Happy 7th Birthday Babies

August 9th comes once again which means you are another year older. You are now 7 and this simply feels right. This year is different than other years, in that I am not sad you are no longer babies though you once again are a year older but still remain the "babies" when we speak of you. I am liking the freedom of having our youngest be 7; we can go to places and not constantly worry that you are going to wonder off, we can enjoy a meal in which mom & dad are able to talk to one another and even sit next to each other, we can be doing stuff in the house knowing you are just fine playing outside even if we haven't seen you in an hour and you have reached an age to go away to camp for an entire week without mom & dad. You are all growing up and we are finding a new kind of independence. We see this more and more as we spend time with family and friends who have kids younger than us and I have to say I like where we are at.

But oh don't let me fool you and paint a perfect picture of the four of you because we still have those days when we wonder how you can possibly be 7...like today for instance when bedtime could not come soon enough. You still get overtired and cranky if you stay up too late which was the exact kind of day we had today from staying way too late at the fair last night. We also have to remind you that you are 7 when we go into stores and you have to touch everything, or the multiple times a day we have to tell you to keep your hands off one another, or the constant tattling, or the fighting over toys. The words "you know better, you are almost 7" has become a frequent line around our house this summer and I think its because you show us so much independence one moment and the next you have us shaking our heads. 

In the years past I have taken a moment to write a paragraph about each of you but what I have come to realize this year is that the personality and type of person I would describe for each of you is the same personality I have described for the last 6 years. Your major qualities and traits have stood out from the very beginning and continue to make you the person that you are at age 7.

Kenzie you remain feisty and there is nothing you won't do especially if someone tells you that you can't. I wouldn't say you are a tom boy but I would say you are strong, athletic, so very fast, full of gratitude, optimistic, happiest in workout clothes, a thumb sucker, a cuddlier of your blanket, one who loves her mom & dad, a helper always looking for ways to help and one who follows through, our littlest, loves to know she looks most like mommy and happy to be known as peanut. 

Isabella you continue to be our princess, even more so than even Natalie. You my baby girl are beautiful, have a smile that lights up your whole face, have a stomp that can be heard from the kitchen all the way to your room on the second floor, have a talent for coloring and drawing, a gift giver, compassionate, a caregiver which will help you immensely as you have your 10 girls & 10 boys when you grow up, can fall asleep faster than anyone in the car but maybe I notice this because if you are awake than you talk non stop telling me all the different things you see, dramatic and lover of airplanes & mom's work helicopters.

Tate you continue to want to be 2 years older than you are but you are one great little boy. You are competitive, a lover of sports while tolerable of school, a hummer, an eater of fruit and always start your day off with a banana before doing anything else, cocky, happiest outside, loud, a fidgeter and simply just wanting to be Drew's twin. 

Rylan when I think of you I still have to laugh. You are so different than all of the other kids. You are a thinker and observer, could care less about sports but will sit in front of the television for hours and not say a word, sneaky, smart, mischievous, quiet unless you want mom and dad to yell at one of your siblings, uncoordinated, a finder of money at every single store we go to and I still say you will be an engineer or a professional pick pocketer. 

As I said earlier, today was rough. So much so that we still have gifts to open tomorrow when attitudes display that you are truly 7, but we did take the time to watch your birth video. I once again had tears that needed to be wiped away. It is the video that I have watched more than any other movie and I know the ending but it gets me every time. One would think its because I am watching 4 of my children being born but it is so much more than that. It starts with a prayer that I said out loud with all of the medical staff in the OR. From the very beginning of my pregnancy I had to turn it all over to God because it was too much for me and I knew I needed Him to continue to be with me in that OR 7 years ago. Then I look at myself and how calm I was. From the moment I was wheeled out of my room on the high risk floor I did not have fear. Maybe I was naive but I truly felt the most peace in those 20 minutes than I did the entire pregnancy. I see the quivering of my lips as I have done with each of my deliveries as my body does the most amazing job a women's body is able to do. I see the tear slide down my eye as I hear dad tell me "Drew has a brother" with a tremble in his voice as Tate is born. This excitement is so different than the fear I hear in your dad's voice throughout the beginning of the video. He was so scared and was so out of his element but he stayed strong for me and each of you and he showed his love for all of us as his finger brushed across my check at different times during the 2 minutes we waited as the doctors reached Baby A. And then as you were each born there was such a joy in that delivery room. The joy of  you being born wasn't just felt by mom and dad, it was felt by the doctors who saw us weekly for over 20 weeks, it was felt by the hospital staff who prepared for the day you would arrive, it was felt by your grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends who waited outside pacing back and forth in the hallway waiting to hear how all 5 of us were doing. The night of August 9th will always remain a night I wish I could relive one more time because that night everything in the world just felt perfect and I am able to feel it every time I watch the video that dad took in the OR 7 years ago. 

