Happy Birthday, Isabel!! You are now a Big 4 year old!

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 Isabel woke up this morning ... her big 4 year Birthday morning, and there was snow on the ground.  As she walked down the stairs she said, "It's Christmas!!"  Somehow we cannot get it through her head that snow does not equal Christmas.  I don't know if it's from "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" or movies at Christmas time where snow covers the ground, but somehow she is sold on this idea.

I told her it was not Christmas but....HER BIRTHDAY!

 We had planned (she picked it and I bought it...okay, to be honest, Katie, shopped for all the Tangled table items for me) Thanks sis!!

We also picked out a Princess Castle cake to make together...thanks to utube.  Honestly, that was the highlight of my day.  Isabel and I made this whole cake together (probably from 7am-8am) and she enjoyed every step!  My first themed cake.

I cannot believe this little nugget is really growing up...too fast for me!  She is such a buddy!  She is so uniquely Isabel.  I think Auntie Katie wrote it best, "You have a tender heart with a spunky spirit!" She likes to lead and loves to help her mommy: whether it is getting diapers, setting the table or helping her sister get happy.  She is sure of what she likes and one thing that she really likes is talking!

And what she was saying was cracking me up today.

Just before the party Lolli called and after talking for 30 sec, she asked "can I stop talking now".
And when I told her that she needed to share with Dougie and play with him because he is her brother for life, she said "can we give him back to someone?"

This last one is funny now but almost made me tear up then...Isabel ran up to me and said, "this party is boring". Sad. (Funny thing is that she doesn't know exactly what that word means, but she slipped it in perfectly yesterday(: )  I was so busy preparing the food that I wasn't taking the time to make if fun for the kids as they arrived.  ): But after food prep and a quick nursing break, I was back and I spent the rest of the time with Isabel!  The Birthday Party was definitely a success!  Yay!






Here is Isabel with her cousins: Kayla and Shae. We are so happy to have Heather and Ben in the area for a bit!!

Dougie enjoying some cake...I love that big mouth(:




Likes: Friends! (Kayla, Annabelle, Ben, Shae, Bridget, Jack, Douglas, Alexia, Natalie and new friend Elle...and many more!)
Princesses...really any princess but as you can see we are particularly obsessed with Tangled!
Ponies: thanks to Katie's pony collection, Isabel has played ponies every day for the last year!
Art projects: loves painting paper and then putting them in envelopes and giving them away.
(actually she is pretty obsessed with the mailman and anything regarding mailing letters(: )
and anything crafty
Her Siblings: she is the best older sister that I could ever imagine.  There are times Douglas hurts himself and asks Izzy(: to hug him!  So sweet!  She would tell him though, "my name is Isabel, not Izzy."  But I think he says Izzy just so cute!  "Please tell Douglas to call me Isabel!" And Isabel loves baby Rosie...just absolutely loves her!
Sweets: goodness does she have a sweet tooth(:

Dislikes: when anyone knocks down her towers of blocks, when Douglas pulls her hair, when she is bossed around by another kid her age or younger(:, going poop in the toilet, when you shut her door to much at night, when Micheal chases her to hug her...so sweet, sorry Micheal (we love you!(: )

My Favorite Things about Isabel: her love for her brother and sister, asking everyone at the table to say "what is your favorite part of the day" and going in order! to answer (even baby Rosie must answer), her dancing habits and love for dance, crazy faces, funny sentences, her love for her grandma's and pa's, when she gets really excited about things, and when she gets really mad (oh, it makes me want to laugh...sometimes(:)

Love you Big Four Year Old!  You are a special, beautiful daughter! The perfect fit for our family!

Make me laugh...

what Kids say make me laugh...


Douglas sat at the dinner table and said, "coffee...yumm".  No coffee around only him and his bowl of soup.  (Thanks mom!)  Isabel and Douglas have mentioned coffee a lot in the last 2 months...do you think I like coffee too much...ummm, nope(: 

Douglas is at a stage where his daddy literally "hung the moon".  I go through the day hearing "daddy do it", "daddy fix it", "daddeo".  Really it is super sweet.  Dougie LOVES his daddy.  Starting after Lilla Rose's birth, James took over all of Douglas' bedtimes and lots of nap times.  Douglas was such a fan before but after that...they have become inseparable!  A little tricky when Douglas request daddy to change is diaper...every time!  And requests James to put him down for a nap...every day!

