Of course all mothers (well, most anyway) are in total love with their children. I fall in this category as well. Because of my children I am completely aware of the blessings God has given me, in every way. They are how my days end and begin. They consume my every thought and each minute of every day. It's rare for me to be away from them at all, especially for more than a block of more than 4 to 6 hours, which would allow me to go do some grocery shopping, or have the occasional "date" with my husband. When I am gone, all I do is think about what they may be doing. Are they being good? Are they happy? Have they eaten? The thoughts consume me. And I know they're in good hands with whomever we/I have decided to keep them, but its just natural to think those things I guess. Motherly instinct is an amazing gift, and I am so fortunate to say that I have it. I know some women don't receive that blessing, and it hurts me to know they missed out on one of the most beautiful things they could have ever experienced. Now, I will be the first to say that just because I have the instinct, doesn't mean I am perfect at executing it. I most certainly have days in which I go to bed feeling like a failure, or that I have fallen short of the duty I have as a mother, but as each new day begins, and with the help from the good Lord, I keep on truckin', trying to do better than the day (or hour) before. I have seen a quote somewhere that states, "Motherhood is the hardest job you'll ever love." And I couldn't agree more. Being a stay at home mom has always been my dream, and the fact that for the past 3 years its an actuality, is wonderful. I am in constant disbelief of how fortunate I am to see my kids every second of every day, and that I'm not "missing" anything. It's not easy, in fact, it's sometimes a struggle to stay afloat, but its simply beautiful all at the same time. I should let Kevin know more often how proud I am of him and how well he provides for our family. He does such a good job, and I am forever grateful for his sacrifices to support our family. The gift he has given me by being able to stay at home is one I will forever be in debt for. Yes, like I said, it's sooo hard, but I wouldn't trade it for anything on this planet. Probably not even a million dollars -- no joke.
- So, on to these pictures...Recently it rained a good one. And recently Kole developed a very strong fear of storms. If there's lightening or thunder, you better bet Kole's going to go into a crazed fit of terror. It [the fear] came out of nowhere and it's down right pathetic to witness....Sooo, I decided that maybe if he could "play" in the rain {no storming} he'd associate it with something good and not be fearful. After all, I had my fair share of puddle jumping when I was a kid, and those are good memories. So, down came the rain, and on went the rain boots....He splashed and played in the cold, soaking, rain for a good 20 minutes....having the time of his life! He LOVED it! And the puddles weren't even big. So of course, being a scrapbooker, I took pictures. As you can see, he was one happy boy. And mommy can't wait for a tsunami type rain where the puddles are the size of the Mississippi! It'll be so much fun!!
- As for the pictures of Karlee, those are the latest. They were taken on 4/6/09. She's pleasantly plump and super laid back, all of the time. She is honestly the poster child for "the perfect baby". She sleeps well, eats well, never fusses, and is easy to please...WOW!! And as you can see, Kole is in love with her too! He really does have some infatuation with his baby sister, and is very concerned with her well being. I hope he continues to love and care about her as she grows...but I'm prepared for some sibling rivalry in the future. It would be too good to be true if there weren't any. This I know.
PS-Karlee has her 2 month check up in the morning, and I can't wait to see how she checks out. She's gotta be pushing 12 pounds! The girl never misses a meal! And I'd like to see what the doc says about the drainage she has coming out of her eyes, despite the fact that she's on antibiotic ointment for a previously clogged tear duct. We'll see...
