Five

Together you wrestle with the space inside the computer chair as it knocks against the desk, balancing long legs and long arms and complete sentences.

Somehow you are taking turns, or one has just given up the lead and you watch movie after movie of your little selves on the screen. (Because you can do that now, you can manage the laptop or iPad or any device set in front of you with an ease it took me a college degree to learn.)

Laughing at spaghetti-ed faces or mimicking your babied voices, you are both enthralled by your tiny Yous.

And I wonder how we got here.

How we went from babies stretched and curved through my belly to toddlers leaning for steps to two little big people, all sure and proud of themselves, dressed in crooked pants and righted shirts, hanging onto each other as quickly as you let go.

Today I was cutting the crust off your peanut butter and jelly and yesterday I was rocking you during a midnight feed.

The in between is fuzzy with wagon rides and afternoon baths and toes deep in sand.

But the sound of it all, the beeping machines of your beginning, the newborn cries turned to babbling sounds flowing to belly giggles, they are as clear as your brand new five year-old voices telling me you are not four anymore.

And you are not, you are moving forward and pulling me with you, ignoring my yellow light to slow down this growing up business.

I don’t want to miss a second. I want to wave back at four and welcome five with open arms that pull you close and breath you and your amazingness in and then stand back and marvel at the fact that you are mine.

All three of you, one forever our baby and two who call for Mommy and remind me just how lucky I am to be the one who gets to answer back.

holding preemies

Happy Birthday to you, Parker, McKenna and Hadley

hugging

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  1. Happy birthday to your sweet children! It is such a blur, huh? Thinking of you today and sending you lots of prayers and love.
    Krista recently posted..Mouthy
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  2. Funny how today and yesterday can seem marathons and mere skips away depending on the moment.

    Beautiful.
    Amanda recently posted..Pressing Moments

  3. Abbey and Dylan just saw the picture and Dylan is now singing Happy Birthday :)

    Happy birthday Hadley, McKenna, and Parker! xo
    angela recently posted..Reviewing Love Comes Later

  4. So, so beautiful. Both your words and your babies. Happy birthday to your sweeties!!
    Chaunie@TinyBlueLines recently posted..Is Motherhood Really A Job?
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  5. happy.happy.birthday to all three. you explain the ache of growth so well. i am so excited as we enter these new phases because i get to witness all the amazing things in life they will overcome, create, experience… but sometimes? i leave the light on and the door cracked open just a little so i can still peek in on the years we are rapidly leaving behind.
    tara pohlkotte recently posted..The Peace of Quiet Activism
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  6. Happy birthday!
    Corey Feldman recently posted..Egret the Elephant volume 1 for free
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  7. Happy birthday to your kiddos and thank you for such a beautiful post. Those were long days, fast years, huh?
    HouseTalkN recently posted..The Poor Woman’s Biore Strip

  8. Happy Birthday to your babies! And to you on this joyous and sorrowful day. Big hugs and love to you.
    christine recently posted..Happy Birthday, Big Sister
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  9. Happy birthday to all of your children! I really enjoy reading what you write, but this was especially touching and well written. Thinking of you and wishing you peace.
    Tara (nerdgirlmom) recently posted..If I Had a Hammer…Or a Vending Machine
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  10. …”one forever our baby”, the one we all miss so much. I wish we could celebrate three 5 year olds today, we were blessed with Hadley for a few days, till we meet again, happy birthday my angel. Happy Birthday Parker & McKenna. I love you with all my heart.

  11. Beautiful tribute to your kiddos. So sweet and, man, it makes me want to go hug my five year olds. Even if it means waking them up for a snuggle and a peck.

    Happy birthday to all of your angels.
    Ninja mom recently posted..I know why the cavemom cries.

  12. Happy birthday to them…I wish a good health and a happy life…

  13. happy birthday to all of you. :)
    wendy recently posted..To My New Mom Self
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  14. Happy birthday to your Parker, McKenna and Hadley! What a beautiful letter.
    Kim at Let Me Start By Saying recently posted..Distracted Driving: Thoughts While on the Road
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  15. This was the line that did it:
    “how lucky I am to be the one who gets to answer back.”

    You get to me.
    Every time.
    julie gardner recently posted..When a Teacup Is Not a Teacup

    • It is crazy though, don’t you think? Sometimes when you look at your kids and think about how amazing they are (because of course they are because they are yours), that they are ours? So lucky to be moms.

  16. So, so beautiful.
    Jennifer recently posted..Let’s stop bullying

  17. Beautiful. Your words, your heart and your remarkable five year olds. xoxo
    Tonya recently posted..The One
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  18. Happy birthday to your beautiful babies! May the year ahead be filled with good health and much happiness for all of you! xo
    Kristen @ Motherese recently posted..Sweet Relief
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  19. What lovely children you make! A thousand hugs to you on your triplets’ birthday. (Holding your heart in mine, knowing the bitter that comes with the sweet this day.)
    Varda (SquashedMom) recently posted..Her way home
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  20. Happy birthday to them!

    Thinking of you all and breathing with you over the next few days.
    Robin @ Farewell, Stranger recently posted..It Matters
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  21. I hope that they have the best birthday… but I hate that this day is so bitter sweet for you.
    Jen recently posted..Don’t Wake Me Up

  22. Everyone tells you before you become a mom about how fast it all goes. It’s the truest, heaviest cliche there is. My littlest just turned one, and I can barely take it. I never imagined I would want someone to soar and stay in my arms so badly.
    Happiest of birthdays to your big five year olds, and your sweet sweet angel.
    Jenni Chiu recently posted..Jenni Chiu – Survivor.
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  23. So much happiness and so much sadness all packed in together. Sending you blessings and peace.
    Jessica recently posted..Five Reasons To Read ‘Growing Your Homeschool’
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  24. Happy Birthday!! Such a beautiful tribute to your three beautiful children. I will be thinking of you today!
    Barbara recently posted..Welcome to France – Les Greves
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  25. Happy Birthday, Parker, McKenna and baby Hadley.
    You are such beautiful children, whether growing up here or watching from the stars in the sky.
    Happy Birthday!!!!

  26. Ohmygosh…tears. Happy (belated) birthday to your five year olds. This was simply beautiful.
    And (hugs) because I know hard days are near.
    xoxo
    Runnermom-jen recently posted..Seasons…

  27. A belated happy birthday to your triplets.
    L.McG.-E. recently posted..Still life, still film. Mostly.
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  1. [...] shoulder and crying as we watched our lantern float to the sky, finishing our week of birthdays and anniversaries with one last send off to our baby girl. I thought it would be sad and [...]

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