Friday, May 12, 2017

Dear Cicely-- Month 13.5

Dear Cicely,

How much you have changed and developed over the past few months! I am not even sure where to start! You are such a little wanderer-- with a mind all your own and a spirit for adventure! You started walking a couple weeks after your first birthday, close to 13 months old. And from there you havent looked back!  You love to play peak-a-boo around corners and engage with just about anyone who will give you attention. You have an infectious giggle and a smile that will melt any heart that sees you.

Your tooth around is right around 8 or 9, but the dishwasher incident has left them a little less than straight on the the bottom. I am hoping they will work themselves out in the coming years. You are still a little peanut, so skinny and petite.I always find you searching for your brothers, or climbing up the top bunk. And if you are outside, you are near some dirt or the nearest puddle. Your love for dirt and water is unrivaled.  Whenever i am sweeping the floor in the kitchen you are ALWAYS right there at the ready to smoosh around my pile and eat out some crumbs that look interesting. Like why did you have to wait until it now to find it!?! You love the bath so i know you will LOVE the pool this summer. We cant wait for all that the warm weather will bring.

You are still such a gabby little girl, but you are learning more and more words. Mama is still unquestionably directed at me. And Dayeee is definitly daddy. Bye is in there, too.  Dooba dooba dooba is still a little uncertain, but it;s hilarious often you chat. You eat like a bird so i am still not sure what your favorite foods are, you seem to like most fruit and love advocados and mangos. Carrots are up there. You tend to chew meat and spit it out most of the time. Can cheez-its be a favorite food? because you never turn down one of those.  You LOVE music and will dance and move to anytime there is music on. Which is quite often around the house. I know your brothers love music, too, i wish i knew of a better way to cultivate it.

You bring so much joy to our lives and i cannot believe how fast you are growing up and becoming a unique individual. You are just to sweet and sassy, and fun and inviting, and outgoing and loving, and caring. All qualities i see developing that i admire and never want you to lose. How much attention and love you give to your brothers makes my heart pitter patter. And if they are ever crying or hurt, i see you rush to thier side and comfort them. The love you have for each other is straight from the heavens and I thank God for everything he has given to me with you kids. Thank you for being you. Dont ever change, We cant wait to see how the fun things we have in store for you this summer.

All the love in the world,

Mommy

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Dear Chris- Year 3

Dearest Chris,

I cant believe we celebrated your third year of life just a few weeks ago!! three years!! You are just so full of life and wonderful to be around.  You are still a chart topper, 40 lbs and 41 inches i believe. Well in the 90s as far as percentiles.  You gotta be big to keep up with Nick, and pretty much will do whatever he tells you to do. And also whatever your cousin kate tells you to do. You idolize her.  You love to play tag, hide and seek, play with your paw patrol pups, trains, cars, ride your bike, run "super fast" and just being around people. You might be the happiest kid i ever met. And the easiest going. And the funniest. I cant describe it, but watching you navigate life it's hard not to smile.

On your third birthday we had a party for both you and nick and Jump N Jacks, you both had the BEST time. You got tons of presents, ate lots of pizza and cake, and played your heart out. You love going to school with your brother and you seem to be learning a lot. You love to please others, and your teachers LOVE you. they couldn't say one bad thing about you. I remember sitting in the car with you are you held a couple jellybeans in your hand, you just were examining it and you said" this looks like an ovoid." My heart melted!

We have put you in swimming lessons at the goldfish swim school (you said one morning " there are no fish in the pool, just kids"), and you have taken off with your skills. You cant touch the bottom, but you have learned the life savings skills to be able to swim by yourself to the wall or so person or island where you can touch or hold on.  You have moved up to the next class and your teacher said last week that you are almost ready to move thru AGAIN!! And she told me last week that you are just "SO much fun!!" with all kinds of enthusiasm. It's true, you are just too much sometimes.

You pretty much want to do everything Nick does these days, so i am excited to enroll you in blast ball this summer. And it will be fun to see you guys swim around in the pool together. You will have your first dentist appointment coming up next month (with your brother), and i find it's just easier when you have your big bro to help you along your way. He sure does look out for you. And try to tease you and work you up too. But overall you are pretty easy going. Just happy to be together. And happy to break out into dance any opportunity you get. And also eat your boogers. You do that a lot too.

