This is us! We are a fairly typical family (albeit we are dealing with a fairly odd disorder). We are a home birthing, breastfeeding, babywearing, homeschooling family. Although don't let that deceive you into thinking we are often at home. I swear whoever came up with the terms "stay at home mom" and "homeschooling" neither did either one - we are NEVER home. This picture was taken last summer in Disney World. I suppose that trip will give you the best insight into who we are. We DROVE 19 1/2 hours to Disney World with a seven year old, a three year old, a two and a half year old and a two month old - and we drove 13 1/2 of those hours in ONE day. And then we proceeded to stay at Disney World for eight days - and still were not ready to leave.
I am a wife and a mom. I love both of these rolls. I grew up knowing that what I really wanted out of life was to be a mom. I know women are supposed to want careers but I just always wanted to be a mom. I played with baby dolls all the time as a child and then moved onto babysitting as soon as I was old enough. As a teenager I remember telling my dad that it didn't matter what I studied in college - I just wanted to be a mom. So, I studied theatre - he was thrilled. After college I worked as a nanny and then I opened a daycare in my home. I ran an in home daycare for ten years when I gave it up to be "just" a mom. These days my kids keep me busy and happy. My house may not be cleaned often enough and we may live with a lot of clutter but we are a happy, healthy, loving family. Who could want any more?
This is my husband, Michael. He is my best friend and the most perfect husband I ever could have wanted. He is an itineran special education teacher. We love him but he is a superstar with the kids. He us also a children's musician. The way the kids run up to him you would think he was the fifth Beatle. Be sure to check out his site. He is a great dad. All four kids are super excited to see him when he walks through the door at the end of every day. I am so glad that he and I met. We met in high school and started dating in college. You can read our story here.
Sean, the big brother in our family, is currently seven years old. He is a typical, fun loving, active seven year old boy. He loves hockey - well we all do and if you come back and read here at all you will know that. This is his fifth season playing. It is a very time consuming sport. He plays two games per week and practices another two times per week. I have to say though, there really is nothing as exciting as watching him play well. He is a pure joy to have around. And he's smart too. He will be THE GUY in high school (well, or the equivalent of him in whatever form that means for a homeschooler). You know the one everyone wants. I am sure of it. He is very sweet and a fantastic older brother. The look on his face when he found out that it was time for Big Sister to come out was so joyful I doubt I will ever forget it. He was equally excited and joyful when it was FINALLY time to head to Ethiopia and pick up Little Sister. And the awesome surprise and excitement when we woke him up to because Tiny Sister was coming was another absolutely unforgettable moment. Big Brother came to us from Guatemala in one of the most thrilling experiences of our lives. Go see his timeline and the list of his developmental milestones.
Mikaela (Mickey for short), the big sister in our family, was born in August of 2008 and is just a very sweet little girl. She loves music, she has always liked music - even before she was born she seemed to be dancing when a good song was playing. Where Sean is a hockey star I wholeheartedly expect her to be a musician. She recently started dance lessons and she LOVES it.Everyday we wake up and she asks if it is time for dancing school. She is currently a very big Lady Gaga fan. She listens to Lady Gaga all the time and she has asked to learn to play the piano just like Lady Gaga. I figure it works to my advantage because I want her to learn anyway. Her current life plan is to grow up and dance on stage at Radio City Music Hall and play piano with Lady Gaga. You can see her prenatal development here and watch her accomplish her milestones here.
Makenzie (Kenzie for short), the little sister in out family, is a few months shy of her third birthday. Although, she is so tiny she is often mistaken for somewhere between 12 and 18 months. This often allows her to get away with a lot - which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes not so good. She is a bit of a challenge because of the attachment disorder. Sometimes she is very happy and the next moment she will be completely shut down and will not speak at all. We know she is in there somewhere but it is hard to tell if she is struggling to come out or if she is struggling to keep herself hidden inside. She has an incredibly beautiful smile when she chooses to let it shine. Makenzie joined our family from Ethiopia and you can see the timeline for that journey here.
Deanna is the baby of the family. For now? For good? Who knows! She is an incredibly sweet and happy baby. I often call her the "best baby ever" and I honestly think it is the truth. She is always happy to be held. She enjoys playing on the floor. At six months old she is almost crawling and is itching to be on the go. She brings so much joy to everyone. To us and to those around us. I have yet to see anyone be able to resist smiling at her. I'll bet you smiled looking at her picture, right? :) She truly is an amazing little person who we are all enjoying getting to know very much. It will be so wonderful to see what she does as she gets older. Poor thing has no prenatal or milestone chart. All she has is the photos on my Instagram account that I fully intend to print when she is older in a blurb book.Updated December of 2011