A little late, but worth the wait

It's been a few months since I've last written, last documented, last let my emotions fill a page. Life gets busy, days turn into weeks-weeks into days, and other happenings take importance over the simple pleasures of writing the story of my life, of our lives. 

In December, we had our family pictures taken for our Christmas Card at Eldorado Park in Long Beach. As always, it was "fun" to try and get all three kiddos to sit, smile and look at the camera all at the same exact time. At the time the pictures were taken, Giulietta  was 6 years, 2 months, Presley was 4 years, and Holden 1 year, 5 months. 

Tonight as I look back at the pictures, it's amazing to see how much my trio has changed and grown in the last four months. Longer hair, stretched out bodies and tanner skin are only the easily recognizable changes. Giulietta can read and dance, Presley tells us how it is and makes us laugh with her wit, and Holden says more words and rides his scooter. They grow too fast. I spend each day with them, almost every waking moment in fact, but they continue to grow, continue to change, continue to not allow me to keep them small forever. 

Giving Back...My Brother Needs Some Help

Dear Friends & Family, 

My amazing brother, Kenny Hardy, is on a mission to save kids and he needs YOUR help. Our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital treats thousands of children each year, regardless of their family's ability pay. These kids are facing scary stuff like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and injuries from accidents, to name just a few.

On October 25, 2014, Kenny will be participating in a HUGE worldwide celebration of the social impact of gamers of all kinds. He will be playing games (video games, board games, and tabletop RPG's) for 24 hours to help raise awareness and show his support for the children in our community. It's my sincere hope that you'll find it in you heart to support my brothers efforts with a monthly pledge or a one-time gift that will go directly to his hospital of choice.

Your generous donation is tax-deductible and ALL PROCEEDS go to help kids.  Please make a safe, easy donation online today using the link below. 

http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=99852

Thanks!

A Very Proud Sister

Adding Another Branch to the Morad Family Tree

Last week when I was visiting Presley's Classroom for the Mother's Day Tea, I turned my head and saw this little gem proudly displayed up on her classroom wall. Instantly my eyes were drawn to the picture in the middle that I absolutely adore & credit to my AMAZING photographer friend Molly Marie Williams ! Then, my eyes continued to sweep the picture reading everyones name, until it came to Baby Brother. Instantly my eyes teared up and my heart was filled with this unexplainable joy!

It may sound strange to some, when I say that looking at this family tree which Presley made at school suddenly made it all seem real! Yes, I've had countless numbers of ultrasounds! Yes, I feel Baby Brother kick daily! Yes, I've pinned & pinned, dreamed & dreamed, and shopped & shopped for this little guy inside of me! However, it just wasn't made REAL until the moment I saw this picture, saw his name, and remembered that even though I couldn't see him physically in it, he was in fact in my belly at the time the picture was taken!

Our family tree of four branches has already been added to five, and I can't wait for the minute that I see my little princes face, hear his cry, and hold him for the first time!

First Born Princess...Monthly Update

The girls are growing so damn fast! I blink and they are taller, smarter, and more beautiful! I try my best to document the growth on our blog through our daily, weekly, and monthly events, but I get behind because life happens. So, I've decided to start doing a monthly update on each one of them to more vividly show their growth, their progress, and to simple state something that strikes me about them in the short four week span, because we all know that one day we won't remember these little moments like we do today! So...here it goes!

Giulietta Elizabeth
4 years, 5 months old
This girl LOVES anything to do with drawing, painting, or making her creative mark on this world. She is hating change these days, and is especially sensitive when it comes to her new shared room.
G is writing all the time, asking how to spell things, and noticing patterns in language & vocabulary.
She takes a special interest in keeping Presley safe, taken care of, and happy!

Hop Hop HIppity Hop!!

This Easter was filled with lots of Hippity Hopping and bunny basket fun, a yummy breakfast with my first ever attempt at festive deviled eggs, visits with lots of cousins, an Easter egg hunt,  pretty dresses & big brimmed hats, and LOADS of candy!

The girls woke up to Bunny prints, candy filled eggs, and carrots sprawled all over the floors of our home. I was so excited to capture their faces when they witnessed this magic that I literally slept with my camera on my night stand and set my alarm clock so I would make it into the hallway before them. They pointed, touched, giggled and hopped around imitating the bunny that had left his mark in our home the night before. With the magic flowing, the girls followed the prints to our dining room table where they found their bunny baskets overflowing with a few of their favorites as well as a bunch of candy! And, of course I allowed them to dive into the chocolate at 7 AM in the morning! Why not?

The day continued with breakfast around our table that included festive deviled eggs, delicious baked french toast, a crock pot ham, and a few others. Nana & Fafa, Fafa Rick, Uncle Nick, Auntie Laura & Baby Isla joined us as we ate, chatted, & enjoyed each others company. In the early afternoon, we ventured over to Aunt Bonnie's house for an Easter Egg hunt & more chocolate with more cousins! The girls took a quick trip with Nana to Knott's later in the afternoon, and we all ended up back at Nana & Fafa's house in the evening for a little TV watching.

All in all this Easter was amazingly spent with family celebrating love and life. It's becoming more and more real that next year we will have a little man joining our family. And, YES he will be wearing a Pink tie!

Blue is the new Pink!

Before I ever had children I was told by the Hubster's family that I would only have boys! So, I always found my eyes wandering to Mom's of boys, especially those of three boys, because after all we always wanted three! I was okay with it, not thrilled, but definitely okay! Boys are different, boys are fun, boys have so much energy!