So much about you that fills my heart with Joy. Sometimes i cant get enough. I can look at you sometimes with those big dopey eyes and my heart just explodes. I am so luck i get to be your mommy. I Love you so much, dont ever change little buddy!

Love,
Mommy

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Dear Cicely- Month 10

Dear Cicely,

Here we are 10 months old! And really we never are apart!! You are growing and changing so much every day, and really developing your own personality. You are still a little peanut, you weigh only 17 lbs (only the 11th percentile), and up until just a couple days ago you only had your bottom two teeth. But now your top two are on their way in. You had a little incident after christmas, when you fell backwards from holding the dishwasher lower rack and knocked those two teeth loose. I rushed you to the dentist because i was worried you did something terrible. But the bleeding stopped and they stopped wiggling and now they are just slightly not straight. Hopefully everything is fine now moving forward.  You are much more ambitious and into things than i am used to, quick and mobile, and very good with your hands. You crawl up stairs, can cruise around in the standing position, and crawl very fast. Probably because you are so small. Still no interest in walking, which surprises me about you. But you will in time.

You love to take baths with your brothers, and love the pool. We cant wait to take you on a cruise in a couple weeks. You will love the water i am sure. You are a pretty good eater, you love your fruits and you love peas too.  You sit with us at the table and you are just happy as a clam to be part of it all.

Your love for your brothers is ever growing. And Nick sure does look out for you.  I think he will continue to be a big help to us as you grow. I can see a you might be a little joker, too, since i see you playing tricks with us and laughing. You have a calm disposition, but we always know when you need something. But generally are pretty easy going, and can be distracted very easily.

You play with almost all of your brothers trucks and trains, and of course, paw patrol pups. It will be neat to see what kinds of toys you take to. growing up with older brothers.  You are just so small and dainty, you daddy and I tell each other almost daily how much we love you and are so happy you are here. You are such and angel. and have the best smile! You will smile at just about anyway, and give them away very freely. A happy baby is what you are.

We love you so very much, ill try to be better about writing more next month. thank you for being you, and dont change anything! I cant wait to see what next month brings!

Love always,

Your mommy

Monday, November 28, 2016

Dear Cicely- Month 8

Dear Baby Girl Cicely,

This month is a big month, you learned to Crawl! Definitely much earlier than your brothers, but not by much. It was probably this week you really started cruising. First my scooting backward, then on your knees, and then you just took off. You are still quite dainty and slow, and methodical in what you do. But you are still a wee little thing, but oh so adorable.

You still only have two teeth on the bottom, but you eat more these days. And you gab gab gab. You have found your voice, and right now as i write this you are gabbing away right next to me. You are a PURE delight to bring to thanksgiving, you have just enough hair to clip in a little bow, and everyone was soooo enamored by you,.  You are always so content, and easy going. Love to laugh with your big brothers, and watch what they are doing.

Also this month you met Santa for the first time, and NO TEARS!!!! I have the sweetest picture of you two looking at each other.  You seem pretty ok with strangers, as long as i am around. And you will flash smiles at most people who smile at you.  Lots of people tell me what a happy baby you are. And you really are so sweet and happy most of the time.

 Cant wait to have you with us for christmas, and all the fun things coming up this month.  I know it wont be long now before you are pulling up and cruising between furnture and then walking. This year goes by with such quickness. Im doing my best to soak it all in when I can.

I love you to the moon and back sweet girl.

Love,
Mama

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Dear Cicely Month 7

My Dearest Cicely,

Finally back on track, you were 7 months just yesterday, and boy are you ever changing. You popped a tooth about a week ago, but you chew on just about anything so i am imagining there are more coming any day now.  Your little pincers are excellent, you can grab and grasp the tiniest thing. And you do. You can pick up little grains of rice from in front of you. You are an OK eater, you eat way less than your brothers, and you can go hours without being hungry.  Your joy for solids is not as enthusiastic as i might have thought, but you LOVE fruit. I think mangos might be your new favorite. Too bad fruit is going out of season as we enter in the cold months.