Kenzie, Isabella, Tate & Rylan...the other night Natalie, Aubrey and I were reading a book we have been going though together and it talked about cultural trends and how sometimes what is "normal" is not what God intended for us. We started talking about cultural trends and how it affects our family in regards to electronics, sleep overs and rules. I then told them how I really questioned God when we got pregnant with 4 babies. I explained to them how I worried what others would think of us having such a large family when most people had 2-3 children and dealt with a lot of guilt and fear during my pregnancy. I then went on to tell them how thankful I am that we aren't part of the cultural trend when it comes to family size because I could not imagine not having all 4 of you as part of our family. The 4 of you add so much joy to our life and even on the days when we can not wait to tuck you in we are so happy you are part of us. 

Happy 7th Birthday Babies and here's to presents and 

cake on the day after your birthday!!! 

Last single digit year for our "single"

You are 9 and you say it with the biggest smile ever. I asked you why you're so exciting to turn 9 and you giggled and said I don't really know. It just goes along with your enthusiasm for life. You continue to be happy majority of the time with a good fit thrown in occasionally for good measure. You are growing up faster that I want you too but I have learned that I can not slow down the years. You love life, you love being with others, you have patience for those who are younger than you and you still love to spend time with your mama.

You have been an easy child for me since the day you were born. Going from 2 to 3 was a piece of cake. The main reason being that from day one you just went along with the flow. It is nothing that Mom and Dad did, it is simply your personality. You have a tendency to get along with everyone whether it's your classmates at school, your teammates on the ball field or your brothers and sisters. You don't have favorites but instead you divide and conquer because you are often wanted by many siblings at the same time. You will go jump with Tate for a while on the trampoline, then you will go swim with Kenzie and then you're back to playing catch with Tate. Seldom do we see you off playing by yourself unless you are overtired and then everyone drives you nuts. A tired Drew means a Drew that is not fun to be around and who is in tears.

You continue to be my child who loves sports. You give it your all every time you are out on the field. Never is it too hot or too long or are you losing by too much that it is no longer fun. You are always out there with a smile on your face and a cheer for your team. We don't agree in participation awards in our family but, you son, always deserve an award for giving it your all. I pray you will always keep this attitude whenever it comes to anything competitive because it will take you far.

Last month you celebrated your 1st communion. This was a day you had been looking forward to for over a year. Around Christmas you started counting down each Sunday and we could see your excitement build as the day got closer and closer. The morning of your communion you came downstairs and you couldn't wait to put on your suit because today was the day you were receiving Jesus through the Eucharist. Even Father Phil talked about your enthusiasm in his homily and how as adults we often forget how amazing it is that each Sunday we receive Christ. I don't think for a minute you were nervous and instead realized how important the sacrament was that you were taking part in. When you got back to the pew though you did tell me the host tasted like paper and the wine like vinegar! Drew, I was so proud of you that Sunday and I do pray that you will always remember that Jesus is with you.

Nine years passes so quickly. I still remember when Natalie and Aubrey came to the hospital the very first time to see their Bop-Bop and now here we are in your final year of being single digits. I wonder if becoming two digits will be as exciting for you as it was for your sisters. But for now we are just going to hang out here and see what the year 9 has in store for you. Love you Drew Bear and thank you for not being embarrassed yet that I call you this in front of your friends and I know this for a fact because you wanted it written on your name tag at Vacation Bible School this week!!

Happy 9th Birthday Drew