Dear Whit and Davis: You’re Five Years Old!

Posted in Davis, Whitaker by Liz

My sweet, sweet boys, today you are five! It’s hard to believe five years ago I was laying in a hospital bed with severe preeclampsia waiting to deliver you. I was so scared and anxious in that moment because it was so early (34 weeks), but I also had a peace in my heart. I knew deep down that you would be safe and that it was time for you to take your place in our family.

When you were born I was thrust into the life of being a boy mom. I honestly thought I would have all girls and was unsure of my ability to mother boys. I didn’t know if I’d be able to relate to boys or understand what your little hearts needed from me. For a lot of my life I felt disconnected and misunderstood by a lot of the males I was around, whereas with women I felt seen for who I really was.

God clearly had a plan in mind because now I am a mom to three boys! And the uncertainty I had about being a boy mom have disappeared. I very quickly was able to see you boys for who you are deep inside, sweet, sensitive, loving souls. And the love you show me absolutely melts my heart – it’s true what they say, “boys love their mamas.” The experience of raising you two and Alden has opened my heart to the joys that come with having sons.

After getting gipped for your fourth birthday (due to Covid), I wanted to go BIG this year. Your fifth birthday became more like a birthday week! Last Friday we hosted most of our family for a joint First Communion / Birthday party for Lila and you. We had a delicious brunch catered, two cakes and beautiful weather to enjoy being together outside in our backyard. You loved running around with your cousins!

Then you celebrated your day at school with little goodie bags for your classmates. On Friday we hosted our close family friends over for a party with a magician! (Magic with Eli) You absolutely LOVED the magic show and were laughing so hard the whole time. I loved seeing you enjoy yourselves so much! You’ve been surrounded by so many people who love you this week, which is exactly what I hoped for.

Whitaker, this year you have grown so much both physically and emotionally. You are a good six inches taller than most the kids in your class and are seriously made of pure muscle. I can barely pick you up anymore because you’re built like a brick! Thankfully you love my piggy back rides.

You have shown what a natural athlete you are this year playing basketball, soccer, volleyball and t-ball. You pick up sports very easily and I foresee a future of cheering for you on the sidelines (which I will LOVE). You are always climbing and jumping off the furniture, wrestling with Davis or doing your silly dance moves (which always make me laugh).

While you are bold physically, you are my most sensitive kiddo. You have a tender little heart that can get bruised easily. I always say that “Whit is a little lover,” because you show your love for others easily. At school it’s common for you to tell your teacher and classmates that you love them, which melts everyone’s hearts. And while you have a hot temper sometimes, you want so badly to make those around you happy. You feel absolutely awful afterwards when your hot emotions take over. I always tell you that “you’re still learning and it’s okay to make mistakes.”

You discovered video games this year and love playing them with your brother. You are extremely focused and persistent when you have a goal in mind – like beating a game. It actually really impresses me how determined you are when you find something you really care about.

You are Mario-obsessed and will play for hours with Davis pretending you’re inside the games you love. My favorite time is when you two are completely engrossed in your pretend play and I can just observe and listen to your little creative storylines and collaborative play. It’s truly amazing to see how close you two are. You play all day long and rarely fight or get sick of each other. I can’t imagine how wonderful it would have been to grow up with my best friend every day!

Davis, out of all my kids, you have grown and matured the most this year. You suddenly want to know how everything works and are constantly building or taking something apart. Your interest in numbers, letters, puzzles has exploded and you’re taking in knowledge at a very fast rate. Everyone who knows you says you have an engineer’s mind, which I think takes after your Grandpa Batman.

Emotionally you have become much more adaptable, in-control and aware of your emotions this year. You are noticing how others are feeling around you and showing your empathetic heart. You particularly are in tune with Whitaker’s feelings and often are the first one to try to comfort him when he’s upset. Like the other day when I was taking a “time out” with Whit in his room and you came up and tried to cheer him up with some of your ice cream. You have a very loving, nurturing heart, sweet boy.

You still love transformers, but have also discovered a love of legos. You are able to build complex lego sets meant for 8 year olds and complete transformers with 30+ steps. You even took apart a lego set and rebuilt it perfectly with no instructions, which sort of blew my mind! You also love playing pretend and are often begging Whitaker to play with you. Usually you are the one “directing” the game you two play – coming up with challenges and storylines for you both to act out.

