Soaking You Up: Baby

I want to soak up one more time having life growing inside me. How you so enjoy being on the left side right now and how you kick and wiggle like crazy when I lay down. I want to be more patience with everyone as you and I get bigger and things become more difficult. I want to cherish the gift of you and the gift of being apart of you. I want to soak up and appreciate the gift of my body, the fact that it has carried six babies and nourished them is a feat on its own. I want to take time to marvel at being pregnant again. To pray for you and anticipate your arrival with joy and excitement. I do not know if you will our baby-baby or not, therefore I want to soak up every bit of you, every moment I have with you even if we can not see each other yet.

Soaking You Up: Anastasia

I want to soak up your delicate hands, your nervousness and yet willingness to continue because you feel safe with your siblings. I want to soak up your need for me, soon you will not need me as much. I want to soak up how you enthusiastically ride, ride, ride the bouncy horse. I want to soak up your cleverness. I want to soak up your budding friendships with your siblings especially this one.

I want to soak up this new discovery.

Soaking You Up: George

I want to soak up your explosion into talking and at least right now your extreme patiences with all of us as we learn Georgianny talk. I want to soak up your goofiness, you really are such a funny little boy/dog/dinosaur/hawk and other creature. I want to soak up you and Annie playing together and how with no words games materialize and fun is had. I want to soak up your need to push and haul and relocate debris and your need for lonely time, usually spent with the trains. I want to soak up your love in the form of hugs and holds and cuddles. 

Soaking You Up: Mary Colette

I want to soak up your beautiful face, your wild hair and your fiesty spunk.

I want to soak up your dancing and twirling and dress wearing even when it's chilly. I want to soak up your hand holding and your so many words. I want to soak up you and Annie K giggling together when you can finally steal her for all you. I want to soak up watching you ride your bike and sing so happily when you think no one is around and your wonderful drama you add to playing poor fill in the blank. I want to soak up your desire to be a princess so that you can twirl all day. I want to try better to soak you up at the age you are at. We so often make you older and I want to try harder to remember your age and allow you to be it.  

Soaking You Up: Avery

I want to soak up every bit of you, Avery Robert! Never before have I witness skin wrapped around such an interesting character. You are all boy, bounce and full enthusiasm. You are so, so sweet and seek me out in my hardest part of day to help. You spill and make messes a lot, never intentional and always so regretful, that there is no point in being upset. There is just something so wonderful about you and the personality God infused into you. You absolutely adore Annie, especially since she is your other 'A' in the family. And she is beginning to fulling trust and adore you too. I want to soak up every quiet moment I have with you, they are rare and yet speak volumes of the depth of your thinking and person. You understand so much more than we give you credit for and think more deeply than the average seven year old. I love you, Avery. 

Soaking You Up: Paul Thomas

I want to soak up your boyhood. Your need to know everything that is going on or will take place, exhausting and yet reminds me that you too are learning how to handle life. I want to soak up your innocence and pure love when it comes to family. There is no past hurts or pain to get over, just more people to enjoy and have fun with. I want to soak up how you are begin to stick up for yourself and beliefs when it come to new friends. I want to soak up you a bit longer, because honestly I feel mostly unprepared and humbled to be your mother. You are growing much too fast for me to keep ahead of and you are growing much too deeply in your understanding of God and life for me to take any credit. I wouldn't mind do it all again with you, my love. 

Soaking You Up: Anastasia

I want to soak up your penetrating eyes, you're taking in of all things and your determination to be a part of what is going on.

I soak up your new discoveries, your need to love every single stuff animal especially if you get hurt. Your little mothering of the babies down stairs. 

I want to soak up the last bits of babyhood that you will give me. I want to soak up our nursing sessions knowing they won't last forever and soon you will be too big. I want to soak up more time and less frustration, you are little and need so much and we are all in the middle of upheaval and I am too short tempered with your needs. I want to sit longer and be with you more. I want to soak up your beautiful big brown eyes, taking in the world. 

Soaking You Up: George

Transition, transition, transition.

I am convinced that life is really a perpetual state of transition at least with a family.

I am not sure how much you really understand about the really huge transitions our family in undertaking or not. You're just being your usual goofy, charming, silly self. You have one of the most enjoyable personalities. You are so happy to play along with the big kids especially Mary Colette and can spend hours playing by yourself. Recently you have been enjoying Annie K though I'm not sure who is the lead in the pair. You still need hugs and cuddles everyday and prefer that it's from me, which breaks your biggest brother's heart. I hope soon you can realize that he too needs hugs.
For now I will soak up all that I can.

I want to soak up your names for everyone: Annie Ann, Maryette, A-ee, and P.P. 

Soaking You Up: Mary Colette

I want to soak up:

Your bubbly self.

You are dramatic, in the most funny way and you charge through the day with intensity that can only be match be a fully stocked locomotive.

Your love to gather and make little families all over the place. Downstairs in now a small animal family village.

How you and George play so well together and how you call him "Dad". 

How excited you are to get a new house even though there is no concept of time.

