6 Months.

 

Vida-Loo.

You are loved.  Obsessively.  Rarely do you have a moment when you aren’t being smothered in love and attention. 

The life of a fifth child in a house full of mommies.

 

 

Sometimes I wonder what all this overstimulation is doing to your little brain.  But you seem happy enough – I think you’ll survive.  I think.

 

This month has brought all kinds of change for you.  All of a sudden you’ve figured out that you can move.  If there is something you want, you roll to it.  If you can’t roll to it, you squirm to it.  And, as the most recent development, if you can’t squirm to it, you army crawl to it. 

First time in the swing!  Sharing with your sister of course.

Five and a half months and you learned to army crawl.  It’s like you have four sisters to keep up with or something.  You also get up on your elbows and knees and rock, so I don’t think it will be any time at all until you are legit crawling.  Let’s repeat this together, ‘stationary is good. stationary is good.  stationary is good.’.

 

You’ve also started babbling this month!  It’s adorable.  No bias.  Much to your Daddy’s chagrin, your first babble was not ‘Dadadada’ like it was with your sisters.  It’s an unintelligible ‘Lablablabla’.  Definitely not Mama, but it’s not Dada either. Ha!

One morning when I went in to get you, this is what I found.  I think they love you.

 

You still do your awesome giggle.  Anytime you get remotely excited about anything you start to chuckle.  Huuuhhuuuhhhuuuhh.  I love it.  You’re a happy girl.

 

Essentially, as long as you are being held, you are happy.  You’ll do a few minutes in your exersaucer every once in a while.  But mostly you just like to be with Mommy, always facing out so you can see what’s going on.  Maybe you’ve just figured out that it’s a safer vantage point than on the floor with your sisters – but if your being held you’re happy. 

 

You love your sisters.  You giggle at them at the drop of a hat, and (most of the time) you love it when they hold you or make some silly attempt at entertaining you.  They love you too.  So much.  They are constantly singing to you, kissing you, hugging you, begging to hold you, and bringing you toys.  If you are upset, there is immediately at least one little mama there to try to make it better.  This morning when Naomi woke up, she crawled in bed with us and said, “Oh, I love you Vi-Vi.  Sissy’s here.”, and gave you about 200 kisses.  It’s adorable.  Sylvia is always singing to you and entertaining you with silly dances and sounds.  You think she’s hilarious.  She loves that you think she’s hilarious.  It works out well.  Tootaw is so sensitive to your needs.  She’s always telling me what you want when you’re upset.  Bella loves to hold you.  She looks out for you too, and is quick to reprimand anyone who isn’t treating you like a princess.

Oh, there’s that too.  This month we found out that Bella and Tootaw will be your sisters forever.  They were there the day you were born, and they’ll be there for your first birthday and every birthday after.  You can’t talk, but I know you’re rejoicing.

 

Bella snuggled up reading to you.

 

I’ve not given you any food yet.  I think we’ll wait a little bit.  Although, holy cow, you’ve gotten grabby.  I can hardly hold you when I’m eating because you pull anything off the table you can.  I think you may start exploring food all on your own by stealing mine.  Like last night when you stuck your hand in your sisters ice-cream cone and then put it in your mouth.  You approved.

 

You’ve gotten a little picky about who is holding you.  Right now you mostly like Mama and Daddy, which is just fine with me.  Daddy and I are learning a lot about attachment right now, and I’m just fine with you being securely attached to us.  I wouldn’t want it any other way.  I’ll hold you all you want.  We tried to leave you with our friends for the first time so that Daddy and I could go on a date, and we ended up picking you up about an hour into the date because you weren’t as gung-ho about the plan as we were.  That’s ok,  we’ll have plenty of time to go on dates without you.  For now we’ll just soak up that you want to be with us.

 

 

We’ve started putting you in your crib at the beginning of the night and bringing you in with us when you wake up.  You usually make it until about 1:00…which is almost too long for me.  I love snuggling you, so don’t get too used to that crib!  …mostly kidding, I don’t think you aim to stay in your crib all night for a while yet.

