the eve of six

Tomorrow, our terrific trio turns six years old.



It was exactly six years ago, tonight, on a Wednesday evening, I was laying in my hospital bed, scarfing down a roast beef sandwich in complete denial/disbelief that in approximately 12 hours time, I'd be meeting my long awaited and intensely loved even though I'd never laid my eyes on them before, babies. My oh my, how far my once three-pound preemies have come.













During those six long weeks that they were in the NICU, I feared for their lives. My fears were especially heightened when William struggled with necrotizing entercolitis and the doctor told us that we might lose him. While I can vividly recall that extreme feeling of helplessness and desperation of having vulnerable preemies, that time seems like so long ago.

Particularly when I look at my children, now.

Every moment of every day, except for when the children are sleeping or eating one of the very few foods that they truly enjoy, there is chaos in our home. It's always loud and it's usually happy. Although, every so often, someone kicks someone else or pushes them or touches them or looks at them funny or hurts their heart or does something to cause great angst and tears.

Boys! BOYS!! There will be NO straight-arming each other!!

(Where do they learn this stuff?!)



Bedtime is especially rowdy.



These photos, which were taken tonight, captures a typical scene in our home.



Usually, the children's father is doing something to get them riled up.



Because isn't that what father's do? Even those fathers that are home with their children all day and one might expect, be interested to see their children GO TO SLEEP?

Nah. Not this father.



At the end of a long day, he puts on a blue wig and a leopard tail and gets the kids in to a frenzy of joy.



It's usually me, the meanie that I am, that will corral the children in to the appropriate beds and sit down to say an evening prayer. And during that prayer, I will always give thanks for the day. I will always give thanks for them. I will always give thanks for having the privilege of being their mother and watching them grow in to the most incredible people.

Although they bring a significant amount of exhaustion and quite frequently frustration in to our lives, they bring an untold amount of love, happiness and a feeling of completeness. My life would not be the same if not for these children and I am forever grateful.

Tomorrow, our terrific trio turns six years old.

Tomorrow, I am taking the day off of work and together, with Charlie, we'll be hosting a birthday party in their Kindergarten class. It's entirely possible we're more excited about this then they are.

Tomorrow, they are going to open presents that I bought for them last year, but never gave to them because I thought that I bought them too much. (Which I did, on top of a trip to Disney Land). But this year, despite the overwhelming love and gratitude that I have for my children, their birthday totally snuck up on me and outside of purchasing cake mix, I have done absolutely no shopping.



As such, the gifts that they open tomorrow will be a surprise to all of us, since I can't recall for the life of me what's beneath those wrappings.