You’ve had a wonderful year at school this year after struggling the year before. Both you and Whitaker get nothing but great behavior reports and are progressing so well with your social and academic skills. We decided to have you guys do Kindergarten Readiness vs going straight to Kindergarten, and I think it’s going to help you be even more confident and prepared. I have a feeling you’re going to be a very smart boy who excels in school.

You are still my most snuggly child, which melts my heart. You will often plop yourself down in my lap or ask me to tickle you. I love being so close to you and dread the day you no longer want to cuddle. I love lying with you and Whitaker at bedtime, reading books, singing songs and drawing letters on your back. Will you do me a favor and promise to always let me hug you even when you’re grown up?

You boys have blessed my live in more ways than you’ll ever know. I feel like I finally understand how the “boy brain” works, and love how complex, sweet, caring and sensitive you are underneath the loud, physical exterior that comes with being growing boys.

My hopes for both of you is that as you grow, you don’t hide away that sensitive, loving side of yourself, because to me that is the most beautiful part of you both. Don’t ever be afraid to let your emotions show or to ask for help when you need it. The world needs more love, kindness and empathy, which you both have so much to give.

I hope you both know Daddy and I will always love you unconditionally and completely. There’s absolutely nothing you could do that would change our love for you. Have a wonderful time being five, my loves!

Love always,

Mommy

10Dec2020

Dear Alden: You’re One Year Old!

Posted in Alden by Liz

Dear Alden,

This week you officially turn one! My last baby is leaving behind his babydom and entering the toddler zone. I know I should be sad about this, but you are such the perfect ending to our baby years, that instead of sad I just feel content.

I do feel bad that this is my first post dedicated to you since I chronicled your birth story, but 2020 has been a YEAR baby boy. With the pandemic, school closures, work and raising four kids, my time was all used up. But I want you to know that I love every second we’ve spent together this year.

You have been such an angel baby. Don’t tell your siblings this, but you have been by far our easiest, most content baby. From your amazing birth to now, you’ve made life easy for me. You took to nursing well, you slept through the night early on and you generally are just a chill, happy dude. I’d like to take the credit for how sweet you are, but I know in reality it’s just your good-natured temperament.

Before you were born, my friend has a “psychic party” where the psychic told me you were the oldest soul in our family and that we’d all learn from you. At the time I got chills because your name was already picked out and meant “old, wise friend.” I think this prediction was right too, because you have a mature, almost angelic quality to you.

Physically you started rolling, then sitting up, then crawling earlier than any of my other babies. You have started taking some steps and love to climb everything. You seem very sure footed and very rarely take a tumble. You are also a very curious little baby who is always creating mischief – usually by dumping out Finny’s dog food and water.

Due to the pandemic, you have mostly been a “house baby” as I like to say. Your days are spent in the safety and familiarity of our house among your siblings, dog and parents. You love crawling from the playroom to the kitchen and back exploring the toys set out, finding remotes to bang and attempting to break through the gates and up the stairs. You bring so much fun to our home.

One hard part about your first year was your diagnosis with severe Hemophilia. I noticed when you were four months old that you started getting bad bruises just from rolling over. When I took you to the doctor, they thought I was abusing you and made me take you to the hospital with warnings that CPS may be called on me. That day about broke me.

Thankfully the hospital workers were kind and very quickly we got your diagnosis. We were all in shock as we have no family history and you have two older brothers without the disease. Recently though we found out that I am a carrier and didn’t know. I felt so much guilt when I found out – like I had given you this awful thing you have to carry for the rest of your life.

Early on though, Daddy and I decided that this disease would not define you. It would be something we dealt with, but not the focus of your life or who you are. Thankfully you were able to get on a new medication called Hemlibra that has dramatically changed the lives of hemophilia patients. Instead of infusions three times a week, you just get one injection every month. And my sweet boy, you’ve been absolutely THRIVING since we started your injections. It’s been such a wonderful blessing.

I’m so looking forward to this year (and the years to come) to see how you grow and develop into your own special person. I know that nothing will hold you back from doing the things you want in life. I will make sure of that!!

So many people love you baby boy. You bring a special light to our family that I cherish. When you’re in the room it’s pretty much impossible to feel upset. The sweet way you lay your head on my shoulder, when you try to say “doggie!” when you see Finny, the way you wave at daddy, your squeals of delight when you’re around your brothers and the way you light up when you see Lila fill all our hearts. I’m pretty sure you’re everyone’s favorite in this family.

Thank you for choosing to join our family and for bringing us such joy. Daddy and I love you forever!

