The Sweetest Things, Q4

A couple points to get out before beginning... {1} I've never been totally happy with the title (The Non-Thing Things) of this recurring post, so I've been toying with a few ideas. You may or may not see this one again. And, {2} the last time I stepped foot into this Starbucks, I walked out in labor and gave birth four hours later. Feels pretty, pretty weird to be here.
And speaking of the little one who began to show signs in this very place of her impending appearance, I have to give her a great big Whoopie! for giving Mommy a 10 hour stretch of sleep on Sunday night followed by an 8 1/2 hour stretch last night (and I realize that by simply typing that, I'm pretty much guaranteed to be feeding her every three hours tonight.) I'm sitting here on this Tuesday afternoon having showered, dried (and flat-ironed!) my hair, applied make-up, and crossed five items off my to-do list (no need to mention how many items it contains.) Better get to bloggin' before I crash from the largest burst I've energy I've felt in six months!

The Sweetest Things in the Final Quarter of 2012...

1. Just Wright... how can the birth of our latest (and last barring some supernatural intervention) little love not top the list this quarter? It's hard to believe, really, that we've only known Baby Wright for ten weeks as it feels like I've been in love with her forever. As babies go, she really is the cream of the crop. She cries so infrequently, that I can barely conjure a mental sound of her cry, and just thinking of her precious smile can bring tears to my eyes. It's not just me who feels this amazing love for our itty-bitty, both her Daddy and Sister Bears are equally smitten. It blows my mind that we were a family before she came into our lives as her addition has truly felt as if we've located a missing piece to the puzzle. 
2. Miss Congeniality...Carter has always been a bit of a social butterfly, but that butterfly has seriously spread her wings over these past few months. It's been such a joy watching her integrate into a new city and a new school with such ease, and she quickly acquired a much busier social calendar than I. At times I actually worry about her being so friendly since she thinks nothing of rolling down her window at stoplights to say a quick 'hello' to neighboring drivers or of standing on the front porch and shouting pleasantries to passersby. As of late, her manners have also made this Mommy quite proud. 'Yes Ma'am' flies frequently from her mouth as does 'Excuse me' and 'May I please...' By no means is she perfect - current challenges include incessant, nails on a chalkboard-style whining and tattle-telling - but she's pretty darn terrific to this Mommy (and it goes without saying that she's the apple of Daddy's eye.) 
3. Southern Hospitality...prior to our move back to Charlotte, I'd been excited about returning to the culture of the South. As the move became more imminent, though, I wondered if I was idealizing the reality: would little girls really show up to preschool in darling smocked dresses? I'm happy to report that it's all I imagined and more (the first day of school was a sea of smocking!) I was so touched when the moms from Murphy's class put together a calendar for bringing meals to our family after Wright was born. These ladies didn't even know me or our family, yet they took the time to bring us tasty dinners (each complete with dessert) during a hectic season of life. Other moms have offered advice on everything from elementary schools to pediatricians to summer camps and welcomed Carter into their homes for playdates. And the kind gestures haven't been limited to just the Southern ladies. Though Lindsay has less time for socializing, two of his professional contacts have used business meetings as an opportunity to invite us to social events. Over the holiday season, we were added to Christmas card lists and fresh baked goodies were delivered to our door. Despite being the new folks in town, we've felt a warm, Southern welcome everywhere we've been. 
4. Quite the Character... I'm not sure there's a better word to describe the gal who, when asked, insists her name is 'Jelly Samich!'; Murphy is really, something. She turned two during the final quarter of 2012, and with that increase in age came an explosion of new language. She went from saying demanding screeching 'milky' when she wanted a cup of the white stuff, to sweetly voicing the entire phrase 'May I please have milky?' for the same request. (I so wish this post had audio because the way she dictates each word so precisely is just plain adorable.) The equally screeched 'UPY!' when she desired to be held (pretty much during any time that a normal person would be walking) has become 'May I have upy, please?' One of her longest sentence to-date came as she expressed her desire to drink from the sweet springs of Mommy-milk: 'Mur-Mur drinkin' Baby Wright's milky? Booby?' Her stubborn nature continues to be mind-boggling; a favorite new phrase is, 'My turn! I do it all myself! And, as eager as Carter is to please, Murphy is equally eager to portray an I-don't-give-a rat's-fanny-what-you-think attitude. Girlfriend spent over twenty minutes sitting and thinking (our version of time out) about getting her left shoe (she was already wearing the right one) out of the basket so that we could go to lunch. Once the entire family was loaded up in the car, ready to pull out of the garage, she hopped up, found the shoe, and put it on while muttering 'Silly me!' to herself. As I said, a character. 
5. Fallin' in Love...here's the thing, and I know you moms will get this, there's just something about watching your husband love fall in love with your children that makes you fall even more in love with him. As a Mommy to three darling daughters, I get to experience this triple-fold. Lindsay and Carter are kindred spirits in so many ways, and watching them bond over Batman or work on a drawing projects together makes me feel all fuzzy inside. I never see that little girl's face more gleeful then when her Daddy pulls in the drive-way after a work week. He is equally smitten with our Murphy in the Middle and has even admitted that her pretty face hides a multitude of sins in his eyes. And, now, our sweet little Wright has taken another piece of Daddy's heart. Like me, he can't get enough of her and has been soaking-in each sweet newborn snuggle. Additionally, he has been superbly playing the role of Superdad! by doubling up on diaper and burping and swaddling duty since the feeding duty is falling solely on Mommy's shoulders. His willingness to help where needed and to recognize when I've needed rest, especially during Wright's first few weeks, has been such a help. I'm not trying to say that our relationship while in the trenches of Newbornland has been all cupids and rainbows, but I can say that this variety of fallin in love infinitely surpasses the flutters that first appeared nearly ten years ago. 

When Lindsay and I were introduced as Mr. and Mrs. at our wedding reception almost seven years ago,  we chose U2's The Sweetest Thing as our entry song. On that day, I had no idea what the years would bring or how that magical day was just a precursor to years and years of even Sweeter Things. As always, writing this particular post reminds me of just how wonderful life is in Lewellen house.