No baby anticipation this year....just enjoyment

Since I have been pregnant the last 2 Advents, it was a good way for me to meditate on the anticipation of Christ's coming along with the excitement of welcoming a new little person of our own into the world. This year, there is no preparation for a new baby, but I have been thinking and thanking God for our 2 wonderful children and I have been in awe of how much he has blessed our family. The last two years, no matter how much I wondered, thought about or tried to imagine what our two little children would be like, there is no possible way I could anticipation the joy they bring to our lives and how much we love them.

Things I love about an 18 month old little girl, our Faustina:

* rocking her to sleep at night with her bottle ash she plays with my fingers, giggles, says new words and I can hold her petite little body and smell the sweet fragrance of her baby hair

* watching her run around the house like Barney Rubble giggling

* how her foot is as long as my finger and her toe is as long as my fingernail!

* dressing her up for mass and how incredibly adorable she looks in her cute outfits

* how she plays by herself in her crib and babbles at the top of her lungs and tackles Teddy

* changing her diaper on the changing table and playing with her (yes - I like changing her diaper!)

* seeing her give Jude kisses, pointing to him and laughing, patting him, bringing toys to him, saying "Jude" over and over again in her little voice

* seeing her little fingers barely reach the top of tables groping for any treasure she can come up with that she is not suppose to have

* watching her walking around with any toy and using it as a cell phone and talking to 'Dadda' really really loud

* throwing her in the air and throwing her on the bed and playing under the covers

* getting her out of her crib in the morning when she is so excited and happy for the new day, I open the door, she waves and saying 'Hi, Mama' and laughs

* watching her read books upside down and (again!) babbling as loud as she can

* watch her learn new things, accomplish new feats, meeting new people and interacting

* watching her take her favorite basket and zooming it around the kitchen giving Teddy rides it in (this accounts for hours of fun)

* hearing her say new words every single day and imitating what we do and say

Things I love about a 3 month old baby, our little Jude:

* how he smiles so big he can hardly contain himself (especially after he nurses and is drunk with milk!)

* cuddling with this big little boy in bed, he is so wonderfully plump and snuggly

* watching how he already follows Faustina with his eyes and smiles at her

* walking him to sleep in the soft quilt Grandma, he snuggles against me and his eyes start to roll back and he goes to sleep within a few minutes

* watching his personality emerge as he is still so little and so obviously unique from his older sister