Cute story: James put up our Christmas lights (opps...they are still up(: ) outside and every time I took Isabel and Douglas to look at lights...Douglas would sit in the back set and say "Daddy made it" and "Daddy do it".  Honestly, it was so cute...he truly believed that daddy went around town putting up all the Christmas lights.  That is how it should be, right?!  James is super engaging with the kids and I have come to completely appreciate him working from home.  The kids get to interact with him a lot throughout the day...and he is much more fun than I am(:

They even have nicknames for each other "Daddeo" (what Douglas calls James at least 50% of the time) and "Dougeo".

"I wuv whu" I love you...from Dougie.  He's got a lot of love to give!

"I love her."  Isabel speaking about Elle, Lexi and Amy's niece. Isabel talked to her once on skype and I think she's found another kindred spirit. 

October 26, 2011

Baby Lilla Rose was born October 26th, 2011.  Surprise...a girl!  I love the surprise at the end of the long pregnancy.  I was probably the most open, freed up and excited about either sex forg this baby and really had no clue or guesses.  Let's say that Isabel had expectations though, and I'm sure I played into this some... but Isabel decided pretty early into pregnancy that this little baby was a girl and her name would be "Rosie".  Blame me for bringing up the name Rose/Rosie...I love this name and fell in love with a beautiful, vibrant and true Italian grandma, Rose Sabatino, when I lived in NYC for a summer interning at Fitness Magazine.  Grandma Rose was so welcoming and I loved hearing her story and how she ended up in a highrise apartment in NYC.  I slept on her couch in a living room full of windows looking out on beautiful view of the city lights.  She was a woman of substance, who loved and prayed for her family and still into her 80's was making a Italian feast, most Sundays, for whatever family would come for lunch.  What a gift to get to know her!

There is my connection to the name Rose(:

When Isabel brought up that we are having a girl(: , I mentioned Rosie for a name...and it stuck, really stuck.  Isabel attached herself to the name very quickly and started calling the baby in my belly "Rosie" in the first trimester.  (On one of her (old) favorite tv shows Cailou has a sister named Rosie, so I'm sure that played into her attachment to the name, as well. ) 

If you asked Isabel what she thought we were having she would declare...a girl.

Often asked, "What if it is a boy?"

"It's a girl!" Isabel was adamant and it almost made her mad that people wouldn't understand that she was having a sister!  I knew we would be in a little trouble if a boy, but we'd get through it...I hoped(:

After a pretty quick induction, and only a healthy dose of "I'm not got to make it to see this baby" pain, she was born.  And we were again amazed by the miracle of another perfect little addition into our family.

It's a girl! Sigh...1st for me...as much as I'd be so happy with a boy...I love the idea of Isabel having a sister and friend, and another addition to the ladies of our family. 2nd...yay, I do not have to deal with explaining to Isabel that she has a brother, not a sister!

Dark hair covered her head and she looked at me with the warmest eyes.  I was in love, again.

 

We picked Lilla, my great grandmothers name on my mom's side, as the first name.  I remember being on a car ride with Nany and we were talking family names before Douglas was born.  She mention Lilla was her mom's name, and it stuck in the back of my mind ever since.  And really what is more pretty than Lilla Rose(:

I remember the hospital stay quite well...I have to admit that I was excited about a few nights in the hospital with this little nugget and my husband.  I am blessed to have two Mom's that are so willing to help with the kids!

My Mom and Dad brought Isabel and Douglas to the hospital after Lilla Rose's birth.  And they were so excited to meet their sister!!  Honestly, it was too cute just how excited they were. I don't know if I will ever forget Isabel pulling over a chair to stand up and get closer to Lilla Rose (as she laid under the warmer).  The huge smile of both kids warmed my heart and definitely put a smile on my face.

One of the first things that Douglas said that evening was, "happy"!  Yes, that summed it up for me... we all were very happy and only he could describe it perfectly in one word.

The second time Isabel came to visit at the hospital she asked (in all seriousness) to take Lilla home with her, "I can take her home, Mom, she can sit on my lap in the car and I will take care of her!" Actually, looking back she was fine with me staying at the hospital(: , but she was ready to start this new life with her sister!

