Grateful - Nov 9th

I never really was one of those girls who dreamed about my wedding and my future kids.  I was more interested in my career and education, and day dreaming about where I was going to live and what adventures I was going to have.  But once I got pregnant with Hayden (by surprise!), I suddenly became a mommy, and started imagining my future family.  It was always 2 boys and a girl.  I suspected I would get along better with boys, potentially, because they are less dramatic.  I didn't need several daughters rolling their eyes at me for their entire teenage years (as I did to my mom!), and figured I was more suited to be a soccer mom than to give a daughter make-up tips.  But then of course I was a dancer my whole youth, and I love girly things, like Miss America, dance recitals, and planning weddings!  Clearly I needed both boys and girls, and for some reason I just always pictured myself with 2 boys and girl.

And can you believe it?  That's exactly how it turned out!  Just simply getting to experience parenting boys and a girl makes me so incredibly grateful and blessed.  But even more, getting to see my two boys just ADORE and coddle their little sister, is almost too much to bear.  They honestly, literally, live to make her laugh.  In fact, the other night we had a babysitter, and Hayden was doing his typical show-off out of embarrassment act, and he was running in circles and kissing Ruthie on her nose at each loop around the living room.  She was giggling and clapping as usual.  When he finally stopped running, he looked at our babysitter and said, "Ruthie just smiles and smiles whenever I kiss her".  And it's so true!  I love both that he was TRYING to make her smile, and that she was THRILLED with the attention.  So many little blessings all wrapped into one sweet moment.

While Hayden developed a tight relationship with her immediately, Pierce is only recently becoming really interested in her.  I suspect they are going to be VERY good little buddies.  Pierce requests daily that I allow Ruthie to hang out in his crib with him while he's falling asleep for his nap, and usually I'll oblige for a bit.  While she cries in her own crib for nap time, she's more than happy to lay next to Pierce, and laugh at all the silly noises and faces he makes, purely for her enjoyment.  I swear there is nothing better than the sounds of your kiddos laughing together.

Anyway, that got long winded.  But today, I am ever so grateful, for my own sake and for Ruthie's: