This is going to be a picture less post...but you'll imagine it all in your mind I'm sure! Maybe I'll throw a few in, it's not like me otherwise!
This is going to be a bragging moment (okay every moment to me is...) about my three BEAUTIFUL and very intelligent children.
Let's start with this - I know I am going to write so much more about Callie than the boys, but there is reason for that. Callie is at a stage in her life where she is very verbal and questioning everything. My boys are starting to express themselves but aren't as verbal...I know their time will come :)
Carter:
My dear sweet Carter! You bring such happiness to my life! I love your morning cuddles, when you first wake up and grab your blankie, arms up ready to snuggle. I love that you want to be held all the time. Even though sometimes I do want to put you down, I need to remember that in a very few short years, months, weeks even, you won't want to be held this way. I love when you nuzzle your head into the crevice of my neck. I love your smile that lights up the entire room! I love your sad face when you just can't wait the 2.5 seconds it takes to lay you down and give you your milk! Even though gross, it makes me chuckle that you have to play with yourself every time we change your diaper. You sit there smiling in a complete state of happiness!
You are so smart too! You walk around with your toys, going from place to place. You know exactly what you want and will let us know if you don't have it. When we tell you to either "go to your bed and get your blankie" or "go give this to daddy/mommy" you do it! You have that very cute waddle walk still and I absolutely LOVE it! I love how "clean" of an eater you are! When you're done eating, hardly anything is in your seat or on the floor - unless you don't like it, then it's all over! I love that whenever you drink water from your sippy cup you sip it, and then spit it all over yourself...you look like a sopping wet mess :)
I love whenever we offer you something you shake your head "no" at least 10 times until we present you with something that you really want. It makes me laugh when the first and 10th thing I present you with happen to be the same thing :) You don't want it the first time, but will take it the 10th :) You always pick on Collin and take his things. You're really quiet about it too, so when he bites you and you're sad it looks like it was all his fault, but sweetie - I know what you did first :) I still love you for it!
One of my absolute FAVORITE things about you is whenever I tell you "I love you", you walk over to me and give me the BIGGEST kiss EVER! Mouth wide open and ready for to plant a big, wet kiss on me! I tell you I love you often, just so I can have tons and tons of kisses! Please don't ever stop kissing me :) Eventually you'll probably want to close your mouth when you kiss me, but I will still accept them anyway!
Collin:
My sweet, cuddly, loving boy Collin! You my dear melt my heart with every look you give! You are always the first to rise in the morning, and if I am lucky, it is after 7:00 am. You have this love for life already that is so contagious and sweet and innocent that I can't help but admire your curiosity! You can't help but want to learn about everything that is going on! I can't help but think that is why you have already broken the brand new shades in your room, because that little bit of golden light that peaks through in the morning has you so curious as to what is outside! Can it possibly more adventures waiting for you! I love your instant smiles whenever we walk into the room! It is full blown teeth and happiness. You smile with your eyes and heart. You always want your blankie and nuzzle right in - just like Carter! You get VERY mad so quickly in the morning when you have to wait, even a millisecond, for your morning milk. I hate - I really do hate that every single morning, you have a poopy diaper! I have tried to find the silver lining in this one, but it stinks, it usually is everywhere and it's gross! But your sweet little behind looks so clean after we have you freshened up :) I love how we can give you a direction and you immediately go to that place to complete it! Looking at us, smiling!
You will eat anything and drink your milk from anything! You love your sippy cup and you LOVE your fruit! Unlike Carter, you are a little bit messier of an eater! It is usually everywhere! In your hair, all over you face, inside your pant leg, up your arms and sometimes in your ears! It is because of you that I wanted to write a children's book about the silly places food ends up!
I love that you know what you want and you are willing to fight to keep it! I think that is a good characteristic to have in life. Although I think biting your way to getting what you want will need to be worked on, I appreciate your effort! It is your only defense since you aren't using your words yet. But I LOVE that after you are disciplined (two finger tap on your lips) after biting, hugged and told that we love you but we don't bite...We tell you to go "give snuggles" to the person you bit (usually Callie or Carter) and you walk over and snuggle them or give kisses!
