Friday, October 29, 2010

Little Beefers--Yup, that's what we call her




I just can't get enough of her!

Right before the birth of each of my children, I have had a mini-meltdown. I have worried and fretted about whether I would be able to love yet another child the way I love the ones I already have. I would cry to Matthew about how much I loved my current children and what if I didn't love the new one...Matthew, having learned my pattern, would just hug me and remind me (while slightly laughing and making fun of me) that I found a way to love the other three. And it's true--my love continues to multiply, not divide, and I now find myself totally in love with the beefy, cuddly, double-chinny mess of pinch-able chub pictured above. She has been such a joy to our family. She has helped calm Aidan's behavior, she has brought out such a natural maternal side to Emma (so cute to watch them together) and Parker spends all day kissing the top of her head and saying "cute baby." And of course, being a girl, she has Daddy completely wrapped around her finger. No matter how horrible of a day I am having, watching Matthew hold Olivia, kiss her, squish her, or make her laugh just softens whatever hardness is in me. Children really are a blessing and a joy. I get so bogged down with the "dirty" side of mothering. Being the cook, and the maid, and the disciplinarian, and the teacher, an the enforcer, that I often forget to just be mom. The one who laughs with them instead of doing a load of laundry. Or reading a pile of books and letting bath time be a half an hour later. I have found that the days I let life happen instead of planning every single moment out, are the days I actually feel like a good mother--instead of someone fulfilling a job requirement. And when I look at that little face pictured above, I am reminded to let go more and relish these moments with my kids.

4 comments:

Erin Leigh said...

cutey, cute, cute! i totally cried the night before olive was born, thinking how sad it would be to not have june all to myself anymore. i was mostly sad for june, thinking she had know idea what was coming. but hello, she's loving this new baby and doing well.

it sounds like you are doing great with your big family, being a very good mom. hope i can do the same!

Celeste said...

Awww I love you're chubbabubs too =)

TrishAnderson said...

The chubbiness is certainly adorable. I love the baby chubsters. Thank you for the reminder of being a "mom". I am struggling right now with a couple of my own children who are challenging everything I ask them to do, try to help them with and so forth. I agree there is a hard side to being a mom.

Aaron, Vicki Tunell said...

I love Olivia. She's so cute and those pictures are great. I'd love to hang out sometime, just tell me when you are ready. I agree with the hard mom times, but what you are saying is so true. Enjoying the funny things makes the hard stuff worth it for me :)

Vicki