 

 

 

Your smile is contagious, as is your laugh.  I can honestly say that you bring joy to each and every member of our family.  We are so thankful that God gave you to us.  Anyone who might think that a fifth+ child might get less love and attention has never seen the adoration that you get.  We love you little lady.  So. So. Much.

 

Love you, love you, love you,

Mama

5 Months.

 

  Oh little Vi, you are such a joy.

You’re not really very little for your age.  You are in the 75% for weight and 90% for height!  Weighing in at 14 1/2 pounds, you are definitely not struggling for growth!  I love your roly poly little body.

  What defines you is your smile.  Pretty cool thing to be defined by, eh?  You have a smile for anyone, anytime.  You give them away freely, and they are beautiful and full of joy!  It fills my heart to bursting every time you smile at me.  You are a gift from God.

 

  You make lots of noise, talking and jabbering with your sisters, or giggling at something silly they’re doing.  Your signature sound is this little chuckle that you let loose at anything reasonably funny.  Any time you get excited you start your “huhuhuhuhuhuh” laugh, and we can’t help but smile!  You jabber all the time – and you’re LOUD!

 

  You’re in a hurry to get moving, just like Sylvia was.  You’re rolling all over the place, front to back and back to front.  I can’t keep you on a blanket, so I just gave up and you roll all over on the floor.  Even though you know how to roll, your favorite position right now is standing.  If you’re being held, you like to be standing.  I’m afraid this is a sign of early walking.  No need for that.  Immobile is good. (This should be your mantra.)  You’ve started playing with toys, and you’ll even try to scoot to get to them.  Your working hard to catch up with your sisters, and I’m sure it won’t be any time at all before you’re running around with them, just as crazy as they are.

 

  You’re a big time thumb sucker.  This is new in our family.  You love. your. thumb.  Which I’m pretty ok with.  You put yourself to sleep with your thumb and in general are pretty happy as long as you have it.  And you can’t drop it.  It’s great.

  You are SUPER ticklish.  It’s very fun.  I can tickle you and easily get a belly laugh, which is all I need to brighten my day.  It makes you happy too.  I’m not torturing you for my pleasure or anything.

 

  You’re such a happy baby.  We trekked you all over Disney World for five days and didn’t hear a peep out of you unless you were hungry.  You’re a trooper.  It’s good.  You’re number five.  Happy is good.

 

  Your sisters love you.  Bella loves to hold you and sing to you.  She asks to hold you all the time.  When you’re unhappy she gets you toys, she picks out your clothes.  She just loves you.  She’s going to be your protector. She’ll be by your side, and she’ll have your back.  She’s a good big sister.

  Naomi laughs and giggles anytime she sees you.  She gives you kisses all. the. time. and she loves to snuggle you.  She sings to you in the car, and hugs you when you’re sad.  I think you two are going to be good buddies.  Naomi can hold her own, and I think she’ll stand her ground for you too.  You’ll never have to worry about having someone there to watch out for you.

  Sylvia is still your biggest fan.  You look so much like her I can hardly tell your pictures apart – it’s crazy.  She loves to snuggle you.  Loves it.  She’ll do anything to make you smile and laugh – which is why half the time I’m holding you, Sylvia is in front of me making funny faces and dancing.  She just loves to hear you laugh. 

  Tootaw loves you so much.  She loves to hold you.  She loves to ‘read you books’.  I think she’ll be the first to teach you to do really dangerous things.  Everyone needs a sibling to teach them to do dangerous things.

  Your sisters love you – but that doesn’t always equate with them being gentle with you.  But they love you, I promise.  Someday you may have anxiety at the feeling of being squished, but it was all in the name of being loved.

 

  You’re still great at nursing.  I recently started teaching a MAPP class, and your Daddy has kept you those nights.  You take a bottle like a pro, even though you hadn’t seen a bottle once until you were four and a half months old.  When I lay you down in my bed at night to go to sleep you giggle, because you know I’m about to nurse you and then snuggle you all night.  I love it too.  We love to snuggle.  Of course, as much as I love to snuggle you, you’re not really snuggly unless you are nursing.  Other than that, you like to be facing outward taking in the world.  You are interested in everything and loving life.

