(This was supposed to be a Valentine’s Day post, but you know how it goes. Things never happen the way you plan! Instead, we get the day after, but the sentiment is still the same.)
Valentine’s Day is a day we celebrate love. The people we love and who love us in return. And chocolate. And hokey cards and sometimes presents. But I like to just count my blessings on Valentine’s Day. And I’ve got 4 right here under my roof.
To my husband, Mike, I have to say how lucky I feel to have found you. You are the great love of my life and will be until the day I leave this earth. I knew right away I could spend the rest of my life with you, and it is so gratifying to know I was right! You love me for everything that I am, both good and bad and inbetween. You make me feel loved and safe, content to just ride it out and see where life takes us without making a plan or scheduling our time together. Because I know that no matter what, it will be good and right and will keep me happy as long as we are in this together. I would be lost in this life without you. I love you, Mike.
Caylie, you were my first baby and taught me what motherhood is. I’ve learned that my pregnancy was merely me standing in line for the ride that will probably never stop as long as I am your mother. You were my first masterpiece. A little piece of me and the man I love and all of our family members we can think of when we look at your little face. Your spirited personality makes you a force to be reckoned with in the Noyer house. You challenge me, surprise me, and teach me something new about myself or motherhood, or just about life, everyday. You spend your days singing and dreaming, telling stories and playing pretend. Your snuggles and hugs, your beautiful smiles, nurturing ways and amazing imagination are all blessings to me. I love you, Caylie.
Chase, your birth healed something broken inside of me. I looked at your little face and couldn’t stop smiling. You were a little 9 pound treasure. You still are. Having you in my life has re-taught me how to be a mother, without all the insecurities or worries. It has been amazing to just experience motherhood at its best when I can be calm and confident and knowledgeable about what both you and I want and need. The way you hug and kiss me, tell me you love me, and stroke my hair while I’m singing you to sleep is precious to me. Your shy smile, love of books, and clingy possessiveness of me are a delight. You are a calm after a storm and a balm to my heart and soul. Your joie de vivre is contagious and I just love to be around you. I love you, Chase.
And to the baby growing inside of me, I want to say how much we already want you and love you. How blessed I feel to be allowed to experience another baby growing inside of me, another birth, and most of all, another personality to add to our family. I can already see you in my mind, smiling and growing and playing alongside your siblings. Sitting at the dinner table, splashing in the bathtub, crying in the night for mommy. And I can’t wait! Today, for the first time, I saw your tiny body wiggling around inside of me, moving your arms up over your head and kicking your tiny feet. Your strong heartbeat and your active little body brought me a surge of happiness and love that I could never describe with mere words. I love you, Baby.
Happy (belated!) Valentine’s Day to my 4 Loves. I hope your day was as blessed as mine was.