Oops, I did it again...

I will give a cookie to whoever can guess who's who!

So little in their own right... So helpless and so innocent. So quiet and serene. All they did was eat, sleep and poop.

They are the 2 best things that happened to me, and this afternoon my sister in law reminded me that I was about to do this all over again! 45 days away!!!!

Those same little blankets will wrap my Casey. She will sport the same little hats... make the same little noises and I will hold her the same way.

She will grow up to be the same monkey as these two monsters... who now fight over Bakugans and who sings Queen songs better. Their I love yous don't get old but their screaming most certainly does. I can't wait to add more birthing stories to my mental memoir and more memories to my brain's hard drive. I'm ready!!!! Ready to start this crazy ride all over again with a new little person. My bag isn't packed, the gear isn't all quite ready and our hearts aren't quite realizing what will soon happen, but God will take care of the rest.

Lucas' birth was terrifying... Tyler's went by so fast it made my head spin... Now wiser in my older age, I hope to enjoy this one as much as I possibly can.

A work in progress...

Our house is in full preparation mode. We've been taking on one project per weekend and are finally starting to see the fruits of our labor. This past weekend was our biggest project to date! My dad and Carlos installed the laminate wood floor in what will be Casey's room and they did a SPECTACULAR job! So I am proud to share with you, the first pictures of our daughter's room.

The quality of the camera isn't too good (it's my cell phone) and there's still a lot that needs to be done... but I couldn't help but share them. My favorite new past time is sitting in the room and looking around at all the girlieness around me. It's pretty awesome!

So I hope you can all come and visit and see the room soon. And more importantly, I hope you can see my little girl standing up in her crib, with her arms outstretched toward you, begging you to take her out!

a BIIIG thank you to my wonderful husband... who has painted, eventhough he hates it, sanded and glued, endured a few cuts and scrapes and hasn't let me lift a finger as much as I've fought him to. This room is all him... and I love him more than words could say.

A Letter to MY daughter...

My dearest princess,
God willing, 3 months from today I will get to hold you for the very first time. I can't begin to tell you how much I dream of this moment and I much I long to meet you face to face. You are the one thing I have been waiting for my whole life. The fear and excitement and happiness I feel when I think of what you will bring into my life overwhelm me, as well as the hopes I have of being a good mother to you.
You are coming into a home filled with love, laughter and craziness. Your brothers will keep you busy and may make you a little crazy, but they will love you, take care of you and give you the place you deserve ALWAYS! I promise you that. Your dad pretends to be a tough guy, but deep down inside he is a big softie. I know what you will mean to him and I can't wait to see him, wrapped around your finger and at your beck and call. He is an amazing dad, and he will always love you no matter what... he's shown me that kind of love and I know he will do the same for you times a million.
I have so many dreams and hopes for you. I promise to always be truthful and honest with you and never keep anything from you. Life is not always be easy, but we can tackle anything together you and I. Above all the aspirations I have for you... to be a true lady, well poised, funny, beautiful inside and out, intelligent and charming... I mostly want you to be happy. I will always work hard to make sure you have all the tools you need to be a wonderful woman... and maybe someday when I am gone, you will be a testament of what my love for you accomplished.
Remember to always stand tall, to look people in the eye, to not let the ignorance and pettyness of people get to you... never to run and hide from your problems but rather face them head on... to be proud of who you are and where you come from... to put your family first... to put yourself above that while still maintaining your love for mankind... and to remember how much we all wanted you and love you. You are the missing piece to our amazing family... the cherry on the sundae and the icing on the cake.
Until I hear your first cry and get to kiss your fat cheeks... I will dream about you every night and day. I will anxiously await to hold your hand and to lay close to you to hear your heart beat. You've already changed my life and I already love you more than words could ever express. You are my princess and that way you will always stay.

Mommy

Tyler turned 3!

So in the myriad of Birthdays that begin in November and don't seem to end until after Christmas... there is a very special one. Although I love all the people who blow their candles out in this very busy time of year there is one especially close to my heart.
My most gorgeous baby boy Tyler turned 3 on the 21st of December... surrounded by family, friends, and even some wild animals.
Since his birthdays have sometimes gotten lost in the mad Christmas rush, I wanted to make it a point to make this one extra special, which meant no party at the house and a little extra circumstance. So we hyped him up, talked about it for weeks and when the day finally arrived he could hardly believe it.
It's hard to get this little guy's feathers ruffled about anything. He could care less to be put on time out, doesn't care if you're mad at him, doesn't make a big deal about big deal things... but for the first time in his short life he was genuinely EXCITED! He would run down his list of guests every day and would confirm his list of animals... so to see the look on his face during the show was priceless.
Tyler has come a long way in the 3 years he's blessed us with his presence. It's always hard to live in the shadow of your older brother, but he has firmly cemented his personality and gets his own laughs at his jokes, the funny things he says and the crazy things he does. He couldn't compliment our family in any better way and he still manages to melt my heart with those blue, sometimes almost white eyes of his.
His "I love yous" are hard to come by, his kisses are few and far in between, his amazing hugs are handed out every once in a blue moon... but the beauty of this is that on those rare occassions when you are the lucky recipient of any of the signs of affection mentioned above, they stick to you like tar to a chicken... becase you know they are truly heart felt.
I adore you baby boy! So much so that my heart hurts... and it's hard for me not to miss you or pick up my purse and run to you when I think about you. I hope to be near you EVERY SINGLE BIRTHDAY... to be able to watch you blow out your candles, or simply to be able to see you smile.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TY!

Work, laughs and everything in between...

I have this pretty ridiculous idea about father new year. In my wacked out head, mr. New Year is kind of like a social worker. At midnight on December 31st of every year, he passes by and makes a visit. He catches up with you because since he spoke to you last probably a lot has happened!
So I imagine what this wacky conversation with mr. New Year would be like... first he'd point at my belly (a la little robert) and say "again?"... then I'd catch him up on all the things that have happened to us. My new nephew on the way, Lucas is now reading, Tyler is a little wiz who is slowly warming up to the idea of being happy and feeling deserveful of love, my mom is back to school and hoping to work soon, my furry nephew Rigby is gorgeous and an ever constant topic of discussion at our house, we've managed to save money this year, my husband and I are still in love with eachother and still in love with work, in love with our family and our children and probably the happiest we've ever been.
Yeah, the economy sucks, but we are hanging out and hoping to emerge on the other end with as much of our sanity as possible. Everyone is healthy and happy and where God wants them to be. We managed to get away for one big trip, celebrate birthdays and do some fun stuff. Made some big purchases and met some new friends along the way. We've lost touch with some and even lost some others, but we wish them all the best.
Life isn't too drastically different thankfully... but this time of the year also makes you think about next year's conversation and what that will be like. If I could replicate most of the details then I would be thrilled.
It's all so exciting and so scary at the same time. All you can really do is your best. Make smart well thought out choices and always prepare for that rainy day that is sure to come at some point.
So to all my friends, who are all the supporting cast of my crazy ever exciting life... I wish for you contentment... stability and happiness. I hope you are successful at everything you embark on and that you get to live life, not just survive it.
Happy 2009 and so long to 2008!

Lukey's Christmas Debut

We woke up early, and with anticipation in our hearts attended Lucas' very first Christmas show!
We are always proud of our oldest boy, but there's something special about his smile and his excitement that is truly contagious. He appreciates and loves and fills your heart with joy... and who wouldn't wake up early to go and see him?!?!?
Though he picked his nose through most of the show and spent most of the time waving at his mina in the front row while she took pictures, he managed to drag out some pretty funny dance moves.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5_ubSCTxq0

Mission Accomplished!

It seems like the moment i finished typing that last post, the stars aligned, the saints finished their conference call and my husband was finally listening!
Saturday, the same girl Carlos gave her name to came up with the suggestion that would stick!
CASEY!
Androgenous, short, sweet... 5 letters like her brothers' names... not too girlies, not too boyish and over all, pretty darn cool.
Casey...
It was 3rd on my list of 5... but really, how was I going to sell Harper and Harlow to my mom?
So now we call her by name. Lukey said "that's a good name" and really, his opinion is the only one that matters right?
We are all so anxious for the impending arrival of the member that will complete our family. She will be the crowning achievement and the perfect addition to our already rambunctious crew of freakazoids. One more creature to look at in amazement, to laugh at for her adventurous spirit... two more hands to hold, two more feet to tickle... one more baby to worry about and another bundle of joy to adore more than I love myself.
Meeting her is just around the corner... less than 140 days to go!