On why I love being a Mom

* Slobbery kisses and sticky fingers.
* Seeing their faces light up when we see each other at the end of the day.
* Watching them play together.
* Hearing, "Mama".
* Hearing, "I love you."
* Getting hugs all the time, for no special reason.
* Cute baby bums running around after a bath.
* Giggles of delight.
* Smiles.
* Getting to see the excitement through the eyes of a child.
* Watching them grow and learn.
* Snuggles.
* Holding their tiny little hands.
* Smelling their stinky little feet.
* Kissing their chubby little cheeks.

Wordless Wednesday

Getting back to healthy

We are finally getting back to healthy in our home!

It all started with Davilyn and croup and a possible H1N1 diagnosis (that still hasn't been confirmed). Then last Thursday, our Sweet Pea came down with some kind of flu. I like to call it, The Fine by Day, Puking by night, flu.

She threw up every night since Thursday. Daddy stayed home with her yesterday and he said that, despite her "fine by day" attitude on every other day, she was remarkably improved. And that she was! Piperoni was back.

And last night? No puking. No puking at all! So today, both of my Bambinas are back at Ms. Charlene's (where they belong and love to play) and we are on the healthy side of things again. And it feels so good!

And to top it all off! One more month until the big man in red flies!

Did I mention

that Piper came down with the sickies last Thursday? Strange sickies... the kind where she is relatively fine by day but waking in the night to throw up.

I hate watching my children throw up. It is frightening for her and she tries to fight it, but obviously she cannot. She has thrown up every night since Thursday. I thought that if we could make it 24 hours without any throwing up, we were golden. She threw up Saturday night at 11:00 and when 11:00 last night came and went, I thought we were golden. Until she woke at 1:00 a.m. to tell me her tummy was upset and throw up.

She saw the doctor today and apparently this is exactly the type of flu that is running rampant around here this season... and my Piper has a mild case of it.

Here is hoping that tonight is a puke free night and my Sweet Pea is off to daycare again tomorrow.

If Patience

could be bought, I would be first in line.

We baked cookies today, and for the most part, Piper was good. She enjoys it, we make a mess and she tests the dough.

Davi watched and participated as much as she could but it was smack in the middle of nap time... but she was having none of it. And still letting us know that it was nap time.

If patience could be bought, I would be first in line... because we tried to get her to nap. She declined. Again and again. But she continued to let us know that it was in fact nap time.

Piper was getting whiney and restless. So I made icing for the cookies. Reminding her to be careful and not to lick the spoon unless she was done. She's been sick and we don't want to share that.

So after she dropped her spoon and cookie full of icing, I got her a new one and then she licked it clean and used it again. So I set that cookie aside and declared that she was done.

If patience could be bought, I would be first in line.

The ups and downs of knowing

That we are three and done!

I am still certain that three is our magic number but every so often, I find myself really teary eyed or nostalgic about it... and we are still pregnant with our third.

I really am looking forward to enjoying one more baby and then moving on to toddler hood for the last time... but it still makes me sad. Knowing this is the.last.time. The last time that I will have a swollen belly. The last time that I will feel kicks just between baby and me. The last time that I will hear my babies heart beating in my belly. The last time that I will ever be pregnant.

I guess I am finding that just a little difficult to digest. I know I will have many other things to keep me busy (namely three gorgeous Divas) in the next few years. But just like I get teary eyed thinking about my babies growing up and moving away to school, and just like I get teary eyed thinking about them on their wedding days.... I get teary eyed at the thought of closing this chapter in our life. Even though I know that this chapter is coming to an end and must come to an end, it's a little difficult to let all of it go.

Our journey to parenthood will have taken us 7 years, from start to finish. This is a long chapter for me to digest. Even though I know that we will be happy with three, it's just a bit hard to let it all go.

Even though I am looking forward to the end of the diaper stage and I keep hoping that we will all sleep through the night. It's just a bit hard to let it all go.

It's just a bit hard to let it all go.