Family time

The day after Mila's crazy little birthday party, we had a family party so everyone could wish Mila a happy birthday (aka the grandmas and grandpas). So I wasn't off the hook yet, but I got a glorious night of sleep and I felt goood the next morning! I got to cooking and baking, and didn't stop until everyone arrived for dinner in the evening. And I have to say, I pulled this one off pretty well! It was the opposite of the day before.

We had chicken piccata, sausages, smashed potatoes, parsley rice, caesar salad, Ukrainian potato salad, and a delicious cannellini bean and leek soup. I frosted some cupcakes, threw together a dump cake (so good), and brought out all the dessert the kids didn't eat the night before, and we had ourselves a party.

We're blessed to have both my and B's parents living in town, as well as B's brother and three of my four siblings, plus cousins and such, so it's always nice when we all get together. It was a good evening of food, conversation, some gift-giving, and more candles, of course. And I wasn't exhausted like the day before, which made all the difference! 

Our big girl is now six years old, and my, how it's flown! I still remember that screaming baby that taught me all over again what it meant to have a baby in the house (just in time, cause I had almost forgotten :) ). She was colicky for four long months, and wouldn't stop screaming for any of it! She was born with two clubfeet and a fierce set of lungs for all the screaming she would be doing. She went through months of castings to fix her little feet, then a surgery, and a leg brace that she wore 24 hours a day for several months, then every single night for four years.

I'll never forget having to put that brace on her legs every night at bedtime for those long years, and talking her into it, and explaining why Ben and Olivia don't have to wear one. She learned to sit with it on, then crawl, as it held her feet together like a snowboard. I remember thinking how these little children can adapt to anything when I saw her learning to roll over with it on, and how good she got at dealing with it. We found out about Mila's clubfoot during an ultrasound when I was pregnant with her, and my world changed from that day on. I was overcome with sadness, the deepest sadness I have felt, and I couldn't shake it no matter how good a day I was having. It was always there in the back of my mind. It took my heart so long to heal from the sadness I felt every day for her, knowing I was powerless to help her, but I know now that time heals all wounds, and I'm glad I never blamed God for any of it or got bitter about it.

I couldn't thank God enough that her feet looked so good at the end of it all, that He provided such good doctors for her, and that He helped her get through it, as well as gave B and I the wisdom and determination to go through with all the treatment to the end. That girl is a miracle, and I'm excited to see this new year of her life unfold. She's still our little drama queen, no matter what!

I'm wiping my tears, reliving those days in my mind, and it doesn't help that I'm hormonal as it is! :) Today was a long one--I cleaned the house all. day. long, did laundry, changed sheets, bought some winter things for the kids, had two play dates at our house, got our sprinklers blown out, and left all my money at Costco to top off the night. Now I'm on the couch, exhausted, but a good kind of exhausted, because I know it's from a productive day. I'm thinking tomorrow will be much slower and relaxing, however. Have a great weekend!

xoxo,
Tanya