 

 

 

  I can’t imagine life without you.  Not even close.  You bring me joy even when I am at my wits end and completely frustrated.  I love your snuggles, I love your kisses, I love your smiles, I love your giggles, I love seeing your sisters love you.  You are a gift.  I love you.  So. So. Much.

 

Love you, love you, love you,

Mama

Make a Wish!

 

  We’ve had quite a bit happen on the Make a Wish Foundation front!  I’ve not gotten to update much, but we have some girls around here getting very excited.

 

  Back in November the ‘wish granters’ came out and talked to Bella about what her wish was.  She wished to eat with the princesses in their castle.  After we talked about specifics for a while (dates we’d be able to go, more specifically what she wanted to eat and where…) the left our house saying, “We’ll get started on making it happen!”  It was like magic!  Like we had rubbed a magic lamp or had a fairy godmother or something!

  We’ve been in contact with them ever since, e-mailing back and forth about what the girls would enjoy and more specifics on our trip.

 

  So…

We are officially going on a trip to Disney World May 5th through the 11th!  They have arranged our flights, our accommodations, food, and rental car.  We just go, and enjoy the magic.  Really.  While we are there, we will have a meal with the princesses.

It is so surreal because we have done none of the planning.  I don’t think it will seem real until we are getting off of the plane in Florida!

While we are there we get to stay at Give Kids the World Village – which looks to have enough fun stuff to do to keep us busy the whole trip all on its own!

 

 

Not only that, but they are having a ‘going away’ treat for the girls before the trip and are sending us to a little girl salon for them to have their nails painted and hair done.  (Ha!)  This is something I would have never ever done outside of someone else completely setting it up for us – but I’m sure the girls will love it!

I can’t wait.

I can’t wait to see their eyes light up.

I can’t wait to watch them marvel at the magic of Disney World.

I can’t wait to watch Bella experience something that she never would have otherwise.

 

 

And who is more deserving of a trip like this than our sweet five year old, who in her life has already conquered cancer and lived through foster care? 

 

Can’t.  Wait.

 

Pictures.  There will be lots and lots of pictures.

3 Months.

 

 

  I know little Vi, this post is a bit late.  After Easter, stomach bugs, and broken clothes driers, I’m lucky I got one up at all this month!

 

  You are such a joy at 3 months.  You give smiles at the drop of a hat, especially to Daddy and I.  As soon as you focus in on us and see our faces, your whole face softens and lights up with a big smile.  And every time you smile at me, my heart feels like it might burst. 

 

 

  You still look exactly like Sylvia, but there is something just a little different about you that makes you Vi.  I can’t wait to get to know more of your personality to know if you are like Sylvia in that way too. 

  You’ve rolled over a few times – but not super regularly yet.  You’ve started making a lot more noises, trying to talk back to us when we talk to you.  It’s adorable.  You’re a chunkster.  At your two month appointment you were in the 90th percentile in height and weight, and I don’t think you’ve slowed down any.  Before long I think you and Naomi may be sharing clothes!

 

We brought out the bumbo just recently.  Your sisters thought that since you had a tray you must need a cup, bowl, and plate.

….and a princess hat, for good measure.  Although it looks a little like a pope hat.  Maybe they were offering you up for the job.

 

You’ve found your thumb now, and you love. it.  I’ve never had a thumb sucker, but you seem happy to be my first.  I’m not terribly upset about it, because you frequently put yourself back to sleep when your napping, or if your feeling tired you pop it in and fall asleep!  I’m not sure, as number five, if this is a survival technique or just your tendency….but it works.

 

 

 

Your sisters are still so in love with you.  And you are so obliging.  They hug on you, sing to you, kiss you, lick you (Naomi’s new thing), practically lay on you, and you just roll with it.  It doesn’t phase you in the least – and you’ve even started giving your sisters smiles when they talk to you.  They love that.  You have lots of people in this house who love you – it’s like you have your own cheering section that generally comes dressed in princess dresses and dirt.

You love to nurse.  And you love to cuddle your Mama.  And I am nothing but pleased with both.  I’ve still not left you anywhere just yet – I like having you close, and I think you like it to.  There will be plenty of time for us to be apart, so right now, I’ll just soak up the cuddles.