I want to soak up your enthusiasm for this new chapter in our lives, I draw on it when times are tough for me.

I want to soak up your middleness right now...you aren't little and you aren't quite bit just middle and it's tough.

I want to soak up the last of your four year and remember that you are just four...you are so capable and mature, however you are still just four and we need to remember that. Even when you frighten your eight year old brother because you almost out ran him or when you tramp down to the barn by yourself to play shop or when you set the table you are still my four year old girl, who is packed so tightly with maturity, physical capabilities and personality in a tiny little body. 

Soaking You Up: Avery

I want to soak up:

How sweet you have been lately, you have been so sweet to offer our daily rosary up for a dear cousin friend and seem to be deeply concerned about him.

How you are enamored with your other "A" that is Annie. Now you guys are the A team and are so precious together.

I want to soak up the toughness of this transition...it's hard and you are feeling it and well like a true newly minted seven year old there is just so much feeling and not enough age to process it all.

I want to soak up your fun, your bounce, your boyness. 

I want to soak up your need to create, your enjoyment of art and passion for little found treasures.

Avery you are so much fun, watching you encounter the world is one of my favorite hobbies.

I want to soak up every bit of your seventh year.

Soaking You Up: Paul Thomas

I want to soak up your maturity these past few weeks.

These last few weeks have been nothing short of chaotic. We accepted a new job in a new state and had to begin the process of packing up and readying our house to sell...it has been a big upheaval and you have stepped up and dealt with everything so well. You have articulated beautifully the emotions that are flooding your young body and have sought out companionship in handling them. You have risen to the occasion and cheerfully help with the littles more than before. You made your list of what was most important to say goodbye to and your friends topped it. You get what is most important in life. Paul Thomas you have done so well in handling let down and put offs during these past few weeks. We haven't given you credit that it can be so utterly frustrating to watch your whole world turned around and you have no control, no say and must just wait to be told what will happen and when. You haven't let any of that frustration over run your life or your actions. You really have been amazing. 

Soaking You Up: Anastasia

I want to soak up:

How delicate you look at the world and at the same time how excited you get about everything.

Your "oooo"s. 

You are the first to notice anything new and different.

How you have learned to pester your brothers in the most adorable way.

How fearless you are and how you love being one of the kids now...no longer are you a baby.

I want to soak up your little finger point and your babbling mama through the house.

I want to soak up your sweet baby kisses and best baby hugs.

I want to soak up your mischief and impish self.

The way you run to your Daddy everyday after work plant a wet open mouth kiss on him, then me, then him.

Your love for swinging, even in the cold wind.

Anastasia, I want to soak up every bit of you and your ways as everyday you grow so much.

Soaking You Up: George

I want to soak up:

your need to be loved, cuddled and held,

your need to love, cuddle and hold me,

your ability to play for hours by yourself,

your ability to communicate with little to no words just intense eyes,

your love for dirt, dump trucks and trains,

how you play so well with Mary Colette and enjoy being part of the gang,

your new found freedom on your balance bike and how when we go on walks you gabber away as you ride,

your love for pjs,

how you seek me out to tell me that really important tidbit afterwards scampering off to continue your play,

your self directed jobs you give yourself.

your sheer goofiness and sweet little songs you sing when you think no one is listening

George, I want to soak up every bit of you. You melt my heart and make me giggle everyday. I love you.

Soaking You Up: Mary Colette

I want to soak up:
your enduring love for your sister,

your almost as big as your face smile that lights up the room,

the funny things you say,

your need to sit and just be with me daily,

your sweetest prayers and completely faith in God,

your infectious enthusiasm and unrelenting tenaciousness,

your love for dancing and twirling,
your need to mother and care for littles,

your confidence,

your deep concern for your family.

Mary Colette I want to soak up every festive, sweet and challenging moment with you.

Soaking You Up: Avery

I want to soak up:

Your toothless smile.

Your sparkling eyes

Your extremely delight and enjoyment of life.

How you have exploded in art and have more confidence and desire to try something new. How your art reflects our lives both lived and read about lately.

How you come to find me each day at dinner prep to help. 

How you just about explode daily to the outside...you need room to grow.

How you are beginning to see what needs to be done and take your own ignitive to do the chore. 

How you have a deep concern for me and seek me out daily to ask what you can do to help. 

How you relish your Annie, you love playing with her and she returns the silliness. 

Your pure wonderment...I want to soak you up.

Soaking You Up: Paul Thomas

I want to soak up: 

How you adore babies. You love all you baby siblings and cousins and never seem to shy away from an opportunity to love on them.

How helpful you are. You thrive on having duties and responsibilities.

How you take care of us all and remind us of the task at hand.

How you have grown into a handsome and reflective young man.

How you are taking your first communion prep seriously and with great weight.

How you delight in taking care of Annie K and she delights in you.

How you are feeling so much with all the big transitions lately and how you trust us with your heavy heart. 

How you so enjoy listening to your Daddy read The Greek Myths right now or listen to Little House on the Prairie...how you just enjoy a good book.

I just want to soak you up.