BST's Blog

Sheryl's out with some girl friends tonight celebrating Sarah Williamson's birthday. I am feeling about a thousand times better. Thank the Lord! I wanted to capture what I've come to realize, as we're on our third child, is a very fleeting time of life.

Sam is at this amazing age where he is still a baby, but he's no longer "blob-ish" (a term I've coined for those weird months in the beginning that most mom's say they just love...). I tend to enjoy the post-blob phase more. I like when they begin to interact and try to talk. I love their tiny little Frankenstein walks. I love how dumb little things can make them laugh. I love how personalities begin to awaken and develop. It's a real miracle to me.

Tonight the girls were so great going to bed. They went upstairs and did their thing (pajamas, brushing teeth, pottying, etc) all by themselves while I attempted to force feed Sam one last time. I left him eating those little turkey stick wieners (absolutely disgusting if you ask me...but he loves them) and went upstairs to tuck in the girls. They were so precious and gave me sweet kisses.

I came back down to find Sam completely covered in turkey wiener (again...this elicits serious vomiting tendencies from me. BLAGH!!!!!!!!). He just grinned and said something unintelligible. I cleaned him up and we did the routine. The routine for Sam, and this is what I wanted to capture, includes warming the bottle, taking him upstairs, changing the diaper, grabbing the pacifier and blanket from his bed and throwing the blanket over my right shoulder. Sam's head automatically goes down on the shoulder with the blanket. We turn out the light and sit in the big overstuffed chair in his room where he rests in the crook of my right arm. Then he quietly drinks his bottle while mindlessly playing with my fingers with his other hand. So precious.

After the bottle's gone, I whisper in his ear, "I love you SO much!" and I put him in his bed. Usually, 9 times out of 10, we never hear another peep from him.

Our friends sometimes give us a hard time saying things like, "Bedtime at your house begins around 4:30!" Hilarious! Our kids have always been great sleepers. They're like their mommy and daddy--we love sleep! But, nighttime is just one of those extra special times in our house. Books, scratching backs, hugs, kisses, soft whispers...it just doesn't get much better than that.

As I watch how tall Maddie has gotten and see Ella following close behind, I know these days are fleeting. I will never forget them. They're some of God's most precious gifts to me.