To you, whom we wait for

It was this long kind of weekend and each day I thought, maybe today is the day we will meet you? But the sun rose and set and you stayed safe tucked inside, wiggling and kicking and lodging that foot just inside my ribcage just the way your sister used to. I imagined you, your sweet face and maybe pudgy cheeks and wondered what color you'd have and how long those kicky legs are. Your sister rubs my belly and says she knows you're a sister even though we're not sure. Your brother gets long running starts and bashes into you and maybe already you're learning he's a little rougher and he's learning how to be gentle with you? Oh, how he'll love you.

I want you to know you're coming home to loving arms and legs and hugs and kisses and songs at bedtime. You're coming home to dance parties and family walks in the fall and spring and too many Christmas decorations (like there is such a thing) and so so much love. We're not perfect, this family of yours, and somedays we're confused and I can't find your brother's shoes and your sister doesn't want to do anything at all and I feel tired, but there is so so much love.

Daddy can't wait to meet you. He rubs my tummy and says your name in prayer and asks God what he asked for the two before you. He rubs my back when the weight of you pulls down and asks what else he can do to help me get ready for you.  He washes your clothes and sets up the bassinet, readies the car seat and reminds me to bring that pillow thing I really liked that last time. I smile at his excitement. Oh, how he loves you.

And I? Well, I feel like I've known you this whole time. Since the moment the ultrasound said, yes, you were there and when I felt you and now always feel you. And I love you more than I will ever be able to show you. I can't wait to see you and hold you and I'm sorry for the times I don't want to let you go.

But the truth is, we belong together. All of us.

And there is something else you should know. You are one of ours. That means we will fight for you and we will bat for you and we will lay our lives down for you. You never need ask. We will be here always, whether physically or just inside your heart and head. Your mommy and daddy guiding the way. Your brother and sister protecting and watching over you. We will share secrets and inside jokes, dreams and disappointments. We will hold your hand and protect your heart. We will pray for you and with you and ask God for wild things for you. We will laugh with you and build you up. We will forgive you and ask your forgiveness. We will always give you another chance.

You are one of ours and you belong right here. 

We are waiting for you. Our arms and eyes and hearts and lives are waiting for you. One of ours, precious one. We'll be right here.

See you soon.

Love, Mom

Easy Memory Preservation

I've never been much of a scrap-booker. Still, when Peanut was born I was determined to document her life in pictures with scrap books that could rival Martha's any day. I printed photos, bought books and decals, ribbons and other embellishments. And these precious items sit in the closet of our school room collecting dust.

I'm not super creative. Can't create impressive layouts and imaginary designs. Don't really have the time (or the money) to spend on scrap-booking classes and the latest trends. However, I desperately want to capture our life in photos that are on display for us to see frequently, not tucked away in my digital camera or in neat little inaccessible albums in our iphoto app. I recently saw an idea on Pinterest that I knew I could do and with a little tweaking, it has become a way to document our lives in photos on display presently, and can then transfer quickly to albums as well!

It's a picture timeline one middle school teacher began with her students to document their school year by month in photos! I LOVED the idea and knew I wanted to try it. I began our display on our school room wall. Here's how it turned out so far!

(June is missing because I apparently didn't order those pictures, so I need to order those. See? I left a space!)

Each page is a 12 by 12 page of colored card stock. I went through our gobs of pictures on iphoto and printed the ones that captured super special memories we'd love to be reminded of throughout the year. I added simple captions in sharpie to give a little information about what was going on in each photo.

I also purchased a simple scrapbook that will hold pages this size, so, at the end of the year, we will take these pages down and slip the pages into the scrapbook (which has 12 pages) and our timeline will be preserved in an album for us to revisit later! Then we will begin the new year!

I am thrilled about this project and how simple it is. The Littles loved looking at all the memories we made this year so far and it will be fun to watch them grow in timeline form along the walls of our school room! 

Thanks Pinterest for an easy, do-able project!