XO,

Mommy

1Nov2020

Dear Lila: You’re Eight Years Old!

Posted in Kids, Lila by Liz

Dear Lila,

Today you turn eight years old! We started your morning with the usual donuts, balloons, flowers and presents. I love showering you with attention on your special day, because you absolutely deserve it!

It feels a little weird that you’re turning eight, because on one end I feel like you were just my little baby. I can actually feel your little hand in mine as we took on all our daily adventures to story time, play dates, the zoo and coffee shops. It was just you and me most days and it was so awesome.

But then on the other hand you seem so much older than eight. You have a quiet maturity beyond your years. Sometimes when we’re laying in bed before I say goodnight, you tell me about your day, your friends, whats happening in school and I feel like I’m talking to a young woman, not a little kid.

You’ve shifted away from princesses and dress up towards pop singers and begging me to wear some makeup. While I am not too keen on you growing up too fast, I am enjoying watching the amazing person you’re becoming. I tell my friends all the time that you really are such a wonderful kid. When I feel like I’m failing as a parent, I remind myself how great you are, so I must be doing something right, right??

This year you’ve really come into your own. You are so confident that it blows my mind sometimes. When I was your age I often tried to do anything to just fit in – even hiding parts of myself to appease others – but you are unabashedly yourself. This is probably why people are so drawn to you!

Just like when you were a toddler and would ask me daily to “go bye bye sumpin,” you still like being active and busy. This year you did cross country again and got first place at championships against girls a year older than you. It was so exciting! Other sports you’ve done this year include swimming, tennis, golf, basketball and yoga. You also still love art, drawing, singing and you’re just starting piano lessons. On the rare days we don’t have anything planned, you usually beg to have a friend over to play. You do NOT like just sitting around.

Despite having a lot of friends, you still love spending time with your family the most. You have developed an especially close bond with Alden. And he adores you right back. You love to hold him, play with him and try to get him to giggle. You’re also still very close with your cousins Mabel and Reagan. I’m so thankful for technology that has allowed you girls to play games together despite covid and living so far apart.

You are incredibly smart and have an insatiable appetite for reading. Daddy can’t keep library books coming fast enough for you and we often have to tell you to turn the lights off or you’d read well into the night. In fact last year you read the most minutes during a school competition – 33 hours in one weeks! You definitely got your memory from your Daddy as you already smoke me in matching games. I love that you love school, learning and expressing your creativity. I often find you writing stories, plays or poems in your free time.

I love how sensitive and open you are with your feelings. Almost every day you tell Daddy and I how much you love and appreciate us. You always express your genuine appreciation for the things we do for you, like take you shopping or have your friends over. Little things many kids take for granted, you recognize and know how lucky you are. Any time you feel angry, upset or sad, you are able to work through your tough emotions and apologize on your own later. Like I said, you’re mature beyond your years!

These birthday letters are always bittersweet because I know you’re growing up and eventually will set out on your own. Any time I start to get sad though I remind myself how lucky I am that I got to spend literally every day of your life with you. I haven’t missed a thing and it’s been the BEST experience of my life watching you grow up.

I hope you know how special you are to me and Daddy. We are so proud of you kiddo!!!

Love always,

Mommy

25Jun2020

Giveaway: Get $100 a Watermelon Session with Brittany Ann Photography

Posted in Davis, Kids, Lila, Liz's Life, Whitaker by Liz

Summer is in full swing here in Ohio! Our kids have been enjoying getting outside, going to the pool and playing tennis. Even though this summer looks different than years past due to COVID, we are making the most of the beautiful weather.

One thing I wanted to do was capture the kids in a photo session, so when Brittany from Brittany Ann Photography offered to do a watermelon mini session I jumped at the chance. The photos turned out so adorable and the kids had a blast!

Brittany does such a fantastic job of capturing the kids personalities. She’s so good with the kids that I honestly didn’t do a thing for this shoot! And can we also talk about how Lila looks 16!?

Brittany Ann Photography is offering one of my readers $50 off their Watermelon mini session (normally $175) PLUS $50 in print credits! The session must be booked by end of August.

To enter, follow @brittanyannphotos on Instagram and comment below with your kids favorite summer fruit. I’ll pick a winner on July 3rd!

A Batty Life

Finding My Way Through this Crazy World

Dear Whit and Davis: You’re Five Years Old!

Dear Alden: You’re One Year Old!

Dear Lila: You’re Eight Years Old!

Giveaway: Get $100 a Watermelon Session with Brittany Ann Photography