How Far We Have Come

Cayde is turning ten this month, and barely two months after, Ellowyn is going to turn three. I was watching them together and thinking back to when they were smaller and more fragile. All of my children have changed and grown so much in what seems like a blink of an eye. I'm thankful that I was blogging back then, since I'm terrible about not journaling. Here's a glimpse at what life was like about three years ago:

While Ella has been the focus of my recent posts, she's only the most recent addition to our family. It would be inaccurate to tell only her part of the story. When I was first put on bed rest, it was like a call to arms. With an army of adults rushing to our aide, Edyn, Cayde and Declyn had a daily decision to make: to join or not join. Most of the time it was at least two out of three, but not always the same two.The kids all knew that Ella was coming, that she was a "she" and that we would be expecting her in February. So, it has been difficult to explain concepts like hypertension, bed rest, premature delivery, etc. They are very smart, though, and capable of rolling with the punches most of the time. It never quite sunk in that I wasn't supposed to be up, getting snacks, checking their chores, tucking them in... I often felt like I was hurting their feelings by saying "No, I can't do that, but you can ask_________." Declyn seemed to adapt better in the beginning, though. He loves to cuddle with me and loved to rub my pregnant belly and talk to Baby Ella.
(Read more at )The Rest of the Story