Isabel just knew the baby was going to be a sister, Rosie.  Just try calling her Lilla.  I will warn you her response right now, "Her name is not Lilla, it's Rosie!"  It started off as an angry yell at whoever innocently called Lilla Rose, well, her name(: but it has developed into more of a statement.  But beware.  She loved in the belly/loves this little girl so much.  I guess, I could never imagine the depth and quickness Isabel would take to her sister and now Isabel ALWAYS wants Rosie with her.  When she goes to sleep, takes a bath...she is always aware of where Lilla B is at the moment.  Just try to sleep Lilla(:

(Bedtime always includes Lilla Rose and I...don't worry, I am right there making sure Isabel doesn't move and hurt our Lilla B)

Dougie is quite sweet too and I'm presently surprised to watch him be very loving (not the surprise) and gentle (the surprise) to his sister.   I've never washed more passi's in my life.  He puts hers in his mouth (did I mentioned he's had a cold for a month?!) and try's to put his in her mouth.  So, I collect them and put all dirty passi's in the sink.  Or "patte" as Dougie calls them.

Lilla Rose is a joy and I believe she get's what she has just joined...there are times I let the kids hold her, per their request, and she looks at me like, "I'm ok with this but you better still have your hands on me". You bet I do kid(:

 

 First smile...way to go Gramps! (First day home from hospital)

Not So Little Anymore...

I used to have a hard time not saying "my little brother, josh" when talking about him. He really is not that much younger than me, but you know when growing up... each year feels like 10.(:
The truth is he is one of the most mature, thoughtful, loving person I know!

He left for Portland and in a year has grown in so many ways (and challenged me in many ways) and has fallen in Love. There is not anything more important than relationships and starting your own family (besides our relationship with Jesus(: )...and in a year, he has found that special woman.

Josh met a young lady, Lexi and (I think) was interested from the beginning.
What I love about Lexi: besides being absolutely beautiful on the outside, she has a beautiful, sweet, loving spirit! She is thoughtful, well-spoken, honest, giving and a lover of children (and kids LOVE her...prefer her(: )

I hope she writes some day...she communicates her journey in life so vulnerably and honestly. She can connect with anyone and wants to dig into the good, bad, ugly and beautiful...the honest journey of life, a life lived in the light and Spirit. Ok, not hard to see that I like her... A LOT!

And I have not met her family in person yet, but I have spoken with her sister, Amy and have heard a lot about them from Josh and Lexi...and I really LIKE them and look forward to getting to know them better.

They have accepted and loved my brother. And for that I am eternally grateful!

I'm tearing up thinking of my love for Josh and now Lexi!
I am excited to see how God uses him...and them together!
God Bless you, Josh and Lexi! May the Spirit be close and you look to Jesus for all.

Congratulations! You are Loved!

Lauren

Cousins...

Kids have taken over!(:

Justin, Liz, Caleb, Joshua Corder came to Annapolis for a visit. It was fun to get the little cousins together. Not everyone could make it, but here is the group that made it that afternoon.




Douglas and Joshua Corder




2 of the three Douglas' that our little Douglas was named after.

Thanks Mom

First, I am so excited to announce that my dear sister, Heather and her family have moved to Arlington, Va. I love having her family close! And have already spent more time with her than in the last 5 year (probably(: There are lots of blessings that come with her move, but most of all I love being with her...and am changed by her positive, giving, generous and patient spirit. She (and Ben) and pretty amazing!

Last week my mom offered to keep my kids and Heather's kids for a few hours for us to get lunch and do some birthday shopping for Heather. A perfect gift...and very generous seeing that 7 kids is no small feat(: and my mom, dad and cassi leave for Africa to visit Rob and Liz on Tuesday. And not only that...but look carefully, my mom invited to 2 more to help out another mom.

Side note, but important one. I could not be more grateful for grandma's right now. Let's say the last months have not been easy with all the comes with pregnancy and how it affects my body. Just to be able to have a mom I could call and say "mom, I literally cannot get out of bed (oh, too nauseous), but I have too get to this appt. Can you please come, and on the way pick me up (a specific) lunch, and help me get out of bed and get the kids ready." And there was not a hesitation...she came. And I feel so blessed by her support and am extremely grateful. I cannot mention that without also mentioning how much Debbie and Katie really helped me get through that time. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Alright, back my mom's day with the kids. It started at the church gym. Even Nany came to give support(: and help...what a trooper. And she brought them all back to her house to play and for the little one's naps. Thank you, Mom.

The last few pic's are: me sharing my ice cold water (for me to stick my feet in so they don't itch) with my curious nephew Tagen. Kayla and Shea playing dress-up. I love those girls! The last pic is Isabel, Kayla and Shea watching, very intently, a Strawberry Shortcake video.

Yesterday, Heather and fam joined us at the pool. The kids love swimming and I think (in) the pool may be the best place to be this summer. Douglas loves basket hoops. It keeps him occupied for hours.