Happy Eighth Birthday to the Boy that Made Me a Mom

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My Dearest Eli, 

Where do I even begin. You are wise in so many ways for your years. Then we have usual boy things like body humor from you, and I shake my head. Your mind works in ways I could never dream. I am so thankful for your helping and willing spirit. I have said it before and I will say it 100 times, you make my days easier. I can always count on you to help me when I need something. You are the best big brother to everybody. You love to teach the kids and help them. You are the most wonderful baby entertainer a mom could ask for. 

I have loved teaching you this year. To see you struggle with reading in the beginning to now reading so well makes my heart thrilled. Math some days I think you should be teaching me. You are such a delight to teach, because you pick things up so well. My favorite thing has been reading Pilgrim's Progress with you and watching light bulbs go off in your head. Of course my favorite day was the day you accepted Christ after we read it. 2nd grade may always be my favorite for you and I.

Every year you get taller and older. My heart breaks but rejoices a little more. How did you get to be 8?!? I feel like I just gave birth to you yesterday. You will be taller than me before I know it. You are such a wonderful boy and I am so so thankful for you!! I LOVE you so very much.

Love,
Mom

8 years old

1. What is your favorite color?  red
2. What is your favorite toy? Legos

3. What is your favorite fruit? pears
4. What is your favorite tv show? Angry Birds
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Corndogs
6. What is your favorite outfit?  Star Wars Shirt made by mom
7. What is your favorite game? Minecraft
8. What is your favorite snack? Fruitsnacks
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephants 
10. What is your favorite song?  Star Wars Music

11. What is your favorite book? Box Car Children
12. Who is your best friend? Holden
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cheerios
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with Arrow
15. What is your favorite drink? Grape Juice
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Bob Evans
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? "I don't know."

7 years old

1. What is your favorite color?  blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Legos

3. What is your favorite fruit? pears
4. What is your favorite tv show? Star Wars
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut Butter Jelly Tacos
6. What is your favorite outfit?  Star Wars Shirt
7. What is your favorite game? Lego Star Wars
8. What is your favorite snack? Yogurt
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephants 
10. What is your favorite song?  Star Wars Music
11. What is your favorite book? Brickbeard Lego Book
12. Who is your best friend? Holden
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Chex
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play Star Wars with his Stick
15. What is your favorite drink? Root Beer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cereal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Police Officer

6 Years Old

1. What is your favorite color?  blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Legos

3. What is your favorite fruit? pears
4. What is your favorite tv show? Curious Crew 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Corn Dogs
6. What is your favorite outfit?  Doesn't have one
7. What is your favorite game? Mario
8. What is your favorite snack? Ritz
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephants and Tigers
10. What is your favorite song? Veggie Tales Theme Song
11. What is your favorite book? Brickbeard Lego Book
12. Who is your best friend? Hayden
13. What is your favorite cereal? Oatmeal
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play at the Park
15. What is your favorite drink? Apple Juice
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket, Dinosaur, Dog
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Chili's
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Construction Worker that digs gold

5 Years Old

1. What is your favorite color?  blue
2. What is your favorite toy? play-doh

3. What is your favorite fruit? blueberries & grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? Sid the Science Kid 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut and Jelly Sandwhich
6. What is your favorite outfit? Robot Shirt and Jeans
7. What is your favorite game? Hungry Hungry Hippos
8. What is your favorite snack? yogurt
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephant &Dinosaurs
10. What is your favorite song? Veggie Tales Theme Song
11. What is your favorite book? Dinosaur Book 
12. Who is your best friend? Hayden
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Chex
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Sandbox and Play in the Snow
15. What is your favorite drink? Almond Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket, Dinosaur, Dog
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Homemade Gluten Free Blueberry Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Construction Worker

4 Years Old

1. What is your favorite color?  blue
2. What is your favorite toy? firetruck

3. What is your favorite fruit? grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? Little Einsteins 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut and Jelly Sandwhich
6. What is your favorite outfit? Spiderman
7. What is your favorite game? Marbles
8. What is your favorite snack? Watermelon
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephant
10. What is your favorite song? Veggie Tales Theme Song
11. What is your favorite book? Train
12. Who is your best friend? Colin
13. What is your favorite cereal? Raisin Bran
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Sandbox
15. What is your favorite drink? lemonade
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pancakes
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A Dog

