From the category archives:

Sappy Stuff

To my Lily: I love you the most. You introduced me to the world of motherhood and made us a family. I love how genuinely kind and sweet you are. I love how you consider any alone time with me now a special date, even if we just go to the market. I love how nurturing and compassionate you are to animals and people, alike. I love watching you draw and the pride you take in your art. I love how you hug like you’re never going to let go. I love how thoughtful you are, always. I love your tan lines and the tiny birthmark on your cheek. I love hearing from teachers and neighbors how wonderful you are, even though I already know. I love talking to you on the phone, on the rare occasion when I’m not at home. I love reading the little notes you leave around the house and hearing you read to your brothers. You are my absolute favorite.

To my Ben: I love you the most. You were the sweetest baby in the world and I literally didn’t put you down for over a year. I love your exuberance and enthusiasm. I love how you wake up every morning in a fantastic mood, no matter how you went to bed the night before. I love how easy to please you can be. I love the smell of your neck and the color of your magic eyes, whether they are green, gray or blue that day. I love holding your hand and the face you make when you spot me at school. I love the way your voice gets really high when you’re excited and that you actually squeal with delight. I love that you “remember being born.” I love how much you worship your sister and the way you watch her when she’s not looking. I love your favorite teddy bear and how cool you look in sunglasses. You are my absolute favorite.

To my Evan: I love you the most. You will always be my baby, even though you insist that you are a big boy. I love your husky voice and the way your repeat everything you hear even though half the time, you have no idea what you’re saying. I love watching you try to keep up with your siblings and their friends. I love the humming sound you make when you really like what you’re eating. I love watching you play and how you can make a game of pretty much anything. I love how much you love making people laugh. I love the way you say my name. I love your pudgy thighs and your knees and the way you look in your pajamas. I love the way you hold my face with two hands when you give me a kiss. I love hearing you thump down the stairs in the morning. You round out our family, completely. You are my absolute favorite.

{For the record, you each got the exact same number of words. It’s even.}

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It’s a happy day…

05.09.2010

To my husband… It feels like yesterday that we were two crazy kids, barely eighteen and and hopelessly in love. Where have the last 15 years gone? But, I look at what we have learned, what we have become and what we have created — together– and I can’t believe it has only been that [...]

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To the Birthday Girl

02.03.2010

Lily, my baby girl, my heart swells with so much pride and love for you. I am so very blessed to be your Mommy, and so filled with excitement as I think about the years to come. Happy, Happy Birthday, my love. I adore you. {A post from Jeff  for his little girl} If I’ve [...]

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The Scariest of Mommies

10.23.2009

You guys amazed me this week. When I asked you to write about how you were a Scary Mommy, I thought that maybe 20 of you would. I hoped for that. I feared that nobody would at all. The number of entries simply astounded me. Over the past week, I’ve read 114 amazing posts. 114 [...]

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Overnight Growth Spurts

10.20.2009
Overnight Growth Spurts

I remember the moment quite vividly that Lily looked like a kid to me, rather than a little girl. It was heartbreaking and exciting at once. My Benji seems to be approaching that line rapidly. He’s getting to be so strong willed and independent and I’m just not ready for him to grow up so [...]

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Little Miss Independent

08.27.2009
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We’ve been waiting all summer for today. But now that it’s here, I just want her home. And she couldn’t disagree more. {Update 4:00 PM: School was “SO much FUN! I Loved it,” she reported. She cannot wait to go back– I don’t think I EVER felt that way about school. It’s adorable!}

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Flashback Friday: The Fourth to Me

07.02.2009

The 4th of July has always been special to me. I was born just a few days before, on the same day as my grandpa. Our birthdays, and later just mine, turned into a week long celebration. Some of my best childhood memories were made during this time of parades, parties and fireworks. The home [...]

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Happy Father’s Day

06.21.2009
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We love you.

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Kindergarten, here we come

04.22.2009

I don’t save birthday cards. I hate receiving overpriced flowers when I can create a free bouquet from my own yard. There are very few movies that reduce me to tears and I don’t cry at weddings. Since I wasn’t blogging when my older kids were babies, I have no record of their early milestones. [...]

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