Devin and I have the most supportive parents, and Emily, Claire and James have the most doting and engaged-in-their-lives grandparents! We are so thankful for them in all of our lives!
Once again, for the 3rd time, Marianne flew in to help us for 2 weeks right after James was born. In fact, she was in Illinois the very next day! Thanks to my dad's Delta buddy pass, she was able to get on the very last flight of the day (after trying for every single flight from the beginning of the day) but she finally made it and was able to spend our last day in the hospital with us before heading back into our new reality of being parents of 3.
We have so many pictures of Marianne holding each of our brand new babies in the hospital, and it is sweet to keep the tradition alive. She is definitely a huge part of our experience of bringing a new little babe into our family and adjusting at home. She is a miracle worker. I call her my fairy godmother, because everything she touches and does is such a huge help to me and so thoughtful. She has a gift of seeing a need and taking care of the need without being asked. Anything from deep cleaning to cooking to certain things the girls would need at any given time. I am beyond thankful for her tremendous help and companionship she offered this 3rd time around. Not only is she physically helpful, but she offers such emotional and mental support to me as well. Having a new baby in the house flips my world upside down for the first days/weeks, and Marianne has the best listening ear accompanied by the most perfect advice and support to help me through. She really is such a blessing in my life, and I love that she is so much linked to and weaved through all my memories of when my babies were born. The role she plays in my life is so influential and I like to think that the Lord had her in mind for my future when my mom died so young. Marianne truly is my adulthood mom!
(And a huge thanks to Richard for lending his wife to us for 2 weeks!)
The first Sunday after James was born, he and I were home alone together for several hours while Marianne and Devin took the girls to church. I decided to have a little photo shoot with my little guy while the girls weren't around to smother him.
The girls love asking, "Where's James?" right when they wake up. And they are quick to go right to him when I tell them where he is.
James matched our bedspread one day!
Marianne's last Sunday with us.
After church with the girls.
Devin thought it would be fun to try to start potty training Claire the first week James was home. I, on the other hand, did not think it was a great time for potty implementation! She only went on the potty when Devin spear-headed it, but when she was on the toilet, she always went! She is the cutest little potty-goer!
What we thought was Grandma's last night with us. Little did we know it would take her 4 days of trying to fly standby to finally get on a flight!
Once Marianne left, my new real life began, and it brought with it a move to get ready for. I had 3 weeks to pack up our house, close down our life in Lombard and set up our life back in our old neighborhood up north.
Before we moved, my dad and Mary popped in for a visit to meet James and help celebrate Emily's 4th birthday. It was so great to have them with us, to entertain the girls, to hold James for me while I pushed laundry along, to provide fabulously delicious meals (Chinese and our favorite Lombard pizza) and to provide opportunities for me to NAP! They were so helpful! I love that they can fly in and out anytime (both are Delta pilots) and are truly only a few hours away when I need them. They treat us like gold and love on our kids so sweetly.
I know I will say this many, Many, MANY times to come, but we are so lucky and blessed to have such incredible parents who make us feel so loved and special. I am humbled to see them interact with my kids and to recognize that there are 4 people who love them and think the little things they do are just as cute as I do. My kids are so lucky and they don't even know it yet!
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