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!