Letters to My Kids

I have been pretty emotional these last couple of days. I know it is a combination of a lot of things, including the fact that my daughter will be turning 1 in 10 short days. I remember being sad when Brody turned 1 because he was turning into a boy too fast. With Molly, I definitely feel more emotional because this is my last one. I am 99% sure we are not having anymore kids, which means I will have no more baby cuddles, baby cooing, baby drool, baby smell, and no more BABY! I definitely feel like these last 2 and half years have gone by way too fast and it makes me sad. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to see all my children grow and develop, but the other part of me wishes I could freeze them in time and not let them ever grow up. The other day, Ethan was standing in the kitchen and I can start to see hair on his upper lip! I mean really??? He is 12. His voice is changing, he is almost taller than me, and is starting to become a man! It is crazy!

Anyway, I have been writing some things down about the kiddies that I would like to post so one day I can look back and remember these times. I also want the kids to read these one day when they’re older and know how much each one means to me!. It is like the Trace Adkins country song…. “You’re gonna miss this. You’re gonna want this back. You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast! These are some good times so take a good look around. You may not know it now……but you’re gonna miss this!” Ain’t that the truth! I definitely don’t want to forget these days/moments!

Brody:
Right now, at 2½ almost 3, you amaze me everyday! You look and act much older than you are and your personality has definitely blossomed into a spirited, sensitive, loving little boy who smiles with your whole face, not just your mouth! You have the biggest heart and when you think I am not looking, I see that heart as you give your little sister a kiss, or you grab her hand and walk with her around the house or down the hall. I love how you want to feed her and you can’t stand it when she wants to take the bottle from your hands and do it on her own. I love how you call her “sweetie” and you tell her “everything will be okay” when she starts crying. I can already see you and Molly developing a bond that will grow stronger and stronger everyday. You constantly say “Molly is funny” when she laughs at something and your laugh is infectious. When I am having a bad day, I take one look at you and immediately smile and laugh with you. It is definitely the highlight of my day.

Your vocabulary is huge and people often think you are much older than you actually are by the many things you can say. You can carry on full conversations with us and can understand everything we say to you. You don’t always listen, but we are working on that! I love how you always want both Mommy and Dad to put you to bed, with one of us reading you a book (that you don’t always let us finish before you turn the pages). You always want a kiss and hug from both of us before we leave the room (with Daddy giving you a “roar” hug and Mommy giving you a “right” hug). You don’t always look forward to going to school in the mornings, but you end up having a great time once you are there. I love how you always come running to me when I pick you up like you haven’t seen me in days and you are excited to go home and just be with us.

Brody, you were our miracle baby and we prayed and waited for you for almost three years. We could never have imagined how much joy you have brought to our lives and you have surpassed any expectation I could ever have imagined. I am so proud to be your Mommy each and every day! I love you to the moon and back, Brody!

Molly:
Molly, you are our angel baby. Your brother set the bar extremely high for being such a good baby and I have to say, you beat him! Having you as a baby made your brother look difficult and that was an extremely hard thing to do. I remember when I was pregnant with you and we were going to the doctor to find out what we were having. I honestly was okay either way, boy or girl, but was so happy to find out we were having you. However, my excitement was overshadowed by the look in your Daddy’s eyes when they said “it’s a girl!” He lit up like a Christmas tree and from that moment on, I knew you were going to be an extremely special little girl.

From the moment you were born, you came out on a schedule (eating every four hours at night, and every three during the day). I think God knew what he was doing because I am such a planner when it comes to you kids. You have always been the more laidback baby, going with the flow and only crying on occasion. You are NEVER fussy, except when you are extremely tired, and that is rare. You are the best sleeper I know, sleeping for almost 14 uninterrupted hours, with one 2-3 hour nap during the day. In the morning, regardless of if you wake up on your own or we have to wake you up, you wake up in the best mood, kicking your legs as we grab you from the crib. You are happy from the moment you wake up until the moment we lay you in the crib at night.

You have now been walking for over a month and you get better and better with it each day. You are the prettiest little girl I have ever seen, on the inside and out, and you have the best personality. You think Daddy and I are the funniest people on the planet and we love to hear you laugh and giggle. You have the greatest little laugh and when you smile, we can’t help but smile right back at you. Right now, you only have two little bottom teeth and we are anxiously waiting for the others to arrive. Hopefully they will show up soon so you can start eating more solid foods! Right now, you are not a big eater, but you definitely understand the word “eat” and get excited when it is time. We are starting to introduce more and more foods to you every day, but right now you don’t seem to like mashed potatoes or noodles. I am sure that will change.

Molly, it is hard to believe that you will be turning 1 in a little over a week. It seems like you were born just yesterday. I remember thinking when I was pregnant with you that I could not imagine loving someone as much as I loved Brody. Well, it is true that we are capable of spreading the love amongst our children and I could never, ever explain the amount of love I have for you. You are now, and will always be, our little baby girl! :)

Ethan:
Oh, Ethan, where do I start?! I have been a part of your life since the day you were born, and I am extremely blessed to be such a bigger part of your life now as your stepmom. I remember the blond haired little boy who used to throw horrible tantrums one minute, then smile and walk around in my shoes the next. When I look at you now, it is hard to believe that you are still that same little boy. Over the last year, you have started to mature and grow, almost too fast for me. Your voice has deepened and you are almost taller than your Dad and I. You are starting to enter the “teen” phase that so many people dread, but a part of me is looking forward to it. I am excited to see your interests and to see the type of man you are turning out to be. Pretty soon you will be driving and doing things with your friends so I am trying to enjoy having you around as much as possible, knowing you have no other option than to be home! :) I know that’s wrong, but it makes me happy.

Watching you with your brother and sister takes my breath away. I remember when Brody first came home from the hospital, we asked if you wanted to hold him and you said you didn’t want to….you were scared. That first night, you sat in the chair with Kevin and he helped you hold your little brother for the first time. It totally melted my heart. You have been such an awesome big brother from that moment on! I loved to see your face when Brody started to recognize you and when he started to laugh at the things you said. I even have the video from my first official Mother’s Day, when we were all in our bedroom and you gave Brody the toy you picked out for him. Those moments are the ones that will be ingrained in my brain forever. Even though he can’t totally express it, I know how much Brody loves you and how much he looks up to you as his big brother. He is extremely lucky to have you in his life, like we all are!

With Molly, you were a little older and more secure being around babies. You took to her almost instantly and held her more in the first month than I think you did in the first six months of Brody’s life. You interacted with her from the start and even talked about how you were going to quiz her boyfriends when you come over to our house for Sunday dinners when you are older. I love that about you. I definitely see you as a big protector for her and with you and Dad there, I definitely feel sorry for any guy that wants to take her out on a date! :) I watch Molly light up when she sees you and I see you do the same. Thank you for being who you are and never change!

Ethan, you have turned out to be such an awesome kid and you have made your Dad and I so proud. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to take on the role of your stepmom, a role that was both unfamiliar to you and me, and I love you more than you will ever know. I only hope that as your teenage years approach, you will always remember that your Dad and I will always be here for you, day or night, for whatever you need and that we both love you very much.