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| Waiting on a brother or sister! |
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Our family loves to work puzzles. And, we have a system. First, we find the four corners. The four corners are the very most important pieces of all. We, then, work towards completing all the edge pieces. The inside pieces are all color matched and then we work towards filling in complete picture.
Such is life. Such is our family story.
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| Mommy can't wait! |
Our first corner piece happened on July 10, 1993, the day Brian and I stood before God, our family, and our friends and became man and wife. Our little family started. The second corner piece, December 15, 1994. Cole Alexander blessed us with the names Mom and Dad. The third piece would be our first daughter, Kerri Lee Ann, on January 28, 1997. Our final corner would be born on July 17, 1998. A nameless daughter for several days, but we would soon call her Kadi Carol. Our family would finally be complete, but we were still looking to fill the edges and the good inside stuff.
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| She's Here! |
As we are hitting one more milestone in our family next month, and I begin rummaging through pictures to showcase, I come across the pieces that remind me of the joy of July 17, 1998. I remember this day like it was yesterday. I remember the anticipation, the fears, the joy, the excitement, the love, and the blessings. I remember wondering if I could possibly be a mother to 3 small children. What would life look like? What would our finished puzzle look like?
Kerri and Cole were so excited to be getting a new brother or sister. Kerri had a little mean streak and would pinch toes, but Cole would be called "Mr Mom" for a while as he became a protective older brother to both girls. Kerri regressed a little, and if you wanted to know what she wanted or needed, you would have to ask Cole. Now, later in our puzzle pieces, Kerri would take over and become the nurturer, while Cole, as their sisters tell, would become the torturer. Such is life.
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| First bath! |
I recall from that day, and the days and weeks after, the worry that came with learning of Kadi's Arthrogryposis. Would she do the things the doctors tell me she will not? My faith never wavered. She did. I would soon watch her overcome obstacle after obstacle and accomplish the impossible. I remember the fear of being the best mother I could be addressing each of my children's needs. I tell my children frequently, "I may not have been the best mother ever, but I certainly was not the worst and I did the very best I could at every turn in the road." My goal was to make each child feel as they were my favorite, while having 3 actual favorites. I failed at this. The girls say Cole is my favorite, while honestly, truly and deeply, I do, indeed, have 3 favorites.
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| Mommy meets Kadi |
Not in the end, but in the middle (or perhaps the end of our edges) we are completing one phase of our story. Our third child, my baby, will be leaving the nest. I have prayed over her, challenged her, cheered her on, and tried to prepare her the best I possibly could for the next phase of her life. I have no doubt she will conquer any and all journeys that she decides to take in life. Many of those fears I had while she was a baby have turned to joy and pride as I held a front row seat to her childhood accomplishments. I am looking forward to my VIP seating through the next phase.
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| What a day! 7-17-98 |
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While our puzzle is not complete, what we have completed so far is vibrant, colorful, and better than all my expectations and predictions. I'm a little sad to be completing this phase, though so proud of the young adults that my children have become. Thank you Kadi, for completing our little family perfectly!
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| My heart complete! Happy each time all 3 are together. Even today! | |
Kerri and Cole were so excited to be getting a new brother or sister. Kerri had a little mean streak and would pinch toes, but Cole would be called "Mr Mom" for a while as he became a protective older brother to both girls. Kerri regressed a little, and if you wanted to know what she wanted or needed, you would have to ask Cole. Now, later in our puzzle pieces, Kerri would take over and become the nurturer, while Cole, as their sisters tell, would become the torturer. Such is life.
I recall from that day, and the days and weeks after, the worry that came with learning of Kadi's Arthrogryposis. Would she do the things the doctors tell me she will not? My faith never wavered. She did. I would soon watch her overcome obstacle after obstacle and accomplish the impossible. I remember the fear of being the best mother I could be addressing each of my children's needs. I tell my children frequently, "I may not have been the best mother ever, but I certainly was not the worst and I did the very best I could at every turn in the road." My goal was to make each child feel as they were my favorite, while having 3 actual favorites. I failed at this. The girls say Cole is my favorite, while honestly, truly and deeply, I do, indeed, have 3 favorites.
