birthday

32 Things I Love About My Children {Thoughts from Me}

June 25, 2011 by Dana

In Honor of my 32nd birthday, I have been writing a series called 32 Things. This is my fourth entry: 32 Things I Love About My Children.

1. My son, my first-born, is peaceful and quite when it matters most.
2. He always thinks of others first and is first to jump in to help me no matter how hard.
3. My Mimi has a faith in God that I can only wish to achieve.
4. My Laycie astonishes me with how loving she is.
5. My children have an amazing sense of humor.
6. I love all of their smiles.
7. I love the colors of their eyes: two brown and one blue-green like her Momma’s.
8. I love their need to learn.
9. I love that they enjoy being children long after most kids get to.
10. I love each of their sense of style.
11. I love that my Win can win a video game like no bodies business and has learned not to give up even when its most frustrating.
12. I love Mimi’s need for art, to express herself openly the way she most enjoys.
13. I love Laycie’s need to spread joy to others, even those she does not know.
14. I love their focused interest in all things they attempts to do.
15. I love their messiness that makes our house home.
16. I love their differing abilities and watchimg them come together to do anything they want.
17. I love the care they show their little sister, and how they never leave her out.
18. I love their laughs.
19. I love hearing their heartbeats, knowing they are each a Gift from God.
20. I love my girls love dressing up as much as their Momma does.
21. I love watching them play together.
22. I love that my children love.
23. I love seeing God through their eyes in every place we pass.
24. I love my boy’s love for ketchup.
25. I love my girls love for ranch dressing.
26. I love that my they love each other.
27. I love to watch them run, to hear them sing and see them dance.
28. I love that God blessed me with all of them, each unique.
29. I love to see them growing strong.
30. I love their shared interests.
31. I love how they love me back, not just because I’m their Mom but because they know I love them more than they can even fathom.
32. I love each of them through and through.

God has blessed us with four amazing kids and for that we are truly thankful. I could not ask for more!

Birthday Party Prep

February 19, 2011 by Dana

This week is not going at all as planned, unfortunately. I think the events of last weekends flood and various other things are really getting to me. I’m feeling exhausted and like a Tiger trapped inside a cage. I want to get out of here and DO something but time right now doesn’t allow for that.

Tomorrow is my beautiful girl’s party. It’s not exactly how I wanted it but I know she’ll be happy regardless. I am postponing the sleep-over part of the party to a later unknown date. Everything is going to be moved out into our yard so I know the kids will all enjoy that, being able to play and enjoy the fresh air.

First in the morning I must back the cake and cupcakes for the Princessa’s party. I also have heart shaped cookies to make for her. I just pray I can get it all done!

I bought her gifts tonight. I know she is going to LOVE them. Some things she had asked for and others I just happened to come across by chance. I bought a lot to encourage her artistically: paper, markers, stickers, stickers, sticker kits and so much more! I can not wait to see her creations. She’s such an amazing artist already.

Since tomorrow is such a busy day, I must go to bed. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately and I’m sure I’ll get to sharing more of that later on. But for now, my sweet Princessa’s birthday party tops my list! I love my baby girl and all of my kids. They are my greatest gift from God.

Happy Birthday to My Princess

February 17, 2011 by Dana

Eight years ago today, I gave birth to my first little girl. I can remember it like it was yesterday.

Emmalee was born through a scheduled c-section. I arrived at the hospital around 5:30am on February 17, 2003. I was prepped and I remember going into labor not long before it was time for the c-section. Around 8am I was wheeled back to the OR.

Her delivery began normal and quickly turned into an emergency because my spinal block did not take like it was supposed to. In fact, I was well awake and felt the entire delivery from the searing pain of the first cut to the tugging pain of being sewn up. But it was all worth it. I watched in the big metallic overhead light as they pulled my beautiful little Princess from beneath my heart. I heard her sweet cry as they brought her for me to see. I knew the moment I saw her, she was my Emmalee. I heard her sweet cries as the anethesia quickly made me drift off to sleep. I missed out on those things with her brother’s delivery 2 years and 2 months before. I cherish every moment of the memories I have of my sweet girl’s birth.

I remember the first time I was able to hold her close to me, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. Later they would change to the prettiest brown eyes I’ve ever been blessed to know. I kissed her, counted her fingers and toes. I laid her into my arms and kept her there for as long as I could.

Her big brother and her cousin were amazed by her. They thought she was the prettiest baby and couldn’t wait to play with her. They loved her from the moment she was born. She quickly became her brother’s best friend, a bond that still hasn’t been broken.

I look back and I wonder where the time has gone. My baby girl is now 8 and I can hardly believe it. In 10 short years she will be grown, ready to start a life of her own. I want to cherish those years, to suck every speck of life and love out of them before that time comes. I want to cherish the sweet girl, who’s faith in God and love of life, has given me so much strength these past 8 years.

She is my artist, my faithful one, my strength, my heart. She is my Princessa. The love I have for her cannot be explained. She amazes me daily. She’s my stubborn child, but her strengths, her wit, her amazing curiousity and faith far outweigh her stubborness. God blessed me the day she was born, as much as he did the day her brother and her sister were born. He blessed me with a Love like none I’ve ever known. The love of a Mother to a Princess and a Princess for her Momma.

Happy 8th Birthday to my sweet Princess Emmalee. Momma loves you, always and forever, my dear girl. <3