Loving Our Little Rainbow

Some people may not know that a baby born after the loss of a previous baby is referred to as a Rainbow baby.... the rainbow after the storm. 

I knew that this baby would be special... I just didn't know how special. When you suffer a loss like we did, you appreciate what you have so much more. After we lost Oliver, I hugged the kids more often and learned that every second that I have with them is precious. I stopped wishing away the younger, more difficult years and starting living more in the moment. I find that I am appreciating the small things with Hugh so much more than I did with the other kids. I find myself staring at him more, being more understanding of his cries and being less willing to put him down. I miss him while he sleeps and can't separate myself from him when he is awake.

Parenting a child after a loss also makes me a more cautious parent. I worry about him when he is sleeping and I am gentle with him. I can already tell I will have a harder time saying no and I will probably coddle him a little bit more.... but you know what, I'm ok with that. This is my selfish baby. He is my last and he was never meant to be here. He is here against all odds and after two losses. He is my Rainbow Baby. 

Mrs. E

Kids of Steel Triathlon 2016

We are so proud of our two little Triathletes. 

This last weekend, our tiny humans took part in the Kids of Steel Triathlon that I used to race direct. The weather was perfect and they were so excited to race! We have spent the last couple of months pumping up the kids and working on their biking and running skills. David has been running mini brick workouts in our cul de sac for our littles and we told them all about the finisher medals and the snacks at the finish line. It was just enough to get them completely pumped. 

We woke the kids up bright and early and got them packed in the car. Dave set up the kids transition and we got them registered and body marked. Even though they were in the same age category they were in two different heats so we got them all ready to go and made our way to the pool deck. 

Sydney was the first to go in Heat #2. She had a great race! After being a little bit hesitant about getting into the water because of the temperature, she took off. Her bike was awesome! It was so much fun to see her on her two wheeler and she was hilarious in transition. She was so happy to earn her medal and grab a snack!

Henry was up next. He took his time in the pool but the volunteer in the water was so good with him. The fact that our three year old was in the pool swimming a length impressed all of us! When he got out of the pool he took off running like crazy to transition. He was so fast that it was tough to get a picture of him! He knew exactly where to go on the course and was so pumped to get his medal at the end.

The morning was incredible and the kids are walking away with some nice hardware and great memories. We are looking forward to next year!

Mrs. E