Thursday, May 30, 2013

.....bit by the summer bug......literally......

 ....today we ended our day like this.....it was peaceful, quiet and serene; but it certainly did not begin this way.....


......Callie woke up with her eye swollen shut.....apparently, she was bitten by something late yesterday afternoon and I mistakenly thought the small mark on her temple was a little poke or scrape from the tip  of a branch.....I noticed something on her hairline when I was bathing her last night, but it did not look like a bug bite and she wasn't complaining about irritation or pain, so I chalked it up to one of the many marks I find on her daily from her active play style..........

.....my heart stopped when she walked out of her bedroom this morning and the chaotic hours of juggling kids and making arrangements to get her to the doctor began......


.....the swelling is much worse in person, but there isn't much to do except watch it and hope we are not back at the pediatrician's office tomorrow......so with the help of the weather and the heat that has finally delivered, we put a screeching halt to the chaos that bestowed in our home this morning and kicked summer off in full swing......




.....I would say that summer is my favorite season, but I say that at the beginning of every new season, so I will abstain.....it is finally here, though......I am on day 6 of having all three at home for the summer and although there have been a few rough patches of time as we get used to sharing and spending more time together than usual.....and sharing.....we seem to be getting our groove on now......





.....summer holds friends and ice cream every day......the beach, the pool, and quick day trips into the city to relive what used to be our norm.....lazy mornings and late nights that actually don't seem late since the sun likes to linger......I love summer.....I love the pace, I love the lack of routine and I love that we have so much to look forward to over the next three months......


.....week one has been very promising and June isn't even upon us yet......

 ...sweet William.....thank you and your brother for coming to see us this week......we loved our afternoon together......





.....here is to many more week nights of Stefan making it home before bedtime and our children playing without a care in the world......


....minus the bug bites......

....happy start off to summer.....

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

.....barren to bloom.....

.....I woke up early with an uncanny urge to blog this morning.....my visits to this space have been far and few between lately; and although all for good reason to use my extra time to rest and grow this sweet baby, something within me wilts when I am not writing.....

.....bloom.....

.....with every end to a phase that has been full of fear and uncertainty, we grow......


.....one of the best treats about our new house has been walking around the yard every day with the kids watching and waiting for new blooms to appear.....every bush and tree has graced us with its own gorgeous and astonishing flower.......trees that were barren this winter have become cherry blossoms......bushes that curled up to take heed from the winter were doomed as I marched around in April when they were still bare, suggesting to Stefan that we pull this ugly thing out and replace it with something beautiful......that exact bush is blooming our favorite flower in the yard this week.....


.....what a poignant message to remember.......that if we take the time to nurture and prune something; care for it and show patience, it will prosper in its own time.....my children have been the best advocates of that, suggesting the foliage that hasn't shown its beauty get extra water.......they even recognize when the right sunlight beams down on such a shrub or tree because now the sun will help it bloom......

.....I want to bottle up their patience and their wonder.......


.....with the lovely weather, we have also moved from indoor activities like ballet and indoor swimming to tennis.....the courts in Darien are nestled in the little nook right next to the beach, serving as a beautiful backdrop for Brody and me as we explore the area while the girls are learning their forehands and perfecting their overhead smash.......





.....their coordination and ability to balance the ball has stunned us and I am so glad to see them loving a new outdoor sport together......



....having two girls ages 4 and 5 has been easy to sign them up for the same class in many activities......it seems that there are age brackets for 4-5 year olds everywhere......it also simplifies life.....less driving, less activity, more enjoyment......


.....every bit of energy and extra effort from when the girls were babies and only 15 months apart has paid off in dividends now that they are older......the harder earlier years has made these preschool years very simple......they are built in playmates and encourage each other (most of the time) in all that they do......

.....all of us were fortunate enough to have some extra cheerleaders around last week, as our Mimi and JJ made a three day drive from Texas to spend a week with us in our new home......although I did not take as many pictures as I normally do, thanks to exhaustion and lack of photogenic inspiration; I have a few that we are cherishing.....



.....there is a new season ahead for us in more ways than one......


.....today, I am honored and grateful for where I have been planted.....

Monday, May 13, 2013

....glimpse of light.....

.....it has been an emotional week in our household.....all good blessings to count, but add in hormones and a few unexpected surprises and it has taken a toll on my energy and stamina......but yesterday was a good day to inhale these three little beings and lovingly pat the one that is being perfectly created and woven together with each and every minute.......without the four of them, mothers day would not have been possible for me.....


.....I entered week 14 on Saturday and I finally feel like there is light at the end of the queasy and exhausted tunnel I have been traveling......as mommas, I think most of us would agree that each pregnancy seems to get tougher.....maybe it is because we are older than the one prior......maybe it is because we have more to take care of as each birth provides another human that needs everything from us......but I will say, this pregnancy has knocked me flat on my back.....I have not picked up the camera, cooked a good meal, written a good blog post, or stayed up past 9 pm in three months......actually, if it wasn't for Stefan and my babysitter who helps me on Wednesdays, I would not have washed any clothes or made my bed, either......

....I have no extra energy for anything......

.....add a little bit of life to that equation, plus three kids and a husband......and you have yourself one momma who is barely holding on........

.....but, I do see the light......


.....and in between the seltzer swigs and the daze I walk through, I catch moments that remind me it is all a quick glimpse in the grand scheme of things......first trimester days fall away fast and we forget how tough they are.......if we didn't, each of us would only have one baby......

.....my children have picked up for me, intuitively knowing they were needed to step in......


......and small moments of activity have been cherished......

.....coloring has been an easy activity, just as laying down on the floor so I can be the patient for "doctor" or siting in a chair with my eyes closed while we play "salon" and the kids brush my hair......


.....I feel like it was only yesterday when I ate a full box of saltines each morning at my work desk, hiding them in a drawer; trying to keep the nausea a secret from my colleagues.....and that baby is thriving......she's on the brink of kindergarten and is just as close to being a tweener as she is from when she was a newborn.....



.....and when the emotional ups and downs of life have surfaced this week, I have thought so many times that these too will be a few of the many, many experiences that chalk up to life......several things that have scared me in the past have turned out to be okay, a blessing even.......just as many things that have been joyful have been far greater and more beautiful that I could ever have imagined......

.....with each season, we get wiser; as we have more experiences to draw upon and more hope to carry us, regardless of where each of our sources of faith stem from......

.....the seasons turn fast......but for this one that we are currently in the midst of, I know that our family will bloom.....


.....hope your Mother's Day was lovely.......

Thursday, May 2, 2013

.....and then there were four......



.....we are going to experience this incredible miracle of childbirth just one more time......

.....Stefan and I know when this child was conceived, so we have been celebrating since day one......literally......


.....until we confirmed he or she was coming.....and now we celebrate minus the wine.....


.....and although our home bustles with chaos around the clock, there was someone who was still missing....


.....so after many discussions, plenty of consideration on how our family would be impacted, and basking the topic in prayer.......

.....this was our answer......


.....coming on or around Nov. 8......

.....our hearts are full!.....

....."For this child I have prayed and the Lord has granted me the petition I made to him" 1 Sam 1:27.......