Three Years Old

1. What is your favorite color?  Red 

2. What is your favorite toy? Smart Cycle

3. What is your favorite fruit? apples

4. What is your favorite tv show? Mickey Mouse 

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut and Jelly Sandwhich

6. What is your favorite outfit? Dinousaur Pajamas

7. What is your favorite game? Farm Bingo

8. What is your favorite snack? Applesauce

9. What is your favorite animal? Pig

10. What is your favorite song? Jesus Loves Me

11. What is your favorite book? George and The Dump Truck

12. Who is your best friend? Hayden

13. What is your favorite cereal? Raisin Bran

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Tractor 

15. What is your favorite drink? milk

16. What is your favorite holiday? His Birthday

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pancakes

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A conductor

They are 1

Well, WE DID IT! I never dreamed I would make it through the girl's first year in one piece. Hands down the fastest best year of my life. I am sitting here crying thinking about how incredibly amazing, hard, joyous, and wonderful this year has been. The emotions of their birth still can be overwhelming. I sit back and can still feel the incision pain. It makes me hurt. I remember those five days of agony that my heart felt as Daphne was in the NICU. Being wheeled to her NICU room in my wheelchair in agonizing pain but couldn't wait to see her. Then being wheeled back to my room my heart broken leaving her every time. It is the most heart wrenching pain as a mother I have felt and I hope NEVER to have to feel that kind of pain again. If I do, I know I can make it.  I remember how absolutely tiny they were. Their heads as big as my palm is all. Then I remember the HOURS UPON HOURS sat nursing them. The feeling of wanting to throw them off me, but somehow I stuck through it. 1 year and we are still going, with out much end in sight. Then it began to be fun. The giggles, hand holding, watching the older kids interact. Then before we knew it they were crawling. Now they babble and are just plain amazing. 

The first six months I got the best sleep ever. I wish I could say the same now. Either way, I have learned so many things about myself as a mom by adding twins. In some ways I think every parent should experience it. It has been amazing. Hands down I can honestly say I would do it again. If you can get through the pregnancy you can definitely get through the first year. My fears were correct in some areas like teething, and both having stomach flu. That is pretty miserable, but everything else makes up for it times ten. I also realized I am stronger than I thought. If you would have told me that 12 months ago, I would have laughed. Through it all these two have made me love and appreciate my other kids even more. Above all else. I would not have ever made it without my wonderful husband. He has taken care of me in my most desperate times. No matter what he has always grabbed all the kids and taken them when I needed a break. He selflessly lets me sleep in almost every Saturday. Truly without him I would not have survived this year.  So without any more sobbing stories. Their yearly letters begin and all their photos.

Side note: These girls hate the camera. I thought for sure I would end up with 3 muses. Nope I am absolutely positive Liliana will always be my muse. She posed at a year old and these girls, well let's just say I took them to the greenhouse. You can see the photos are dismal at best. Then today after 4 hours with lunch and a bath in between I got a handful. At one point Annalise would be laughing hysterically and as soon as I pulled out my camera pout and cry. Seriously!! These photos do not do justice to how absolutely adorable and sweet they are, but that is ok.  They join the ranks of Ari and hating pictures. It is so bad, I will be waiting for this weekend to do their monthly ones to finish their collage. I can't take another terrible day of photos. It might really make me feel even more defeated regarding photos and them. 

My Dear Annalise,

If I could squeeze your squishy body forever just like it is, I would be happy. I never guessed my teeny tiny girl with jet black hair that felt like duckling fuzz, would turn into my squishy spunky almost blond haired baby girl. Your animated spirit makes me giggle and become more in love with you everyday. Some days you frustrate me with your little temper, but then you smile and I love you to pieces. As I was exercising and you were sitting on top of me tonight. I wanted to remember that moment forever. My teeny tiny girl was now standing on me giggling and babbling while I was desperately trying to get back in to shape. It made me smile.

You may be a Daddy's girl through and through, but I can always count on you to yell "MOOOM" when you are really upset.  I can't wait to watch you grow. I can't wait to see if you rule the roost as you do to some extent now. You are such a sweet spunky child.You are loved more than you will ever know. I am so thankful for you. 

Love,
MOM  

My Dear Daphne-Doo, 

You are like a little porcelain doll. You are the most delicate child ever. You are so dainty. Ill never forget when they pulled you out and the nurses brought you over and were comparing you and Annalise while you were on my chest. They kept repeating how dainty and petite you were. It rings true today. Your shy unsure spirit fits you so well. I know I always have to look out for it or you get your feelings hurt. 

Most days I love waking up next to you in the morning. You love to grab my cheeks and kiss me. Then you begin babbling in the tiniest, softest, sweetest voice. Your bright blue eyes are shining and you are smiling with the biggest smile ever. I love to play Pat-A-Cake with you. You are so bright and learn so quickly. I can't wait to see where that takes you. You light up the room so much with your joy. I can't wait to see you bloom and grow and if you come out of your shyness. I love you forever Doo.

Love, 

Mom 

Happy Birthday Sweet Girls. You are adored more than you will ever know!