Audrey, age 5

You pick your own clothes.

You have a strong sense of what’s your style.

You love to dress up.

You wear a party dress almost everyday.

You always choose dresses.

You change outfits so many times a day.

You love your Dorothy shoes.

You are always planning.

You are graceful in everything you do.

You are a natural ballerina.

You whistle after every sentence to test out your newest skill.

You love friends and family and school.

You love to have a “dance party.”

You pick Shake it Off and Uptown Funk.

You sing along. (“uptown punk”)

You love TV and movies.

You watch the same movies over and over until you know every part.

Your favorites right now are “Horvin” Hears a Who and Fievel Goes West.

You have become a good sport.

You love Go Fish and Old Maid.

You can not hide it when you have Old Maid.

You love tiny stuffed animals.

You love Barbies.

You ask for “pals” at bedtime.

You draw tiny dots and circles.

You create ALL THE TIME.

You are a master cutter outer.

Your E has extra lines.

You do letters and make the sounds for all the words you see.

You love jokes.

You make up your own.

They crack you up.

You know a few real ones you’re good at telling.

You talk non-stop.

You have an impressive vocabulary.

You love AWANA.

You are making real connections to the preaching.

You ask the best questions.

And you have the best answers.

You brain is amazing.

It is always thinking.

You say you want to be a teacher when you grow up.

You say you’ll live with me when you have daughters. (“We’ll just get more chairs.”)

You still suck your fingers and tuck your ear in when you sleep.

You listen to every word.

You are girly.

You are so creative.

You are kind.

You are funny.

You have a tender heart.

You think about others.

You have strong opinions.

You stick to your choices.

You are such a big girl.

You are better and better all the time.

You are my best girl.

You are perfect to me.

Love,

Mommy

Jude, 18 months

You are funny. You are busy. You are so smart. You ride your bike all over. You carry around your lovies. You are a real life Linus. You finally eat real food. You love raw carrots. You like to dip them. You keep them in your mouth for a long time before you swallow. You love sweets. You feed yourself. You get so excited when you have something you want to show someone. You push around your cars. You love sing-a-majigs. You laugh big. You have wild curls. You love to sit in chairs. You love to press buttons and turn on/off lights. You love remotes. You like to figure things out. You lift your shirt to show your belly. You close both eyes really hard to “wink.” You always take off your socks. You love to put your shoes on. You love your paci. You use your thumb as a regular backup. You laugh really hard when I kiss your neck before bed. You read books. You like to brush your hair. You love to brush your teeth. You hate to have your face wiped. You do not like things on your hands. You love “Drey.” You say “bi” for bye. You are learning and saying new words every single day. You love people. You love Audrey’s dance class. You run down the hallway. You jump with your arms up and your feet on the ground. You dance and it looks like running in place. You LOVE the pets. You lay on Liza and chase Frida. You give Frida all the treats. You love animals. You love Grandmama. You are not so sure of the nursery. You love outside. You say “moo” and point at the moon. You point at “burs” (birds) You put your hand to your ear when you hear a sound. You like to watch Peek a Boo. You get so mad and throw fits. You grab onto my legs when I’m cooking. You give kisses. You back into laps and for hugs. You throw kisses, but sometimes forget to throw. You love to have your tummy rubbed. You say “real-we.” You wear Mommy’s bracelets and Audrey’s crowns. You are the best boy. You are perfect to me.

Love, Mommy

audrey says…

They’re unicorn whales.

2/4/2015

(after watching a show about narwhal whales-to her, everything is magic and unicorns)

“I wanted a perfect ending.  Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.  Delicious Ambiguity.”

-Gilda Radner

audrey says…

Me:  So much to remember, Auddie.

Audrey:  And so much to forget.

10/1/2014

In that moment, our eyes met & I remember thinking this is what it is like to be struck by lightning, knowing I would never be untouched by him again.

-First Glance, Brian Andreas

one.

You love to play.  You love the water hose.  You crawl all over the front yard.  You use a funny knee up version on the grass.  You love Audrey.  You light up around her.  You love dogs.  You try to get Frida and Bells.  You love the beach.  You love baths and water.  You love cooked carrots.  You love being outside.  You are busy.  You are a climber.  You snuggle your stuffed animals (hold them to your chest and lie down on them.)  You love your paci.  You find your thumb for backup.  You are ticklish.  You curl your tongue. You stand up holding on to everything.  You cruise along holding on.  You are starting to let go with one hand.  You have curls in the back of your hair.  You are all boy.  You love to eat cheese and strawberries and drink water from my straw.  You have one little bottom tooth poking through.  You are happy.  You cry huge when you are not.  You have big hands.  You wave bye-bye with your palm facing you.  You can show us your tongue.  You point to your nose, but really it’s just under it.  You say bye bye and pup pup.  You wear 12 month clothes, unless it’s the bottom, then you can wear tiny 3-6 month.  You take 2 naps.  You go to bed at 7:30.  You weigh 19 pounds and 11 ounces.  You feel solid.  You are strong.  You are tough.  You get lots of bumps and bruises.  You babble all the time.  You are loud.  You are serious and giggly.  You love Skip to My Lou.  You hate the car seat.  You love strolls.  You love your family.  You are curious. You try to figure things out.  You love to open and close doors.  You are obsessed with plugs.  You wake up happy.  You love to watch Baby Mozart.  You pat-a-cake and play peek-a-boo.  You are so much fun.  You are my best boy.

 

Love, Mommy

“I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.”

-Charles Dickens

Mother’s Day 2014, Audrey (4) and Jude (9 months)

 

Dear Jude,

Today is Mother’s Day.  My fifth.  But today was different with you here.  Today I celebrated love multiplied.  Love of a mother of more than one child.  Love that you don’t realize can keep growing until is just does.  You, my precious boy, showed me that love.  Love that  isn’t able to cap out.  That is instant and deep and unconditional and ongoing.  Love that doesn’t replace.  I celebrate you today.  For showing me the depths of love.  For giving me a better glimpse into the love God has for me, his own child.  You came into my world and grew my heart by about a million sizes.  You are the exact thing I never even knew I needed.

Thanks for teaching me so much already.  I’m so thankful to be your Mommy.

 

 

2 weeks into 4…

 

Two weeks in and she can do a flip, sleep in panties, chew bubble gum, and write her name.  Every day is something new and hilarious and fun (all while wearing panties and high heels.)  These are the days.  Heaven is something like being a 4 year old or being the mom of one at least.