One Daddy and 3 little ladies :)

So today we found out we will be blessed with another little girl. As I said before we feel each of our girls is a special blessing,on loan from God. We have been blessed twice with healthy children and pray that this will be no different.

Those things being said there is a small piece of my heart that aches for a son. Almost all of the men I know have great relationships with their mothers and maintain that those relationships formed as they grew up. Part of me feels said that I won't have that opportunity. But such is life and Gods plan for me as a mother. 

I'm excited to begin preparing for this new little girl and pray that she is healthy, strong and welcomed by her two big sisters. Life is good, actually life is great! 

Days, weeks, months

I cannot believe that in 2 days we will know the sex of our 3rd and final child. Everyone has asked, "are you hoping for a boy?" I often say that it would be nice but that there is something quite comforting should we be blessed with another daughter. Girls are our norm. We know what to expect. I almost feel like having a boy would be like starting over again. Boys are completely foreign to me. All I can say for certain is, boy or girl, we will welcome our winter blessing with open arms. 

In less than 3 weeks my first born will be 2! How in the heck did that happen?!?! It's just yesterday that we brought her to our small mountain home and felt completely unprepared to raise a child. Those first days and weeks were terrifying and some I my most fond memories, just the 3 of us. Brynny you are my sweet and sassy baby girl. You're independent and crazy. You bring so much joy to my life. When you were born you created a mom and I will forever be grateful and indebted to you. May The Lord continue to bless and guide you. 

In less than 4 months my baby will be one year old. Elliot has taught me so much about myself, about loving each of my children uniquely and deeply. She has been patient and gentle. Although she's learned that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Each morning she greets us with a smile and laugh. It's one of the things that helps me get through the day. I will continue to celebrate your uniqueness Lellie Bug. You will always hold a very special place in my heart. 

Bryan and I are coming up on being together for 5 years! It's been quite the adventure. We've been through a lot, grown up a lot, fought, made up and learned how to be parents and balance that with our roles as husband and wife. 

My life is AMAZING. Each day I wake up with a grateful heart and each night I ask for one more day. 

Viva Las Vegas

So in Feb of this year we made the decision to move yet again but this time it was to be closer to my family. Las Vegas has a rebounding home market, opportunity for career growth for us both, and the opportunity for our kids to grow up near their cousins. 

It's been quite an adventure but for now, we feel settled. In March we found out that we are expecting our 3rd child! It was definitely a surprise but we believe firmly that God has a plan and that in the end this is what our family was meant to be. So it's Callen party of 5! 

More to come....

So many firsts...

So this was a week of many firsts. It was my first week back to work. My first week as a director of rehab, Bryan's first week with both girls alone, and my first week as a working mom of 2 under 2.

Elliot is such a different child than Brynn. She sleeps, she is much more calm, she just sorta hangs out. Physically she is bigger, she is already into 3 month clothes. She eats more than Brynn ever did.

We are in a process of redefining our roles, yet again. As a family of 4 we are muddling our way through this new chapter. We are excited to bring on the holiday season and celebrate how great 2013 will be!!!

Where oh where do we belong?

So we are tried and true Catholics. We had a full mass at our wedding, we baptized our 1st daughter, we've attended church everywhere we've lived.

Now that we have children the flaws of the church are becoming glaringly apparent. We love attending mass and genuinely want to devote that time to God however with toddlers more of your attention is spent chasing them in the vestibule, picking up Cheerios, and shushing them during the homily.

One integral and appealing aspect of the Protestant churches is that they have nurseries and children's church. I totally get that our ministers and priests want us to expose our children to mass but I have to ask, if I'm not listening to what they are saying am I really getting anything out of mass?

Also most Protestant churches have activities for young families, this is an area in which the church is lacking, at least where we live.

We are sort of drifting, do we continue with the faith we were raised with, chose for ourselves as adults, married in and one in which we feel at home or do we be adventurous and try something new????

Hello Elliot!

Our sweet girl came into this world 1 day after one due date and 2 days before another. The labor before her birth was intense but manageable. She is perfect in every way.

She looks like her sister but has her very own unique flair! She's got dark wavy hair, dark almost green eyes and a sweet face. She is very calm but will "get her Irish up" if you do something she doesn't particularly like.

As I wrote in my post a few weeks ago I am anxious to see who she will become. I did not know that I could love another child this much but as everyone told me, the love just expands.

Sweet Elliot I will give you all I can to make your life all you hope it can be, may your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, may you never need to carry more than you can hold. Always remember that if the good Lord brings you to it, he will see you through it.

I love you more than all the leaves on all of the trees. Welcome sweet girl.

An Open Letter to my two favorite girls...

My sweet girls,
As I sit awake, as I often do I wanted to write down my thoughts as all of what what know as a family is about to change in the very near future.

First and foremost Brynn, your entrance into this world was the most rewarding experience of my life. You made me truly realize what can happen to someone when they completely surrender themselves to the journey of parenthood. In your short 14 months of life we've both cried, laughed, learned how to live and do things together. It has truly been the pleasure of my life to be your Mom and you make me so very proud each and every day. Already you are kind, funny, sassy, strong willed, sweet and most of all completely unique. I hope you always have the courage to stay that way, never change, not for anyone, even me. I can't promise that your life will be perfect or that things will always go easy for you, even when we work hard sometimes we fail, sometimes we hurt but I do promise that our home will always be open and you will always have a soft place to land and feel loved. You have my word.

To my new baby girl, you are a blessing, a surprise but a blessing none the less. Never doubt that you were and are wanted. You will be my last baby and as such you, as well as your sister, will hold a place in my heart that is all your own. I didn't know that my heart could expand and love as much as it has. You've taught me how to let go of fears and learn how to trust that all will be well. I look forward to learning who you will be and become. I look forward to discovering your personality, hearing your laugh, seeing your smile and watching you turn into your own unique self.

To both of my girls I promise that I will not be perfect, I will make mistakes, we will disagree, there will be times when none of us like each other. I also promise that first and foremost I will be your Mom and your well being and safety will always come first, no exceptions. Secondly I will be one of the people who will always love you and will accept you for who and what you are. Thirdly my heart and my life will always be open to you both.

As this adventure for all of us begins it's exciting and scary. Know that I think of you both by day and pray for you at night. May the good Lord bless you and keep you both in the palm of his hand, and may his light always shine upon you. I love you both to the moon and back!

Love Always,

Your Mom <3