring. She also loves the sight of blood and asks to see whenever anyone is bleeding and does not hide her disappointment if she doesn't get to see the boo boo before the band aid is on. She loves animals and asks us for a pet weekly. She knows that this won't happen until we live in a place we own, but I think she's hoping we'll change our mind. She's a great big sister. Most of the time she is looking out for V's well being, finds ways to entertain him while I'm making dinner, plays with him etc. She has a stubborn side that can push me over the edge sometimes, but I'm glad that she is not easily swayed by the opinions of others and look forward to see that trait used for good in her teenage years and on to adulthood. She is also doing great at school. She too is near the top of her class in most subjects, an excellent reader and quick to learn. She has such an inquisitive mind and simple answers are usually not enough for her. I know this is a good thing, but it keeps me on my toes! She is still doing dance. She is taking a tap/jazz combo and in the recital will be performing a jazz routine to "Mickey". Yes, the 80's Mickey, not the Disney one. I'm on the fence about this. I don't know if this is something she'll keep up. Every year after the recital she says she wants to do it again but once into it her gusto is gone. I think she'd really like to do gymnastics, but honestly it's more $ and the dance studio we go to is so wonderfully close! She also would love a horse, but I told her she had to be big enough to handle one. This will buy me a few years since she's so teeny. I have been having a lot of fun with her, and trying to enjoy this stage where she wants to be around me and help me in the kitchen or with cleaning. She's even taken a few naps with me on the couch. I love it!
V
Our little man. He's two now and on the move. He's at that fun age where he's starting to talk more and we are starting to understand more. My favorite sayings of his are:
"uh oh, what happened?"
"don't touch"
"sooooft"
"there it is!"
Of course all of this is in his still babyish voice and maybe Den and I are the only ones who know what he's saying. Still, he loves trying to keep up with big brother and sister, wanting to take part in whatever they are doing. When J is playing wii V grabs his own num chuck and pretends to play and makes noises like his big brother. He loves to have book time with mommy in the morning. Each book has it's own purpose. One book is for pointing out bumble bees, another is for repeating (and sometimes identifying on his own) the letters of the alphabet, and there is a kids Bible where he turns the page and says "song?" as he knows that I'll sing a sunday school song that goes with the story on the page. He's a happy kid overall. Keep him fed....if not that can be scary...and he's happy. The boy can eat! He often walks up to any one of us just to hug our leg or offer a kiss. He's a sweetheart and we are looking forward to seeing where his personality will lead.
Baby #4This pregnancy is going well. I'm about 25 weeks along and the baby is moving great. I have gestational diabetes and that's a pain, but nothing I haven't gone through before. We are so curious as to what this little guy will look like. V looks so much like J and E has her own looks. Will this one look like his brothers or be totally different? I would love to have one boy with curly locks like his sister. I would also like to figure out a name! I know we have time, but I'm really stumped on this one. Perhaps I'm feeling the pressure because this is most likely our last one. Anyway, we will be keeping the name a secret, but any suggestions are welcome.
Motherhood. I don't think I ever really thought about what kind of mom I wanted to be. I always knew I wanted it to be part of my life someday...but the details weren't something I would dwell on beforehand. I'm amazed at how the Lord just gives me what I need everyday to love them and train them. Not that I always listen, but I know that He's there. I want to be a purposeful parent. I want to be intentional as we go through our day together. The problem with that is that I can be such a wing it kind of girl. I've definitely become more of a planner as I've "grown up". I like to have a plan, and I'm okay(most of the time) if the plan doesn't work out. Still, I want to be consistently consistent, less selfish with my time, more willing to pour myself out for my family. I feel mostly at ease at a mom, but there are times when I'm scared. Scared of missing out on something, of not nurturing a relationship where they will keep talking to me no matter what the situation or age. Scared of finding time for all of them and having relationships with all of them according to their unique needs. Ah, the fears. But the joys are definitely bigger if I focus on them. Those unprompted "I love you Mommy" moments are the best of course and they are right up there when you see your child showing love and compassion to another person, again with out prompting. And of course, I have a great partner in this. Den is the best dad. I don't really know how to end this. I could rattle off for hours about this parental journey....but don't worry, I won't.
