Happy, happy birthday to our dearest Gabrielle, who goes by so many other names. Brie, BrieBrie, BB, Cheese, Barf Bag, and our most recent and my personal favorite, PeePee (thank you, Cora).
We knew that the youngest member of the Fernandi clan was trouble from the day she was sent to the principal's office for fighting in elementary school. But it was only because someone said something bad about her sister. And in true Gabrielle fashion, she would NOT stand for that. I wish I had even an ounce of her courage. She is not afraid to stand up for what is right no matter what. She is small but mighty. I can't wait to see how she changes this world, because I know that she will not leave it without making a huge impact. Thats just how she rolls.
To say that she is "quirky" would be an extreme understatement. We all made fun of her when this is all she wanted for Christmas one year . . .
Yesterday I heard this quote by G.K. Chesterton, "Dead things go with the stream. Only a living thing can go against it." That's Brie. So full of life and unafraid to be her own person. She is anything but ordinary. I hope my girls pick that up from her.
But underneath it all, she is really just a sweetheart. She feels so deeply for other people and has a heart that is constantly looking to be of service to others.
Its a funny thing to have a sister that is so much younger than Tara and I. In fact, I can remember that in my first confession, the only sin that I had to confess as an 8 year old was that my older sister and I always fought over who would get to hold our little sister. And even though over the years we have probably "mothered" her more than she would have liked, or too often treated her like our "annoying little sister" she is really the key member of our little wolf pack.
She is one of my best friends in the world. I love our deep conversations, mutual love for old trinkets, english man voices and feasts that are composed of entirely too much cheese.
I am so unbelievably proud of her. I amazed at her success here at A&M. She is doing so great and has been working so hard to achieve her goals. We love being able to live so close to her! The girls are so blessed to have her around. She goes out of her way to make them feel special. I find comfort in the face that they will always have her to lean on as they grow up.
And to demonstrate how much she is really loved by Cora, one of my favorite videos of all time . . .
Happy Birthday, Gabrielle Blair. We hope you have an outstanding 19th year!!
(This marks the end of my year o' birthday posts. It has left me more appreciative than ever of all the amazing people that God has put in my life. I am eternally grateful.)
We were so thrilled to meet our little girl this week! So far everything has been smooth sailing! I had a very easy delivery and she is perfectly healthy. We only had to stay in the hospital for 24 hrs with her so we have been enjoying every minute of having her at home. Especially her big sister. Cora has been great!! This is such a big change in her little life and she is handling it like a champ. When she first saw her she kept saying "aw, aw, aw" "how toot." She even tried feeding Evelyn a cracker within her first 5 minutes of life. It has been harder on me than on her. I just pray that God gives me the capacity to express the amount of love that I have for both of these little girls!
We are so thankful for our families who have been so selfless in making sure this was an easy transition for us. Cora has been in heaven getting to spend so much time with her grandparents and aunts and uncles. I think the real challenge for her will be when they all have to leave.
I am sure that I will have many more stories to come, but for now, here are some of our favorite pictures from this week . . .
In anticipation of Evelyn's arrival, I have been looking back at some pictures from when Cora was a newborn. I cannot believe that we get to do this all over again. I can't imagine why God allows us to play such an intimate role in nurturing new life. In our short marriage, he has blessed us with three precious souls. He is already holding one in his arms, and we will soon get to hold another in ours.
This morning, I was reading about St. Seraphim of Sarov and how he addressed everyone as, "My Joys." Our little ones are our joys. They are the reason for so many smiles and laughs in our house. They brighten our life together and have enhanced our relationship every day.
This is such an overwhelming and exciting time! Please pray for us. For a safe delivery and a healthy baby.
This year, Christmas was very different for us since I was too close to my due date to travel. Thankfully we have the most wonderful families who were all willing to come and celebrate with us here in college station. Here is the recap in pictures . . .
