the way i see it i am 3/4 done with being a parent.....

i know, i know the peanut gallery of older, wiser, parents are full belly laughing at my title. but don't judge my conclusion yet.

3 of my 4 children are potty trained.
3 of my 4 children sleep in big kid beds.
3 of my 4 children can collect snacks from the cabinets and pour themselves juice.
3 of my 4 children know their alphabet and can count to 20.
3 of my 4 children can enter and exit their car restraints without any assistance from me.
3 of my 4 children can communicate their thoughts, feelings, and needs. (sometimes, even without whining or crying being involved!)
3 of my 4 children know what state we live in, and the full names of their family members.
3 of my 4 children can order for themselves at any said restaurant.
3 of my 4 children don't have to have a sippy cup.
3 of my 4 children can bathe and dress themselves without any assistance.
3 of my 4 children can sit through a church service with only minor shushing,and threatening, and few bathroom breaks.
3 of my 4 children do not cry when a babysitter comes, (and as of last night no one cried when we left!)
3 of my 4 children understand the dangers of heights and water.
3 of my 4 children can carry on phone conversations with long distance family and friends. (AJ is getting closer).
3 of my 4 children know their colors.
3 of my 4 children understand and recognize that God made them for VERY SPECIAL PURPOSES!

see i am 3/4 done :)

while most of these are tongue and check, i really feel like SO many of these formidable concepts have been mastered by 3 of my 4 children. and while i know that i have just begun, i feel like i have conquered SO MUCH. people always say the first 5 years are physically exhausting and the remaining years are emotionally exhausting. can i get an amen? of course, i know that i have only just begun. but just recently i hit the one year mark from weaning anderson. up until february 2010, i had been pregnant or breastfeeding for 7 1/2 years straight with only ONE months break. for 7 1/2 years somebody was literally relying on me for their very life. no wonder i was so incredibly exhausted. this last year i have been reintroducing myself to myself. my energy is soaring high, my mental clarity is peaking, my emotions are stabilizing, and i remember just how much fun i am! :)

while my body will never look or feel the way it did before dec 7th 2002, i honestly could not be more comfortable in my skin. i now bare the beautiful markings of motherhood. everyday i have these small and large reminders, that for such a small period of time someones life depended on ME! the sleepless nights that  never ended, the diaper changing, the burp clothe finding, the car seat holding, the soothing baby trick finding, etc..etc they were such a honor. what a blessing to be a mom four times over! what a blessing that my skin stretched and my body ached for them.

mamas just entering this infant stage of life, ENJOY IT! step back and let the awe and wonder set in. it will be gone in the blink of an eye.

i feel like we are entering a new and WONDERFUL phase. post-infant, post-baby, post-toddlerhood. i will always think of my baby years as sweet and irreplaceable.. but i am THRILLED at what lies ahead!!

here is to what remains,
~s