A Few Days Left. Tribute to My Two Babies.

i am minutes, hours, days away from welcoming the 5th to our family. third baby. so, i thought i'd write a quick note to my other two babies, because yes, they are still babies.

sofia,
you are two years old. you became a big sister so early in life. you took on the role, and dominated like no other. you love lucas, at least i know you do because every morning you are so excited to see him. an hour after being awake with him, you quickly remember that he shattered your "only child" world and are back to being pretty mean to him. you love to get a reaction out of me. when i ask you to do something, you yell "no," then when i turn around to look at you, you give me the cheesiest smile and say "ok, mom" in a sweet little, perfect voice. you do this a lot, and i fall for it a lot. you still love to eat meat. it still grosses me out, but makes your dad so proud. sausage, deli meat, hot dogs, pot roast, bacon. doesn't matter what kind, you scarf it like an animal. don't worry, i limit it. you walk into a room and say "hey guys, what you doing?" when we answer, you say "oh..." and repeat what we say, as if you know what "studying for class" or "trying to get this stain off the floor" means. you're not sure if your brother's name is lucas or buddy. we love you so much. we love that you're as tall as most 5 year olds. we love that you want to wear a dress almost every day. we love that you know Spanish. we love that you wake us up every morning and sit quietly in our room while you play on dad's ipad so we can sleep an extra half hour. we love how you walk on your toes, as if you need more height. we love that you pray. thank you for being our first born and we know that in the future, you are going to be a great example of a young woman to this baby girl. amo mucho, sofia mae.

lucas,
you are only one year old.you think you are so cool when you wear your sneakers. you put them on, and you have a little strut in your walk like you are the big man on campus. you throw a lot in the trash can. i find spatulas, and sippy cups, and books there daily. you know to put your plate and fork in the sink, and you can reach!  you, like your big sis, are so tall. you only play by yourself when dad's home. when moms home, you want to be carried. you want to stay by my side. you want to climb on me. you say "dad, mama, agua (water), and uva (grape)." you're a picky eater; what kid doesn't like bread? you love music. whenever i'm driving, you and your sister are content when i'm blasting music...preferably ghetto music so you can bob your head.  there is so much we love about you. we love how rosy your cheeks get after 15 minutes of playing outside. we love how your legs are so skinny. we love that you follow your big sis around, even though she's so mean to you. we love that you are the biggest snuggler of the family. you let me kiss you as much as i want. you're obsessed with dad playing hide and seek with you. you're not very good at hiding. you don't understand yet that i'm not going to give you all my attention anymore. but i know you're ready. i know that you know this little girl has to join our family right now. i know that you'll step in and be the protector of your two beautiful sisters. i know you'll look up to your dad and want to be just like him when you grow up, because he really is the greatest man we know. we love you lucas j.

i'm terrified of 3 under 3. but with a husband and dad like jeff, my nerves are calmed. i might not be a mom who is ready, but she chose us. and she chose this time to join our young family. and she knows that i'll love her, because she knows how much i love her brother and sister. bring it on, baby girl. we'll see you soon.