18 months of sweet A

When I think about adjectives to describe Ms. Adeline, the first one that frequently comes to mind is "sweet." I often feel odd about this because I want to be very careful about stereotyping my children and know that "sweet" is more often used to describe girls than boys. But honestly, Adeline is sweet. She is many other things (sassy, funny, curious, smart, etc.), but she is also very sweet. She is super cuddly and loves to give kisses, hugs, and high fives. She also loves to princess wave and smile at random strangers and is sure to elicit smiles from said strangers when you take her to the grocery store or the mall or anywhere really. She is saying so many words, some that she definitely knows the meaning of (family names, more, up, walk, outside, milk, wawa, etc.) and some that she copies. She loves to climb, copy her brother, color, eat (especially fruit), dance, suck her thumb, sit in Reid's blue jeep, try to use Reid's mini scooter, listen to books, play with her babies, lightboxes (phones), and cuddle, cuddle, cuddle. I am so excited to watch her continue to grow! 

Happy 4th birthday to Reid!

Happy 4th birthday to Reid - my kind, smart, funny, athletic, and stubborn (etc.) little guy who is currently in love with his sister, superheros, ninjas, dragons, knights, board games, wrestling, swimming, reading, popsicles, donuts, fruit, and his cousins (in no particular order).

Before the sun came up this morning, Reid crawled into bed with Andy and me. I quickly told him, "Happy Birthday," to which he responded, "Happy Birthday to you, Mommy." Although I responded that it isn't my birthday, I later realized that, in a big way, Reid's birthday is my birth day. On October 16, 2015, a new life began for me as well. Prior to Reid's birth, I was used to living a different sort of life - one filled with work stress and high-achieving ambitions and learning how to navigate married life, home ownership, and puppy training. My life was filled with late-night dinners, occasional boozy brunches, quick and easy errands, a clean and organized house and car, long walks and runs with Andy and Finn, and hours of uninterrupted sleep. Now, without a doubt, life is messier, busier, more chaotic, and much more expensive. Most days, I am shockingly tired - running on adrenaline (and hello, cortisol) and unnecessary kid snacks. Still, when people tell me I will miss these crazy days, I believe them. I love my children beyond comprehension and the fullness of my life has increased exponentially since their births, despite the fatigue, frayed nerves, and trashed car that has come with this new journey. I am acutely aware of the monumental role I was given four years ago, and I am so proud of Reid and incredibly fortunate and grateful to be his mother. Happy Birthday to both of us!