in the palm of my hand: I can see the light!

This mother's day I am celebrating the feeling that we are finally turning a corner in our family!!

We have sold our home, bought a new one and are simultaneously witnessing Abe growing into a little boy. Each day he gets a little less screamy, less gooey, and a little more independent. Lets just say the past few months have been some of the hardest I have ever experienced and I WELCOME our future with wide open arms. Thats not to wish away any of Abe's baby years (with the exception of a few significantly impossible days here and there;-) but I am proud of where we are and Lordy...proud of how far we have come.

What a wonderful day to celebrate these little monkeys that made me a MOM!

Van: Five years old--LOVER of LIFE. Plays tee-ball with 110% effort--sliding into each base, attempting to catch each ball, and a pretty good hitter! LOVES going to Taco Bell and Golfsmith with Pop Pop who spoils him with golf trinkets and Dr. Peppers and has given countless free lessons. He can hit the ball nearly 70 yards! Van tackles any and everything--his mantra is the more bruises--the better. He is the greatest big brother and helper we could ever ask for. Tonight at dinner he asked: "If I do 100 chores in 100 days, does that mean I'll have $100?" He still spends lots of time in his music room and thanks to his Hall and Oats fan grandparents can discuss the meaning of the song "Man-eater" for hours. I cannot believe he starts kindergarten next year but I KNOW he is ready!!

Jeanie fierce: currently 3 years old, a true three-nager, never leaves the house without a tutu. Probably our most scrappy child--she can climb and balance onto anything. She balances out her sporty, tree-climbing side with plenty of time wearing high-heels, playing dolls, mommy, and princesses. She loves to sing Taylor Swift at the top of her lungs in the car. Her teachers say Jeanie is the social coordinator of her classroom and yet, some days at home- she will go to her room, shut the door, and play alone. She LOVES to read books and colors with so much determination. Wherever she goes she makes a million friends and doesn't know a stranger. She is truly a bright light in our family.

ABRAM! He deserves an exclamation point behind his name. At nearly 19 months, Abe is our "passionate" child. He LOVES hard, PLAYS hard, CRIES hard, HITS hard, PULLS hard, KISSES hard etc... I am determined to push through the difficult parts of his personality and hope that one day, we will appreciate his diligence and ambition. Abe loves to chug milk, but these days whenever he sees a cup within his reach--its fair game. He has finally gotten enough teeth that I could maybe at least hope we are beyond the days of teething (which caused lots of stress, ear infections, and discomfort for him and ultimately the entire family :-) Although he can be a chaos bomb, I am not sure what on earth we would do without his little fiery spirit in our family. He looks up to his big bro and sis so much and tries to keep up with them every day. When he smiles and laughs it melts me. He has the dimpliest dimples and the most beautiful smile. He gives us "pushies" by snuggling his head into our chest (with fervor) and has started to sing "row row row." With each new word he learns-- thats one less scream in the house. Right now he has the basics down: "Cup" "cookie" "pop pop" "mama" "dada" "that" and "owwwwww." I am in disbelief that this fall brings his 2nd birthday but also very ready for a little more stability and predictability from our last little babe. What an adventure our life has become since he arrived! He has taught me to appreciate patience and commitment--and ultimately how to love better.