You are still as sweet and easy going as you were the day you were born. You are happy as a clam being around me and your brothers. It doesnt matter where we are or what we are doing. You make life so much easier how content you are. You adore your brothers, always looking for them and watching what they do. And they adore you, too. Always looking out for you, and making sure you are OK.

You sit up really well, and can pull yourself up to a standing position. And you can move to your belly quite easily, there is no doubt you are trying to move. It's only a matter of time. You are gabbing now, and are developing your own voice and we love it.  And you laugh ALL the time!! You are so happy, it's a joy to be around you!

We have been able to go on some trips with you, we went up to cleveland to see my mom and friends a couple months ago. And just this past weekend we took a trip to Fair Oaks Farm in indiana with your cousins.   We take you just about everywhere because you are just a little ball of joy.  You arent sleeping through the night quite yet, but you will get there.  We snuggle you, and you probably wouldnt want to be anywhere else.

We just love you more than anything, it's crazy how much that love keeps growing. Just like you do. I cant wait to see what the next months will be bring.

Love you to the moon and back!

Love,
Mommy


Friday, September 30, 2016

Dear Cicely Month 6

Dear Cicely,

This is my first letter to you, I am So sorry I haven't done one sooner. The first few weeks and months have been chalk full of changes and emotions.  But you have brought more joy and happiness since you entered the world than I could have ever imagined.  As you know, your Uncle Joey died just a few days after you arrived, but you were the hope that we all clung to on those hardest days. Now here you are, getting more personality and character and we have loved watching you grow.

You are still a little peanut. Much like the day you were born, barely tipping the scales at 6.2 oz,  and now you are still only in the 30% percentiles for weight. (unlike your brothers). You sit up now, and you have since you were just over 5 months old. You reach and grab for things, and jabber all the time while you do it. You LOVE your mommy, you want me around ALL the time.  You were never good taking a bottle for anyone, and even now you don't really get excited about table food.  You don't seem very food-driven in general, and are pretty much content anywhere I am, and even better when your brothers are with you too.

Nick and Chris LOVE to play with you, and give you all kinds of hugs and kisses. Sometimes not always the gentlest, but you roll with it. Both of them are always looking out for you, and it makes me so proud to see. I am sure they will always protect you no matter what, you are so lucky.

Right now, you still have no teeth and not nearly as much hair as your brothers. It's coming in dark though, which reminds me of me when I was a baby. Everyone says you looks a lot like your brothers. It's been fun dressing you and seeing how dainty and sweet you are. Everything about you is so small and dainty, it's been fun having a daughter.  You are SO special.

You are sitting next to me right now, jabbering and wanting me. As usual. I must end this. Plus the computer is acting funny, and undoing a lot of my typing. I wish I could write more. Just know you are SUCH a wonderful addition to this family of ours. We love you so much!!!!

Love always,
Mommy

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Dear: My Children, all of 6 of them

Dear beautiful children in my life,

I write this today thinking of all my kids and my niece and nephews I routinely watch over. Life is full these days. Summer is quickly coming it an end, the sunlight is gone before 9pm now and school prep has begun for everyone. We've done a lot of wonderful things together this summer; swam, watched movies, trips to kings island, trips to multiple pools and parks.  We ran around outside catching fire flies, had dance parties, and told countless stories around my dinner table. We are a family.

This will certainly go in the books as one of the most challenging years in our lives. The older ones have endured a lot this year, and still found a way to smile. There are scars on our hearts as we move into each day, and yet we must still continue to search for silver linings and the beauty in all that we do.  There is beauty in a tragedy, if you can live with the heart ache and sadness that filters through each day, but the profound ability to rise above is one of the greatest gifts.

My heart has stretched further than it ever has, and there are still days i struggle. This year accompanies change not only in the family dynamic, but my first year as a full time mother.  I know my role is not only to be the best mother i can be to my own children, but to be of most support to my niece and nephews, my in-laws, and those who need it more than I. To find God in all that we do, and grow together.  It's what we must do, even on the hard days, and the emotions that will come and go. But they are just temporary.

My ability to write is limited, but I hope there is more time soon.