I LOVE your kisses! They are open mouth, but you give so much love that your teeth press into my skin. I'm not sure if you are going to bite down on my lip or simple smother me in love! Either way, I love them! I love how you always want to snuggle! You will nuzzle your head into my neck all the time at anytime! You get a little jealous if I'm holding Carter, because you always come over wanting some love from me and will even sit right on him just to get some time with me.
I love how much of an incredible bond you and Callie have! It's like you two get each other! You laugh at each other and play so well together. I love your way of expressing yourself - by screaming of pure joy! You scream, smile, scream, laugh and repeat! It is hilarious! I love it, even though when we are in enclosed places we tell you to stop...I still love it! Please don't ever change Collin! Continue to grow, show affection and explore!
Callie:
My darling baby girl! Although you aren't a baby anymore, you will always forever be my first born child and my only daughter! You are the light of my life! You are everything I had always hoped for in a daughter and so much more! You are so curious about everything under the sun and everything surrounding it! The little things in life that are often forgotten are brought to our attention through your beautiful eyes! The moon being out in the day, the fireflies at night, the beautiful golden dandelions covering the grass, the bunnies out our window, the deer in the backyard, the airplanes flying in the sky, the straight line in the sky left behind by the jet (which you call Lexi, because Jet & Lexi are brother and sister and you wanted to name it Lexi), the power lines throughout town, the "M" in motel that says, "mmmmm", how any girl dressed up is a princess (you make a lot of women feel special), the way you order for me "she wants a diet coke", and the way you say "then what" instead of "why", because people are prepared for "why" but I love that you put a twist on it!!
I love your hugs and kisses! I love how you and I share so many fun little silly things with each other! Like putting pretend super glue on our lips and kissing each other! The only way we can become "unstuck" is when daddy comes and tickles us! Or when we hug, sometimes our bodies get stuck together! I love when your little hands hug me and wrap around my neck! I love when we pick you up to carry you somewhere, you throw both of your legs in front and have us carry you like a princess riding side saddle on a horse! You're so lady like :) I love how you want to have different "hair" every day based on whoever you want to pretend to be - mainly princesses! I love how you fall into a deep love with something and hang onto it! You live in that moment and put your heart and soul into using your imagination to its fullest (example: Elmo, Doc McStuffins, Princess Sofia, Disney Princesses and now ballet) I love how smart you are and how hard you work at things! I love how you get lost in books and listening to stories! I love how you can tell us stories with a lot of detail! I love your jokes and how you think my knock knock jokes are funny :)
I love that you care so much about your friends! You have so many nice things to say about your friends, and even though you may not see them everyday, you still remember who they are and memories you have made together!
I love the moment you realized we get to celebrate Christmas AGAIN! It was like a light bulb had just been turned on, your life became so bright, you lit up and had the largest smile on your face! You started clapping and saying "YEAH! We get to celebrate Christmas again his year! Thank you!" I love that you know your birthday is after Christmas and Valentine's Day and during the snow! I love when you say it is on "March 16 (not 16th)"
I love the relationship you have with your brothers! You never once asked for us to bring them back. You never once hated them or said you didn't like them. You love them. You hug them, kiss them, cuddle them, include them at let them play with you and your toys. You understand that they are babies and don't hold things they do to you against them. You talk to them when they hurt you or make you mad...you express your feelings!
I love the love you have for your daddy! He is your Prince Charming and I wouldn't want it any other way! You are the only other girl in this world that I will share your daddy with! I hope you always love him and look up to him this way! I hope you always think of him as your Prince Charming, man of all men, strong and confident! I hope you always want to snuggle him and have him pretend play with you!
Here are a few things you have said/done that have really made us laugh:
1. The day you were going potty on the potty and you told daddy to hold onto you. You didn't want to "fall in" then you proceeded to say, "don't flush me to Jesus"!!! We think your thought process is that we flushed your dead fish down the toilet - he was going to Heaven to live with Jesus.
