Today has been brought to you by the number.... 5!

At 2:25 pm today, my baby girl turned 5. Her brother, turned 5 at 2:28 pm. With everyone winding down for the day, I wanted to honor today in my blog. In some ways, this past 5 years feels like an eternity. In other ways, it feels like all I did was blink.

We commemorated the day by serving up pizza and cupcakes at preschool. How can you not enjoy pizza and cupcakes with 30 other 4 and 5 year olds? Their teachers had made them crowns. God Bless teachers - especially preschool teachers! 30 little ones each with a full agenda of me-me-me and needing to learn-learn-learn and play-play-play. Whew! It exhausts me to just think of it... But.. back to the real post material...

Exactly 39 weeks, 1 day full term, it was the ultimate test in mental stamina, and physical stamina. It was hard on me - but really - it was a team effort. Our oldest 2 boys didn't know how much their lives would change but stepped up through the 8 weeks of bedrest. My parents, and D's parents helped. D's mom even lived with us for 7 of the weeks at the end of my pregnancy. D listened to all my aches and pains and helped me through each of it. My colleagues also helped :) I worked each day through bedrest from my laptop and phone. I won't lie - the daily questions of "any babies yet?" did get tiring but wow - what a privilege to keep up with work when I was ready to go out of my mind from the 4 walls of our bedroom and coverage on TV of the invasion of Iraq.


May 20, 2003: 6 lbs even - both of them, 18 inches long - both of them - the only thing different was the girl-boy necessary parts and Rachel's dark head of hair and Simon's light blonde hair. We knew it would be hard but we had NO IDEA really what changes were in store - for our wallets, our sleep schedules and our sanity. We had no idea how much we would LOVE these little people and how much it would make all of us better in the process.

I was trying to think of what 5 things I would wish for them and for all of us as we look to the future. Here is what I have come up with:

1. Remember the things you dream up with Ben10 and Barbie now - and don't forget as you grow up that your amazing imaginations can help you become whatever you want to be.
2. Love your family. Friends may come and go - but your family is stuck with you :) Remember to say you are sorry and tell them you love them. Time goes very very fast - you don't want to wish someday you would have taken the time to say either of those things after it is too late.
3. Make good, true friends. Treasure friendships that prove the test of time, and the test of the heart. True friends will love you in your low moments, laugh and cry with you, and help smooth out your rough edges.
4. Take pleasure in all the small things. Notice the things that make you laugh or make you surprised. Treasure the firsts - no matter how small. Today was the first time Simon that you actually remember riding on an escalator. Remember it is fun to laugh at being scared and laugh when you realize you enjoyed it.
5. Get a good night's sleep. When all the sugar has burned off from the cupcake-soda high, let yourself collapse into a soft bed and drift into dreams. No matter how tired you are, or how much fun you had, or how much you are worrying about the next day - a good night's sleep always helps things come into perspective. Make a note that a good nap can do the same thing :)

I don't know where we will all be in 5 years - so I won't even try to predict. I'm just so thankful I had the privilege of celebrating this day with you and seeing your sweet smiling faces beam as your dad and I joined you for lunch partying at school. I'm so proud of your big brothers too. It has taken a team to get us to year 5.

It's late. It's a big week that still has more excitement to come. I better take my own advice. I'm off to respectfully honor list item number 5.