10 things I love about my little boy: Gabe

1)   His killer smile: those dimples!

2)   The way he gets oh-so-much fun out of chasing balls around the house.

3)   His curiosity.

4)   His love of our two cats (though I'm not sure how they feel about it!).

5)   The way he loves me!

6)   His air of mischief.

7)   The way he says "Dada."

8)   His love for all of his big sibs.

9)   The way he rocks his Tigger costume.

10)  How he appreciates the beauty of fresh vegetables, even if he's not all that keen to eat them...

10 things I love about Elise

1) The fact that, after raising three other babies, I finally have one who actually tends to enjoy tummy time.

2) How much she digs attention from her three big brothers.

3) Amazing. Nighttime. Sleep.

4) She doesn't let it bother her (yet) when she has a funky hair day.


5) The changing table is her happy place.

6) The fact that she takes after her dad's side of the family, and doesn't resemble me at all, except...

7) ... that she has my long, slender fingers.

8) She looks terrific in pink.

9) Two words: baby giggles.

10) The way one gummy grin from her can brighten even the bleakest day.

10 things I love about my boy: Ben

1) The way he walks Owen from the van into church when I ask him to.

2) How he encourages his younger brother to try new foods.

3) His enthusiasm for soccer.

4) What a talented Lego-builder he's become.

5) The fact that he has a soft spot for babies.

6) He does his chores without complaining...most of the time.

7) How well he and Kyle play superheroes together.

8) His appreciation of an organized room, even if he doesn't seem to think maintaining that organization worthwhile.

9) The way his eyes shine when he knows he's getting the math lesson.

10) The fact that he loves being read to from the Word of God!

10 things I love about my boy: Kyle

1) The fact that he is so quick to laugh.

2) That he will run to get a drink of milk, in the middle of a wrestling session, because he believes it will give him a burst of super strength. Milk is to Kyle what spinach is to Popeye.

3) His great passion for reading. Because of this passion, he can read words like "responsible," "advance," and "innovate" from signs and t-shirts, with no problem.

4) How easily he shares with others.

5) The way he is utterly smitten with his new sister. I'm talking smitten.

6) How he runs to Elise when she cries and, as if it's his beloved duty, leans down and sings "Rock-A-Bye Baby" into her ear. And yes, she does stop crying.

7) His strong sense of justice.

8) That he has finally accepted that if he sits still, his fingernails will be clipped ever-so-much more quickly.

9) The fact that his very favorite place to be is next to Elise.

10) The expression on his face when he says "Thanks, Mom."

10 things I love about my boy: Owen

1) The way his language is just exploding.

2) What an incredibly big cheeser he's become.

3) How much he enjoys playing with his big brothers.

4) The way he is so tickled to have a baby in the house.

5) What an attentive big brother he's turning out to be.

6) His love of protein.

7) The zeal with which he wrestles.

8) The way he joins in when we're singing, about a measure behind, but unmistakably there.

9) The way he's so cheerful in the morning when coming in to wake us up (at 6 AM) with a bright "Hi!!!"

10) How absolutely kissable he is!

10 things I love about my husband

1) His bee-yoo-ti-ful blue eyes!

2) His tender heart.

3) The way he takes his role as a father so seriously.

4) How much fun he has wrestling with the boys.

5) That he is our family's faithful bath-giver.

6) His dedication to serving the men in our church.

7) His work ethic, and the way he works to provide for our family so faithfully.

8) He is so gentle and understanding when I mess up.

9) The fact that he fell in love with the idea of birthing in the water, and at home, before it ever occurred to me.

10) The way he supports me in everything I do.

10 things I love about my little boy: Owen

1) His dimpled little knees. (does that really count for two?!)

2) His near-eternal patience (except when waiting for more cheese).

3) The way he leans his head on my shoulder and sighs.

4) His laugh when his brothers monkey around.

5) The excitement he feels when he says "hi hi hi hi hi hi..."

