Peter at 13 Months

He Loves to walk holding onto my hand.

Happy 4th Birthday Margaret Mary!

 The birthday girl woke up to presents, balloons and sweet cuddles from her Papa.

She was so excited it was her birthday, she held on tight to him and smiled while eyeing her presents. 

 

She had two presents. A swing that hangs up in the back room that she can do "circus tricks" on, and a pair of goggles.  The goggles have already broken, but she can't wait to try them on when she goes swimming!

 

For the celebration we kept it simple. We brought a cake to Mass with us and invited everyone to come eat some after Mass.  We sang to her of course, and then played with tons of balls and hula hoops in the church's rec room.

 

Last but not least, a family picture of us with our "baby-girl."  We gave MM the nickname babygirl the day she was born.  We didn't have a name picked out for her yet, and so we simply called her "baby girl."  It's hard to believe our little baby is now 4!

Our favorite thing about MM at this age is her love of humming.  The girl hums ALL THE TIME when she is playing or working on something.  It reminds me of the princesses in the Disney movies that hum delightfully as they work.

Happy birthday Princess, we love you and are so thankful for the four years God has given us with you!

Waterfront Property

The other day we had a flash flood and the field across the house flooded.  We were prepared and its technically flood plains, but for a day we had waterfront property:

Dominian Sisters of Mary, Mother of the God

Margaret Mary for Christmas last year asked for a "nun set up."  We got her one that resembled a Carmelite nun (like St. Therese) and had a brown robe, brown scapular and a black veil. 

Well, when my little girl met the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist at Mass the other day, she wanted a nun set up like them. So, I laid her on a white, sheet, traced her on it and sewed up the edges.  She couldn't wait to go to Mass the next day to see the sisters again and show them her new nun set up.

(MM puts her fingers in her mouth when she's nervous or SUPER excited. ) :)

Margaret Mary said after meeting the sisters that she can "hear Jesus in her heart now."  Thank you God for these beautiful women and their witness, which made such a profound influence on my daughter.  I wish you all could meet these ladies; they practically glow...

Bubba LOVES Ice cream!

"You mean, all this is for me???"

"mmmmmmmmmmmm"

(He literally licked the bowl clean!)

"What?!? Like you wouldn't lick the bowl clean if no one was watching!"

So many pics to post, so little time!

Brothers

Awaiting Margaret Mary

My daughter turns FOUR tomorrow and on the eve of her birthday I can't help but sit back and reflect on how long we waited for her.  Infertility was horrible. 

Multiple doctors appointments, tests and surgery:

Hormone drugs and more tests:

Pretending other people's children were my own:

 

My three year anniversary with Jason. So bittersweet.  I cried the whole time, I felt so horrible that I couldn't give him a child. My womb and my heart never felt so empty. We went to visit some springs and on the way home stopped by the ocean for one last swim.  The water was so warm, it felt magical and it dried my tears for the day. That cycle we conceived and the joy began. 

 And then she came. And man did she rock our little world. 

Strong willed. Beautiful.  Full of Life.  Full of stories.  Swinging. Skipping. Singing. What would our life be without her?  Tomorrow she turns four, and I pray she would know how much she is loved.  Both by us and by her Heavenly Father who thought up her every detail  with great delight.

 I always have danced in the kitchen.  I didn't dance much during infertility, but I did sing. And this song became MY SONG.  When Margaret Mary was born, I would take her to the kitchen and sing this to her.  Holding her, pressing her perfect little body against mine and swaying back and forth. Thanking God for bringing me out of the miry clay and for leading me out of the valley of darkness that infertility was in my life.  To this day: I still sing this song to her and she beams.  

Thank you Lord Jesus for Margaret Mary.