SIX

Logan-

Today you are six years old.  This past year has been such a fun year to watch you change and grow.  You started Kindergarten, lost your first tooth, learned how to ride a two wheel bike and started riding the bus.  You love being in "big kid" school.  I have so much fun talking to you about your day and hearing about everything you learn.  You have a huge personality that is a perfect mix of sweet and spicy.  Parenting you is definitely my biggest challenge in life and constantly keep me on my toes. However, I wouldn't change a thing and truly love the variety that each day brings.

Daddy and I joke that you are class president.  It truly is the perfect way to describe you and your personality.  When you walk into a room with your friends, the other kids flock to you.  It is so sweet and you eat it up. You are kind, caring and loving. I am so proud to call you mine. Happy Birthday, Jack Attack! I love you the most!

Once I Was Seven Years Old...

Avery-

Happy 7th Birthday, sweet girl! This past year has been a fun year for me to watch you grow and mature. You have become such a kind, considerate and compassionate little girl. You love family time, doing your chores, crafts, playing with your friends and taking care of your cat. You FINALLY like school!! As a book and math lover myself, I couldn't be more proud to see you begin to enjoy reading, writing and math. You even joined math club in First grade and did great!

At home, you love to help as often as possible. You love taking care of Logan and "babysitting" while daddy and I are busy at home. You almost always willingly do your chores and often offer to do Logan's chores for him. When I asked you what you want to do on your birthday, you said, "spend time with the family because family is the most important thing in the world".

The other day, you and I were running errands and you brought up something that happened over a year ago. When I reminded you how long ago it was, you exclaimed, "No, way! Are you sure, mommy? I remember it like it was yesterday!" This is exactly how I feel about the day you were born (and every day in between), goosey girl; wasn't it just yesterday? I know I will blink and you will turn 14 or go to college or get married, but for now, I will enjoy sweet seven.

I love you, Avery!

Love, mommy

Finishing First Grade

Last Thursday marked the end of First Grade for Avery. I couldn't have been happier with her progress this year. She had the best teacher, Mrs. Bradford, and a class of the sweetest boys and girls. Since I am a huge math geek, I was so proud when Avery learned to love math and even joined math club. She also came full circle from Kindergarten when she refused to check out books at the library to being excited for library day on Thursdays so she could check out new books. I love that she finally started to enjoy reading. We are still working on her writing, but she made significant improvements from the beginning of the year.

Yesterday, we went to summer school open house and Avery couldn't be more excited to finally have her BFF, Addi, in her class! She also has two of our other neighbors in her class so it should be a fun month for her.

Five

Logan-

Today you are five!  How did this happen, best buddy?  In five years, so many things have changed, but your contagious laugh and huge smile have stayed the same.  I hope you never lose your joy for the little things in life.  I love watching you get excited when you learn a new dance, learn how to read a new book or build a Lego creation.  I hope your enthusiasm for learning never ends.  Every day you come home from school, you tell me something new you learned about an animal, an occupation, a letter, nature, anything.  You get so excited and are so proud of yourself.  Of course, I am also proud of you, sweet boy.

At bedtime last night, I asked you if you wanted some extra mommy snuggles on your last night as a four year old.  You squealed, grabbed your B and puppy and ran to my bed to build a fort for us out of my pillows.  As you tried to fall asleep, you told me all about being five and how great it's going to be.  You reminded me that you will soon be in Kindergarten and hope to ride the bus home with Avery, but made sure I knew you wouldn't be able to sit past the exit sign.  Clearly your sister is preparing you for the important aspects of school!

Four was a fun year, Logan!  You are working hard on addition and reading and continuing your goal of becoming a dinosaur expert.  We went on fun family trips to Legoland and the beach in Florida and Disney in California.

You are such a sweet and loving boy.  In the morning, you are always the first to run to me to give me kisses and tell me that you love me.  At night, you always ask me about my day and give me lots of hugs and kisses.  You make me so happy.

I love you, Birthday Boy!

Love, Mommy

All good things...

...must come to an end.

On Monday, I start back at work after eight weeks of maternity leave.  I'd like to say I'm ready, but I'm not.  I even tried to get a couple extra weeks of unpaid time, but it became complicated so I couldn't do it.  Aside from the first two to three weeks of c-section recovery, I really enjoyed all of the extra time I have had with Avery and Logan as a result of my maternity leave.  I feel so fortunate that my company was supportive of my surrogacy journey and that I was able to take advantage of the generous paid leave for recovery.