6) His extreme love of cheese. (And it's amazing that he can tolerate it, considering that I was eating dairy-free when he was exclusively nursing, because he seemed to have a reaction to dairy foods!)

7) How happily he plays by himself.

8) How happily he plays with the rest of us.

9) That toothy grin.

10) The sweetness that he brings to my life, every day.

10 things I love about my little boy: Benjamin

1) He still asks to sit on my lap.

2) The way he is such a helper, especially with his baby brother. He's becoming my right-hand man!

3) The enthusiasm he's showing as he grows more comfortable with his reading.

4) That he's always been convinced that his dad and I will keep on having babies...even before I was.

5) His sweet spirit when he tells me something on the dinner table is good, even if I can tell he doesn't like it.

6) His eagerness to tell his younger brothers about the world, imparting his 6-year-old knowledge.

7) The way he prays so earnestly for baby Stellan.

8) His pragmatism.

9) His growing spirit of adventure when it comes to trying new foods.

10) The evidence that he will be a wonderful daddy someday.

10 things I love about my little boy: Kyle

1) He has great enthusiasm for just about everything he does.

2) That he absolutely adores milk.

3) He loves to spend the night at his grandma and grandpa's house, and does really well there.

4) The way he is always so pleased and surprised to see the mountain when we're out driving.

5) That no matter how much he fights with his older brother, they're still best friends.

6) He comes to his dad and I when he's afraid.

7) Even when he has a hard time going into a classroom (Sunday school, Friday school) when I have to leave, he always has a blast.

8) That he loves to sing, and does this with all his might.

9) The way he is so happy to wave his big flag during worship time at Friday school.

10) His hunger to understand more about Jesus.

10 things I love about my little boy: Benjamin

10) The way he composes impromptu praise songs, even if he can never again remember how they went.

9) That he is finally deciding that trying new foods might be a good idea.

8) The way he is absolutely crazy about his baby brother.

7) That he is so excited about learning how to read.

6) How he can be so helpful, especially in the kitchen, or entertaining a fussy baby while I fix dinner.

5) That he is so easy-going and even-keel.

4) That he still loves to play with Kyle, even now that he's a big kindergartner.

3) How accomplished he felt when he learned to tie his shoelaces.

2) His sweet smile and twinkly brown eyes.

1) The fact that he still loves to love on me, and that his hugs make me feel like I want to be a better mother.

10 things I love about my little boy: Kyle

10) His meow-y language when he is "being a kitty."

9) The way he plays with his little rubber turtle and lizard as if they were his good friends.

8) His exuberance and the joy he takes in life.

7) Those dimples!

6) That he is always so thrilled to run and see the ice cream truck, regardless of whether or not he is getting a treat.

5) That he has such a good heart, and shares with his brothers so readily, without even being asked.

4) The way he sings a song with all that's in him, heedless of missing a few words or measures here and there.

3) The utter joy he takes in receiving mail.

2) The fact that because of him, I, as a brunette mom from a family of dark-haired people, and with a dark-haired husband, managed to have (for however long) the blonde child I've always hoped for.

1) The way he still fits so perfectly when he climbs up into my lap.

10 things I love about my little boy: Owen

10) The way he looks at me when Kyle is being loud and obnoxious. I know he's just a baby, but it feels like I've got a sympathizer.

9) He adores sweet potatoes!

8) The way he holds perfectly still, as if I'm telling him a secret, when I wipe his privates during a diaper change.

7) The fact that he loves to watch, listen to, and interact with, his big brothers.

6) That he's so mellow and low-maintenance...a wonderful quality in a third child!

5) He is incredibly patient.

4) His really cute toes.

3) How content he usually is when we're out running errands, at a soccer game, or at church, even if logically he should be a mess by then.

2) The sounds he makes when he thinks I am going to pick him up, and I don't, and he tries to get me to. He almost always convinces me that it would be a good time for a cuddle.

1) His precious, heart-warming, balm-to-my-heart giggle.