Birthdays, Butterflies and Beginnings

A lot has been going on since my last post. Savvy started swim lessons again and is halfway through her first class for the summer. We're having her repeat the seahorse level back to back this time around so that the skills have time to sink in (no pun intended). She's learning to do the backstroke, float in the water and how to move her arms for a freestyle stroke. It's amazing to remember that just last year she was terrified of the water or of anyone going underneath it while she was around. Now she looks forward to the end of class when she can jump off the wall into the water before her instructor pulls her to the surface. She's quite the little fish.

We also celebrated Kai and Layla's third birthdays last weekend at Funderland. The kids got to ride a bunch of rides together and even do a pony ride. It's hard to believe that the twins are already three- or that Savvy is almost four. We're already noticing that with Miles time is flying by. He's already over nine months old and on his way to turning one. It's crazy.

Yesterday we finally released Savvy's butterflies. She'd received a butterfly garden kit from my cousin Chris and we'd sent away for the caterpillars which would grow to become butterflies in her new mesh garden. Savvy was fascinated with watching the caterpillars grow and then spin a cocoon before finally emerging as beautiful butterflies. She liked feeding them (sugar water on freshly cut flowers in case you were interested) and finally decided it was time to set them free in our backyard. She helped them out of the mesh enclosure one by one and set them free. Today she seemed to have forgotten about this since she ran right into the house and then said "Where did my butterflies go?!"

Today was also my first day back to work. I've been telling myself for a long time that I couldn't wait to get back and get a break from the rigors of babydom. Anyone who asked was reassured that I was HAPPY to get back and get a break. But then I got back into my office this morning and put up all my new pictures of the kids and a funny thing happened. I missed them like crazy-- especially baby Miles, who I was convinced I wouldn't miss at all. I ended up staring at their pictures for most of the day and was delighted when D reported that his first transition day of daycare went well and that he hadn't fussed once and had napped well. Sometimes a little distance really does make the heart grow fonder. This evening I held him a lot and we walked to the park so Savvy could get out some energy. After we got back in he sucked down half a bottle then put his head on my chest and fell instantly asleep. I love that little guy. It's funny how love just creeps up on you. You think you're stressed and having trouble bonding and then all of a sudden you're hit with a wave of love like a mack truck. From the time Miles came home we claimed him as ours and were committed to seeing the process out however it was meant to go, but that loving connection took awhile longer than either of us anticipated. I started to wonder at one point if it would ever come. And then, out of nowhere, you look at this tiny face and can't imagine how your family was ever complete without it, and know that come hell or highwater he's family now and you'll do whatever you have to do to protect him. As they say, better late than never. :)