 

  Oh little lady, you have no idea how much joy you bring to my heart.  Even when all of your sisters are having a rough day, all you have to do is smile at me and I remember the joy in all of this.  I don’t think I could possibly love you any more than I do.  You are growing up so fast – it seems to be going even faster than it did with your sisters.  So slow down.  You can be my baby for a while, can’t you?  I’m eager to see your little personality and to watch you learn new things, but we can just take our time. 

 

I love you so much.

 

Love you, love you, love you,

                              Mama

So thankful, So healthy!

 

 

Bella took her very last dose of Chemo on Friday!!!  It seems so strange.  She’s been sick ever since she was placed with us – for the last (almost) two years, all we have known is hospital visits, tons of medication, and E.R. trips.  What is this life with no Chemo?  We can hardly remember!

Saturday we had a party to celebrate our sweet girl being a SURVIVOR!  We invited our family and friends who have played such a crucial role in helping our family through this trial.  Through prayer, meals, babysitting, encouragement – we couldn’t have done it without them.

At Bella’s last hospital appointment while still on treatment!

 

Bella with her doctor and her primary nurse.  After so much time at the hospital, these people practically feel like family!

 

 

We had the party at a frozen custard shop near our house.  Everyone enjoyed frozen custard and cake, and it was so great to get to celebrate with everyone.  I was overwhelmed at having all of these people together who have done so much to love our family and love our daughter over the last two years.

Of course, at the end of March, in only makes sense that there would be a big snowstorm during the party…

 

Photos of Bella from the time she came to us to today.  She looks like a completely different child.  She looks so healthy and happy now!

 

 

 

Nana and Grandpa

 

Ms. Chris, or Grandma Chris as the girls call her.

 

Reading books with Grandpa Richard.

 

 

Bella with our family worker.  She is wonderful!

 

It was a wonderful celebration!  I wish we had taken more pictures, but we were busy soaking up the moment.  We are so thankful, so relieved, so joyful that we are through this trial!  Although we’ll still be making a lot of follow up visits – no more yucky meds, no more lumbar punctures.  Our brave girl made it through!

2 Months.

 

  Well Vi, these two months have flown by.  Really.  How have you been here for that long?  I think you’ve gotten used to the insanity that is our house, our family.  You aren’t fazed by the shrieks and squeals that pierce our ears every 30 seconds or so.  You aren’t upset by smothering sister kisses, or even when one of them manages to try to move you in the 5 seconds that I’m not looking.  You just roll with it.  That’s a good attitude to have around here, where the bumps in the road are more frequent than average for a little one like you.

 

You’re pretty good at holding your head up already, and you’re making your best effort to start rolling over – I give it a week or two.  You’re in a hurry to get moving with all these sisters of yours.

You give smiles very generously, which melts this mama’s heart.  Your sisters love it when they can talk to you and get a smile – they are so in love with you.  You are cooing and making baby noises.  Adorable. 

 

 

 

 

At our six week post partum appointment, you already weighed 11 pounds 10 ounces!!! You like to eat, so it shouldn’t be any surprise. But holy cow!

These are pictures of you with our midwife, Debbie.  She loves you, and she prayed for you the whole time you were in my belly.  Not to mention she worked her midwife magic to get you out of my belly.  She is wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smiling for Grandma Debbie.

 

 

 

 

You are delightful.  If you’re awake, you like to be held by your Mommy.  On my shoulder.  With both hands.  (Maybe you’ll be picky?)  You nap well, although yesterday you were up from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and you let me lay you down while you sleep.  But who wants to do that?  You are so snuggly and I am soaking up every little cuddle you give me.

 

Your sisters love you.  They sing to you when you cry, they try to give you your pacifier, and they snuggle you so much I’m kind of surprised I get any snuggles at all.  Naomi gets a little jealous of you when you nurse or need to be held, but loves you anyway.  When I lay down with Sylvia to put her to bed at night, most often she doesn’t even want to snuggle me, she wants you in between us so that she can snuggle you while we read stories.  I’m a little jealous, but that’s ok.  You sleep with me at night, which is one of my favorite parts of the day – I can understand why Sylvie likes to snuggle you so much.