But...as we all know I had two beautiful girls, and boy were they a welcomed surprise! For 5 years now all I've lived & breathed & eyed & sewed are PINK! Pink paint, Pink clothes, Pink shoes, Pink toys, Pink everything! PINK, PINK, PINK!!

So, now that I'm having a little boy, Blue sounds so foreign! I see it in emails, I hear my friends talking about it, and I buy clothes with the color in it. Yet, I feel so confused at times, because after all Pink has been my life! As each day passes, and as Baby Boys kicks become harder and more frequent, the idea that I'm having a SON is becoming so real & so exciting! At this point, the nesting has kicked in & I can't stop looking at clothes for him, thinking about how I want his room to look, and dreaming about holding him while I rock him to sleep in his nursery!



Momma at 20 weeks Pregnant!


Baby BOY Morad at 20 weeks! The hand is pointing to his goods!


Baby Boy with his hands in his face, just like his big sisters!


One has to really use their imagination for this picture. It is a view of Baby Boys bottom with his legs spread real wide. The little guys goods are in the middle & of course he is touching them already!


And this....is my FAVORITE! The sweet profile of my sweet boy! I just can't wait to kiss his little nose!

No Words

There are NO WORDS that can express how much LOVE I have for these two girls! 

They are my world, my everything, the true product of what I will leave behind one day! 

They truly are beautiful inside & out, and I'm so proud to call them MINE! 

A Heart Full of Thanks

All day I've been thinking about how I can express my thanks this year to all those whom fully deserve it. You see, it's almost been a year since I had that "Ah Ha" moment that I so desperately needed. That moment that has propelled me this past year to learn, grow, feel, love, and be thankful more. That moment that was changed me physically, mentally, and emotionally. And, now that I think back to the time before the great "Ah Ha," I am sadly reminded of how I failed to show much thanks and appreciation at all. So...here is my second chance, my do-over, my mistakes made right, my thanks spoken.



First and foremost, I am thankful for my family. The Morad Four pictured above, and the extended Hardy/Morad Family (minus a few), pictured below. These people are the best family members anyone can ask for. When I ask they answer, when I need they help, when I want they give, and when I love they love more. They are my everything, and my life would be so incomplete without each one of them in it.





I am thankful for the hubster! He's my rock. The one who keeps me standing, who challenges me daily, who loves me unconditionally. Its been a mere 13 years together, but each day still feels so new, so fun, so much more then what I had every dreamed. This man completes me, he gets how I work, he understands the idiosyncrasies that others don't, he listens & boy does he have a lot to listen to, he supports everything I put my mind to, and he loves me & the girls more then unconditionally.





I am thankful for being a Momma, and the time I am blessed to spend with my girls. Every minute I get to hold their hands, watch them smile, hear their giggles, and dry their tears is a minute that I embrace, and a minute I would never give up for a job, for more money, for anything! They are my best gift that I can every give, my best job well done, and my best contribution to this world. They are an extension of me, and I'm proud to say that I've done good!





I am thankful for my first born GEM. Giulietta is so sweet, smart, and full of love. She makes me laugh uncontrollably at times with her quirky personality, abnormally large vocabulary, and animated stories. My girl is a lover of peace making, question asking, and independence. G is a great thinker, always contemplating life and its adventures from a distance before jumping in and enjoying it!





I am thankful for THIS GIRL, the MINI, my second born rock star! Presley exudes so much energy, charm, and spirit. After first glance, anyone can see that her red hair and sparkling blue eyes give away her spitfire personality, but it's not until you REALLY know her that you can truly appreciate her charismatic personality. She is a natural born character always looking to make people around her smile and laugh. As wild, dangerous, and carefree as Presley seems, this girl is without a doubt my little koala who hangs tightly and contently on my hip.




I am thankful for sisters! This is a bond I have never truly felt, but can only imagine would be amazing to have. Everyday I watch them grow closer together, loving each other for their own uniqueness, and creating a bond that I am sure will never be broken. My heart smiles when I see them interact, share, and love each other the way they do!





I am thankful for my brother...the Uncle Kaka! He is such an amazing man who loves my girls as if they were his own. When they are around him their little faces are the brightest anyone will ever see. He never lets them done, treats them with utmost respect, and thinks about them when he doesn't really have to. He takes his job as "the god-father" with utmost respect, and he plays with them, teaches me, and helps them whenever they ask. He is always around, never missing a thing, and giving them the opportunity to create lifelong memories with him!





I am thankful for my girl's forever friends! The friends they are being raised with on a daily basis, the ones they can fight with one minute then snuggle up on the couch with the next, the friends they will experience many of their firsts with throughout their lives, the friends they will turn to when us parents are long gone.




I am thankful for my "other girls!" These ladies are my net that have been holding me out of the depths of the water for as long as I can remember. They listen, they laugh, they lecture, they question, they lend a helping hand, they create memories, they give support, and they show love. They have no idea how much every last one of them means to me, how much they have given me, and how much I truly appreciate them. I look forward to the time when we all are old & gray reminiscing about the good ole' days that we are experiencing now!





And...I'm thankful for ME! Does that sound too self centered? Oh well, it's the honest truth. I really am thankful to be ME again. For so long I was being the me that I saw in other peoples eyes, the one that I thought they needed me to be, when in fact that me wasn't really ME at all. I have worked hard at becoming the ME i have always thought myself to be and now that I'm here, my heart is smiling big!



And...I'm Thankful for YOU! The one who may or may not have been mentioned, the one who is taking the time & interest in my life, my family, my world!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Katie