January 21st, 2009 by Kateastrophe

WARNING:  THIS MIGHT BE THE LONGEST POST EVER.  Seriously. 

So, I’m a Mormon, right?  And I’m 28 (woah).  And my husband is 33 (with a beautiful baby face that makes him look not a day over 25.  Jerk.).  We’ve been married for almost four years.  And we (shhhhh) don’t have any kids.

What’s that you say?  Mormons?  Without four kids in the fourth year of marriage?  Surely you jest!

Surely I do not.

Now, despite what I know some people think, I DO want kids.  I do want a little girl to dress up and teach how to be a princess, and I want a little boy that Matt can teach to play sports and all that boy stuff. 

I just don’t want them yet.  I don’t have all the words or reasons to explain why.  I think some of it has to do with growing up really fast and helping my Mom so much with my siblings.  I think some of it has to do with the fact that I sort of mother EVERYONE and EVERYTHING so I’m sort of exhausted by that whole thing sometimes.  I think some of it has to do with really loving my job and my freedom and two incomes and all those selfish things.  And I think some of it is that I’m just not ready. 

But sometimes I think the biggest reason is that I have all these little angels in my life, courtesy of my best friends.  I not only have the most amazing girlfriends in the world, but they have the best kids in the world.  I was thinking about all of them today and I thought I’d write a little tribute to my little bebes.  Would you like to meet them?  OF COURSE YOU WOULD!  I’m going to try to go in birth order here, but my apologies to my ladies if I mess it up.

First was Alayna.  Oh my goodness this girl came crashing into my world and with one blink of her giant, gorgeous eyes, she stole my heart.  This picture is a few years old but I absolutely love it.  She is smart and funny and EXACTLY like her mother, which is a total bonus because I LOVE her mother.  We were buddies from the beginning and I’ll never forget her famous question “cha doin Kaaaaate?”

Next came Princess Madeleine.  Again, the second I saw her, sucking vigorously on her mothers pinkie (something I think ALL of her mothers children did as babies) she stole my heart.  I spent a lot of time with Maddy until I moved to Phoenix and she is SUCH a ray of sunshine and joy.  Sometimes her mom and I laugh because people mistake her for my daughter, as she doesn’t look a whole lot like the dark haired, olive skinned woman who gave her life.  Maddy is a girlie-girl through and through and sort of reminds me of myself at her age.  Crown and all.  (Again, this picture is a little older, but captures Maddie perfectly!)

Now we have Miss Ava.  From the moment I walked into the hospital room to meet this little cherub, I knew there was something special about her.  She is awesome.  When she was tiny there was a lot of crap going on around her and she came out of it with a perma-smile and the best attitude ever.  She is a total fashion diva and is (almost) six going on eighteen.  Again, the picture is old, but I had to use it.  I love this girl.

Next is Blake.  Blake is PURE ladies man . . . always has been.  He had me at hello.  Well, before that really.  Blake is gorgeous, kind, funny, generous . . . all the things you want in a man PLUS he has a rockin’ sense of style and plays a mean game of Sorry.  All your hearts are about to be broken though, he’s in love with a girl at school named Eva.  Shoot.

Next is my Rylie girl.  Rylie was born during a funny period in my life, right before I met my husband . . . when I had black hair.  I don’t know WHY that’s relevant, but I’ve always thought it was funny that the pictures of me with Rylie right after she was born show a VERY different version of me.  Rylie cracks me up.  She apparently talks about me ALL the time, but when I finally show up to see her, she gets really shy and nervous.  Her dimples could melt the coldest heart and she is such an amazing little girl.  She calls me Auntie Kate and I just love love love it.

Sammy Sam Sammer.  What to say about Sam.  Oh yeah.  I LOVE HIM.  He is so stinkin’ awesome and funny and gorgeous and awesome and great and awesome.  Last time I stayed at his house he insisted on sleeping with his cars in his bed and scared me to death when he moved around and they rolled against the wall.  He smiles ALL THE TIME.  I love him.  SEE?  How could you not?

Now for Cache.  OH how I love me some Cache.  I got married just a few months after Cache was born so I haven’t spent as much time with him (or the kids that follow him) as the ones up above, but Cache is HILARIOUS.  His Mom would tell us stories of clever little things he’d say or do and have us rolling around laughing.  It’s not surprising  because his mother is hilarious.  His personality is so unique and awesome.  And guess what?  Today is his birthday!  Happy Birthday, little man!

Next is Mr. Nathan.  I just had the pleasure of getting to know Nathan a little better and he is so freaking cool.  He has every word to Linkin Park’s “Shadow of a Day” memorized and gets mad at his Mom if he doesn’t get to do his special move to “Human” by The Killers.  Did I mention he’s three?  Yeah,  three.  He’s got a big, hilarious personality.  He might just be the death of his mom, but at least she’ll die laughing!

Brandon comes next in the long list of my loves.  He entered the world with a huge mop of curly black hair which eventually grew out blonde and somehow turned into a black tipped mohawk.  It. Was.  Awesome.  As is he.  He is ALL boy and so much fun.  His love for his mother is unparralelled  and he loves to snuggle.  His birthday is also today and he is going to school for the first time ever!  I’m so excited to watch him learn and grow!  He is SO very special to me.

 Now for Alli Grace.  I introduced you guys to Alli a few posts ago, but she’s obviously worth mentioning again.  Alli has one of the biggest personalities I’ve ever encountered.  She has me wrapped around her little finger and I cannot resist when she sits on the carpet and carefully pats the spot next to her and says “Ka-eeey, sit!”  I just want to squeeze her!!

Isaac comes next.  I always had a special place in my heart for Isaac but I got to spend some more time with him recently and WOW do I love him.  Isaac has really struggled in his short little life and I’m amazed at how he’s learning and growing and at the sacrifices that have been made to help him out.  He just melts my heart with his crystal blue eyes and constant laughter.  Oh so sweet.

Little Lucy joined the world next.  Like her mother, she IS JOY.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen her not smiling and giggling.  She is just amazing.  And would you look at her?  WATCH OUT WORLD!

 Avella my bella came next.  She and I haven’t spent a lot of time together, but she is like a round ball of amazingness. She is her Daddy’s clone and so freaking awesome.   She spent some time at my house a few weeks ago and her laugh and smile are so contagious!

Now for Cole.  OoooOOOOOooooh.  Cole is just a sweet little cherub!  He has these rosy cheeks and blonde hair and perfect smile and OOOOOooooOOOOH.  I just want to hold him close forever.  I mean LOOK AT THIS BABY!

Last but CERTAINLY not least is Miss Nora.  She was my birthday present this year and I just got back from spending two hours holding and feeding her.  I’m so amazed that just three weeks ago she wasn’t here and now I can’t imagine the world without her.

So now you have met my loves.  Aren’t they precious and amazing?  I know there are going to be more joining them in the future and I can’t wait to meet the little spirits that my best friends get to bring into the world.

Someday, I’ll have babies of my own to post pictures of and brag about, but for now, these 15 little angels are enough.  I am so very lucky to get to love each and every one of them and watch them grow up into amazing people — just like their mothers.