2. The day you were starring at a deer head and said, "Does he have a butt!?"
3. When Grandma Lynn was leaving she said, "I love you Oodles and Oodles" you replied with "I love you Noodles and Noodles"
4. You call sprinkles "Sprinklers"
5. When my mom was here you handed her a dirty shirt and asked her to put it in the "Gramma Machine" - not the washing machine!
6. Mommy & Daddy were kissing in the kitchen. You walked in and said, "Holy Man you're really doing that!"
7. You wanted to draw me a "naked note" - after questioning we realized you wanted to write me a "thank you note"
8. I use Siri on my iPhone a lot. When I talk into my phone I add the punctuation (example: I am going to the store period what time are you leaving question mark) and the other day you were talking to me in the car and said, "Oh thank you question mark" - I laughed and said, "WHAT!?" you responded with "What are you talking about question mark" Maybe I use Siri too much!
9. You told Daddy that you didn't want to go to bed because you wanted to be a "Knocked Down Turtle" - translation - you wanted to be nocturnal!
10. After watching
Lilo and Stitch, you were pretending you were Lilo (something you do with all the main characters after you watch a movie). Then you were talking to Stitch, but you were calling him "Shits" - I laughed so hard...and I didn't correct it!
11. Your innocence kills me - you were wondering why you didn't have the male parts that your brothers have! I came right out and told you that they have a penis and that they use it to go pee pee. You have lady parts. This is what God gave each of us. You were asking if Collin had one, if daddy had one, etc...You noticed that poop came out the same place on your brothers that it does on you! you were pretty excited about it! I was about to change the subject when you said, "Mom, lets talk about this boy/girl business!"
I love that your favorite place to eat is Applebees! I love that you can remember where we are based off of landmarks - you're 3 - that's amazing! I love that you are so excited to turn 4 - only your birthday is in March, so you have a long way to go!
Oh Callie - please don't ever change. I know I get frustrated with your independence and your ability to express yourself and tell me what you're thinking. But in all reality - I want you to be that way! I want you to be strong, independent and able to express yourself. I want you to stand up for yourself, choose the friends that fit in your life the best, choose the right Prince Charming that reminds you exactly of your daddy! I want you to have a love-hate relationship with your brothers, because they are going to protect you and love you all the days of your lives! I want you to still know that no matter what you say, do, or how you act, I am going to love you with all my heart no matter what! I will always stop to play dress up with you. I will always read you a story and listen to the stories you have to tell. I will always, and I promise you this, take the time to answer your "then what" questions, because I admire your curiosity and determination. I PROMISE you I will love you through every moment in your life, every experience you encounter, every time you try something new, stumble or fall, and every moment you rise above the rest and succeed because you worked hard to do so!
You are my baby girl...you always will be my daughter and I will forever love you!
To my kids:
You remind me so much to stop and appreciate this life we have on earth for what it is! The smell of flowers or the smell of pigs (remind you we live in SPAM capital of the world!). The smiles, hugs and kisses! The I Love You's! To get excited when we are about to eat a meal that is your absolute favorite! When the toy in the happy meal is the perfect toy (Callie - Yellow Minions...Collin & Carter - Purple Minion...mainly because Callie was scared of it, so you got the purple one).
I have learned to face my fears because you all do it everyday! Callie, you challenge yourself and you try new things. You may be scared but you try and you do so well! Collin, you fly through life with this fierce enjoyment and happiness. Carter, you reminded me that the feeling of grass is so new to some, sand and water - to take the first feelings of these things into mind as I embark on them!
If you simply take a moment, you can relive your entire life through the eyes of your child! I'm so thankful that I have three beautiful children to do this with...and let me tell you - I have one absolutely amazing husband to share in all of these wonderful adventures! I love you Josh, we have created some pretty amazing children :)
(Photos by "PORTraits by Lynne"
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