 

Meeting Aunt Jennifer!

 

I love you more than you know, little baby.  I think a lot about what you will be like when you are Naomi’s age or Sylvia’s age.  I can’t wait to see, but I like you just the size you are now.  You are my Vida, and I am so blessed to be your Mommy.  As Sylvia would say, “You are the best Vida in the whole wuld.” 

 

I love you, love you, love you,

                           Mama

My Vida.

 

You have been here for three and a half weeks.  I’m not sure how that’s possible, and at the same time, haven’t you always been a part of this crazy family?  Sometimes it seems that way.  We’ve been anticipating you for so long – especially your sisters, that I think when you got here, it seemed you were just returning from some long trip somewhere and that we all already knew you.

 

 

You were born in my bed.

It was a very difficult, strenuous labor.  Even having been through two prior labors, yours was the hardest.  And still, so very, very worth it.  Worth every moment, every cry, every thought that I couldn’t do it a second longer.

And now, when I take you off to bed in the evening, and all your sisters are sleeping and the house is quiet, my room feels like this special place for you and I.  Last weekend I changed the sheets for the first time since after you were born, and put the sheets back on the bed that were on it when you came. 

Every night I lay down with you in the very spot where you first cried.  Where I first met you and kissed your cheeks.  Where I laid, thanking Jesus that you were here, that the labor was over and that I was laying there, in that very bed, holding my daughter that He had knit together right inside of me.

You are a miracle. 

I look down at you frequently and think, “I can’t believe that I’ve been blessed with another daughter.  That I’ve been given another little soul to love.”  Of course, I’m not the only Mama around here.  Nope, you’ve got five Mamas.  Your other four are always very eager to help, kiss, smother, sing. 

Bella loves to hold you, and it’s the first thing she asks to do when she gets home from school each day.  She is always eager to help – changing diapers, picking out clothes, giving baths – you are her favorite new little doll.

Naomi is head over heels for you.  And I was a little worried about how she’d react to you joining the family.  She gives you about 500 kisses a day.  Anytime you cry she makes sure that I don’t miss it.  She runs to me pointing at you saying, “She crying! She crying!”  She sings to you in the car.  The look on her face when she gets to hold you is full of pride, joy, and excitement.

Tootaw randomly comes up to you several times a day and says, “I just love you baby Vida.”

But Sylvia.  Sylvia seems to have some special bond with you.  She is constantly holding you, touching you, singing to you, kissing you.  Last night you were crying while I got ready for bed.  I climbed into bed with you to nurse you, and Sylvia was not five seconds behind me.  She climbed in on the other side of you and snuggled up just as close as she could possibly get to you and whispered, “Oh Vi-Vi (her name for you), it’s ok now, I’m here and you’re safe.”  After you stopped crying she added, “Oh, is that what you wanted, you just wanted your Mommy and your Sylvie?”  She regularly tells you that you are “the best gurl in the wuld.”  She loves you so, so much.

 

There is so much love for you here.

As my belly begins to return to normal, and I can see how you’ve begun to grow, I snuggle you close not wanting to let go of this sacred thing that has just happened.  Not wanting to forget your kicks, not wanting the relief of you being placed on my chest to fade, treasuring your newness – a soul so recently and intimately crafted by our Father.  But I am also so anxious to see, as you grow, just who it is that He has created.  Who you are and what you love and to find how you will live out your purpose here.

You are treasured.  In the rare moments of quiet that we get together each day I whisper to you, “You are treasured.  You are so loved.”  And I whisper to Jesus, “Let her know you, let her find her purpose in Your glory.”

I love you Vida Elizabeth.  I ask you now for grace when I stumble.  I cannot wait to watch you grow, and to grow with you.

 

Love you, love you, love you,

                                  Mama

Fall!

 

The girls had a ton of fun playing in the leaves with Brian this weekend.

 

Ugh.  Getting so tired of having to pixilate their little faces.  Maybe someday I won’t.  But their smiles are so beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the part where Sylvia got leaves down her pants and decided she’s just go sans clothing.

 

 

Fall!

 

Although at this point, the girls are pretty much just obsessed with when it’s going to start snowing.