Love is...

childlike faith...


Happy Love Thursday!

ok ok. So I got another carrier...

When I was perusing Niki's website to order a sling for my friend, I saw that she was now offering Mei Tai carriers from Babyhawk. I had been checking out mei tais for a couple of months now, because I was looking for a carrier I could use to put Ladybug on my back while doing things that I couldn't with her on my front. After researching, I was excited that Niki was offering the Babyhawks because the carrier part is bigger than on other mei tais I had seen, plus they have the headrest so I could wear Fiona at a mere 3 months without any problems. She has now even fallen asleep while I was cooking lunch. (You can, of course, also wear the baby in front.)


It is very nicely made and very comfortable. The ties are rather long, (which I wasn't use to) but they are not a problem. There is a definite learning curve to getting her on my back. The first few times Bob spotted me. Now I still kneel on my bed while I'm strapping her on. I have been able to get so much done with her on my back. She is such a perfect baby and never cries, but I hate to leave her laying on her back under her play gym or in her seat for a hour at a time even though she doesn't complain. Bob is looking forward to getting to use it, too. That is the other nice thing about it. So, hats off to Niki again!

**Please note:The prices listed on her site are in Canadian dollars**

Silly City Kids...

Real blog tomorrow, promise.

You're Killing Me Here

Conor's first high school dance...sigh. Notice he's wearing Bob's tie from our wedding...double sigh

Love is...

Unadulterated joy. When your heart is so full that it bursts out of you.




Happy Love Thursday!

Introducing

Fiona arrived on September 21st at 11:42 pm. She weighed in at 7lbs 14 oz and was a towering (for my family) 21 inches tall.

Mom and baby are doing well. The rest of the family has lost its mind...

...to be a daughter's mother

If this little girl, this one with the goofy grin in her Snow White costume, this curious one who loves finding tadpoles, this sweet dear one that gives the best cuddles, this one that you waited so many years to have and fought so hard to keep safe until she was ready to be born, came up to you and said, "Mommy, why won't the other girls let me play with them?" would you crumble inside? Would you gather her into your lap and just cry? Because it was all I could do to not cry. All I could do to not walk over to the other little girl and put her over my knee. All I could do to stop the flash of all the other little girls that will make my daughter hurt, doubt herself, wonder what is wrong with her.

I don't know that I handled it well. I don't think I did. I said loud enough for the other two girls to hear, that sometimes girls were just mean. Some girls just don't know how to play with more than one other girl. Why? I don't know, but I do know that it hurts our feelings. Rosie, doesn't understand girls. She gets so excited when there are other girls around because she has three brothers. And most girls and other kids in general absolutely love her. Love to play with her. She's sweet and fun and can play soccer as easily as dolls.

Unfortunately, there is one girl that does not like our daughter. or any of our kids, come to think of it. Rosie was playing just fine with Katie, another 4 year old girl, after Mary refused to talk to her. (Before we went to this BBQ, Rosie actually asked me what she should do if Mary wouldn't talk to her. I told her their would be plenty of other girls there, too.) Well, Mary finally decided SHE wanted to play with Katie and as quick as can be, Rosie was cut off. Just like that. and they are only FOUR years old! Rosie tried several brave times to get back into the action, but eventually played with her brothers and then by herself.

I know it is this one girl's problem, not Rosie's. Plenty of kids like her. But think about it. Doesn't the one that doesn't like you begin to overpower all the others in your mind? You don't think about them. You focus in on why this ONE person doesn't like you and what must be wrong with you. And then I have to pray and pray that I am not also contributing to that feeling. When my ears are so exhausted from listening to her nonstop talk that I honestly fear they will fall right off. When she wants to be me so much that there isn't a chore that is too mundane for her to superglue herself at my side so she can attempt it. I pray that I am not mean, that I can be that reflection of Divine love, that I can help build a self-esteem so strong that no one can touch it. I thank God everyday that Rosie will soon have a sister, God willing. And that even though there will be four years between them, Fiona will always think that Rosie is the greatest.

And when they are grown they will have each other. Sisters.