1,000th post

1,000 posts ago.. and about six years... I was HUGE and awaiting the arrival of Dex and Jax. I knew my life would change, but I had no idea just how greatly that change would impact my life. D.R. and I had been living at student housing for several years already, but were preparing to move into a bigger 3-bedroom apartment, something that only families of four or more were able to do, at the time. I was accumulating things like car seats and baby clothes and I was just SO excited to meet these little boys who were already so loved.

Now, it's somehow appropriate that I can commemorate this post with another big move. Our family has grown even more and I can't imagine it any different than it is right now. We're saying good-bye to all the baby clothes and gear (except for one treasured box of my most cherished items) and we'll move into a house with (hold your breath) FOUR bedrooms. This time, not for an additional child, but so that we can finally welcome guests into our living space without asking them to sleep on our living room floor. :)

The boys are starting kindergarten in the fall, Shea will begin preschool and D.R., who has FINALLY completed 10 long years of medical training (I dare not include undergrad... as 14 years of post-high school education is just CRAZY), will begin his first real job in July. I think back to the person I was six years ago and I wonder what I would have thought if I could have glimpsed the family I would have in the future. I'm sure in some ways, I would have wanted to fast forward to this truly fun time in parenting and family life, but I'm glad I got to enjoy the sweetness of three young babies and the excitement of new parenthood, all the while surviving the very real and difficult challenges our family has faced over the last six years. For, if you told me we would have six months of no sleep, a year of colic, words like autism and all that entailed, speech delays, ARDS and the painful loss of a brother (brother-in-law)... not to mention the simple fact that we were also surviving the stress of medical school, residency and fellowship... I might have just thrown in the towel! But, here were are, unbelievably thankful for things like family time, understood sentences, playful interactions, health and well-being and all the things we probably took for granted, at one time. I don't care if I sound sappy (and I'm not denying the fact that there are still days that make me want to dig a little hole and climb in), but I truly do find myself wanting to capture most of these moments that pass-too-quickly... and my appreciation for the beauty in simpler things is growing everyday.

So there.

I'm done.

Totally ready for the boys to get home.

A few photos of our last few days at student housing...






Shea and Jonah... what great buds, they are!
Jax



Dex


Adventures on the playground
Maren and Dex, returning the caterpillars to their home.


Love seeing the boys create little spaces to play and spend time together.
Shea is letting me try more and more things with her hair! We'd done two french braids before, but this was the first time her hair was long enough to try one!

Shea and her pal, Abby, dressed up and silly as can be.
Seriously, this activity of t-shirt decorating lasted 60 seconds. New record for shortest art project EVER.

The early days of packing, I mean, watching the boys turn our liquor store boxes (yes, I love free boxes) into spaceships.


Keep away from Jax!
Shea asked Sylvie if they could pretend to be sisters. Love that the two of them play so sweetly together!

Sassy princess in shades

Shea, learning from her brothers and begging to be photographed with her lego creation.
This makes me giggle for so many reasons. Dex, with his goofy camera smile... but, mostly, Shea hiding behind him trying to make a cameo in the photo.

I asked D.R. to hold Shea while I typed this. Of course, they are now both asleep on the couch. See, just another sweet image for me to lock away in the treasure chest of my memory. Yes, I'm getting a bit dramatic.

The boys get back tomorrow. The only toys that haven't been packed are the legos and a few lightsabers. Let's hope the weather is nice!! :) I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they see our little box-filled home. Mainly, I can't wait to see their faces!!

My Little Heroes

Heroic feats have known no bounds at our home, recently. Someone is almost constantly showing me how brave they are... breaking records, rescuing someone in trouble, climbing to the highest of heights (or... ahem... jumping from the highest of heights), lifting furniture to show great strength, and the list goes on. We've had a few days, recently, with Sylvie visiting and all three kiddos are thrilled to death when she is here. The boys usually beg me to help them build a tent/fort and the four children hide-out inside for hours on end, coming out to use the bathroom and seek sustenance. It's pretty adorable. I love sitting outside their fortress and listening to their little conversations. Usually, the boys are busy with action figures and the girls are busy with stuffed animal and dolls... but the interactions between the four of them are priceless. Had I been more on top of things, I would have recorded it all.
The caterpillars are back this year! They are not as numerous as last year, but there are still enough to warrant looking up before you walk under a tree or a walkway, just to make sure there's not a dangling caterpillar or 12, waiting to fall onto your head. Likewise, the sidewalk and playground are equally littered with the little insects. The kids, of course, adore them and are once again, enjoying their little friends. The boys are in the habit of adopting a half dozen or so on a daily basis and naming them such things as, Anakin, Commander Fox, Obi Wan Kenobi and other such Star Wars characters. Love it. Above, is Jaxon.
Dex
Dex and Maren, digging a burial site for the poor, dead caterpillars. Nothing makes the boys sadder than finding the ones that didn't make it. They were convinced the only proper thing to do would be to build a tomb. Maren agreed, but only if they could hold ceremonies with flowers and other elements of nature. Again, listening to the three of them negotiate the ins and outs of caterpillar burials was hilarious.
Maren... what are we going to do without Maren in a few weeks? The kids have been such close friends for the past four years. It's hard for me to fathom. I know she will be missed tremendously by the boys.
Dex
Dex and Josh
Jax and Shea
A climbing Shea
Dex
Super strength
Shea and Mommy
Shea
The boys found my old high school music medals. They were convinced they were military awards and have been pinning them on to show rank. I know Dex will kill me one day for posting these photos, but I love how he sticks his chest out and sucks his chin in to show how official he looks.

Brave little Jaxon
Dex informed me that his troopers and Anakin were putting on a show, singing and dancing. Love it. He really wanted to do a stop-motion video of them dancing together, but I have no idea how to do that!! Guess it's something I'm going to have to figure out...
I can't help it.... I'm giggling right now.