While I've been off work, my house has stayed clean, laundry kept up, meals cooked and I've had plenty of time to work out.  It has been amazing and a relatively stress-free eight weeks.  Most of you who know me well, know that for me, a clean and organized house is the one thing that can make or break my day.  For Real?  Yes.  Ridiculous?  I know...

I have had a lot of time with my kids that I will always cherish and remember.  Logan is lucky and has been able to stay home with me most days.  I still took him to preschool a day or two each week, but, when he's home, we have so much fun together that I hate having to take him.  During our time together, we have played countless hours of Legos and trains, read the same six books over and over, visited parks, run lots of errands, cooked, had playdates, stuffed animal birthday parties, napped and played at least 50 rounds each of Zingo and Spot It.  He has been such a joy to hang out with.  I'm definitely going to miss our time.

With Avery in school, her time with me has been a little more limited.  I love that I have had the chance to volunteer at her school, eat lunch with her regularly and meet her at the bus stop every day.  After school, it's been nice to sit down with her to talk about her day and help her with homework without being rushed.  We have also enjoyed after school playdates, tons of crafts, raking leaves and beautiful weather for walking/riding scooters up to the park.

Although I know it will be nice to get back into the routine of work, I'm dreading going back.  I told Luke I think going back this time will be harder than when the kids were babies.  When they were babies, they did little more than eat, sleep and snuggle.  Now, they are my little buddies.  We talk, laugh, play games and just have fun.  I'm lucky, they truly are my favorite people to be around.  I will really miss all my extra time with them.

Grateful

Early in the morning on August 31, I gave birth to a perfect baby boy.  He weighed 5 lbs., 13 oz. and had a full head of dark hair.  After my doctor cut the umbilical cord, I heard a healthy cry and Dylan was handed over to his sweet parents.

As many of you know, I was a gestational surrogate.  For me, being a parent was something I always wanted.  As a child, I dreamed about being pregnant and raising children who looked like me.  I never imagined not being able to have a child of my own and am so fortunate that I never had to.  Sadly, infertility is real and I have seen too many of my friends struggle to start a family.  I could help.  I had to help. 

I feel so grateful that my friends entrusted me to be their gestational surrogate.  Seeing them with baby Dylan for the first time was one of the greatest moments of my life.  The love they have for their baby boy is incredible; it made a rough nine-month pregnancy and scary delivery worth every second.  This family will always have a special place in our hearts and our family.  I love the connection we have and look forward to watching this sweet family grow.

I am grateful for my husband, Luke.  Not many men would support their wife’s crazy idea to go through a yearlong process to have another man (and woman’s) baby.  This past year was a huge test for our marriage and our family.  It brought the four of us closer together and taught us all about unconditional love and giving.  I am so proud that we made the journey together.

Finally, I am grateful for my family and friends, modern medicine and my incredible OB-GYN, his nurse and the wonderful nursing staff at Boone Hospital.  My mom, sister and friends really stepped up to help when Luke had to travel at the end of my pregnancy and during my C-section recovery.  The kids and I couldn’t have made it through the past month without all of them.  And my OB-GYN and the amazing nursing staff were so great dealing with this type A lady when I had a placental abruption and Dylan’s delivery turned into an emergency C-section.

When Dylan and his parents left the hospital to head home, I expected I would cry and I did.  I didn’t cry because I wanted Dylan to stay, I cried because this crazy, beautiful journey was over.  I cried because I was overjoyed to see this miracle with his mom and dad.  The biggest gift I could ever give someone was going to his new home to learn, grow and discover his blessed life.  That, my friends, is amazing.

Pre-Kindergarten!

It's hard to believe my baby started Pre-Kindergarten this week.  He was so excited to start in the Sentries class at school.  I know this year will be so amazing for my sweet boy.  He loves learning, school and playing with his friends.  Often, when Luke and I pick him up at the end of the day, we have to wait while he finishes whatever he is playing or working on.  On the way to Logan's first day of Pre-K, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grows up. His response was typical Logan, "Since I'm already a Lego expert and almost a dinosaur expert, I think I'll just be a construction worker and drive an excavator when I grow up." I can't wait to see what the 2015-2016 school year has in store for Logan!

First Grade!

Avery started first grade earlier this week.  When she got her teacher assignment, she was so excited to learn that she has the same teacher she had for summer school!  Her nerves about making new friends got to her for about a week before school started, but she did great when it was time to start school.  After her first day, she rode the bus home and told Luke that first grade is "so much better than kindergarten".  I think it was a successful day.  First grade will be fun and challenging and we are so excited to watch Avery learn and grow this year.