Three blessings

As I count my blessings, three near the very top of my list are named Nadia, Ian, and Oliver. I love them with all my heart and am so grateful that God used the miracle of IVF to bring these three little ones into our family. I thought today I'd write a few things I am thankful for about each child.

I am so glad the Lord gave me Nadia Renee. I so badly wanted a daughter, and the Lord gave me my heart's desire. For one thing, girl clothing is so much fun to buy. It was even more true when she was an infant and toddler, but it's still true today. I love her dimples, blue eyes, and beautiful smile. She loves to try just about any new activity and is very excited about field trips. She has no trouble separating from us to spend a week at camp. She will ride any ride that an amusement park will let her ride - including roller coasters. Even though she is usually the weakest player on the soccer or basketball team, she has chosen to continue playing both sports. She can talk to anyone even if she just met them - from children younger than her to people old enough to be her grandparent.

No one is a stranger to Miss Nadia! She is very friendly and outgoing. She doesn't seem to have any fear with being on a stage whether she's acting or singing. She loves to read both picture books and chapter books and play a wide variety of board games. She is my most obedient child. She loves to be hugged, kissed, cuddled, and tickled. She loves the Lord and also loves her immediate and extended family very much. She is the only child who eats her meals in a timely manner most of the time. She is making progress with eating foods she doesn't like (such as peas), and the list of foods that she likes is growing. When I ask her to help me, she rarely complains. She is the best sleeper of the three in terms of sleeping later in the morning.

When I found out I was pregnant in 2009, I was hoping I would have a boy, and God granted me the desire of my heart and gave us Ian Alexander. I am so grateful for my middle child. He is the most patient of my three children (least prone to lose his temper). He is also the most affectionate and the one most prone to speaking words of affirmation and encouragement. He has made tremendous progress with eating although meals are still often lengthy affairs.

He has the longest attention span of my three children. Ian talks about his feelings far more than his siblings and is the most sensitive. He took it the hardest by far when he learned that Grandma had passed away. He also is the most empathetic. He also loves the Lord and his  immediate and extended family very much. He enjoys practicing the piano and loves to draw. He has an amazing memory, and this has helped him to learn his multiplication tables at the age of six. He has done very well with math in general. Science is his favorite subject. He has come a LONG way with becoming more outgoing and also displaying more courage. He has a beautiful voice and easily memorizes the lyrics of songs he hears on the radio. He has excellent pitch. He has done better than his siblings (by far) with playing soccer. He also has made great strides with singing in a choir (doing motions, etc.). He loves the Phoenix roller coaster, and his favorite toys for several years have been Legos and stuffed animals. He loves to get dressed up for church on Sundays and is by far my most honest child.

I was thrilled to find out in 2012 that I was going to have a third child. It was a very stressful pregnancy, but Oliver Elliot was worth everything we went through that year. Knowing he is my last, I am trying to savor every moment as best I can. I love his blue eyes, blonde hair, and beautiful smile. Like his siblings, he loves to be hugged, kissed, cuddled, and tickled. Grandpa says he gets the most hugs from Oliver. He loves to play outside and ride his bike. He helps me in the kitchen the most and has gotten the most use of our play kitchen. He still likes to be carried now and then. I am going to take advantage of that for as long as I can. He has spent more time on my lap than the other two did when they were three or four years old. Oliver thankfully hasn't reached the "gimme" stage yet. He isn't materialistic at all (the downside is I always struggle to come up with what to buy him for his birthdays and Christmas). He is the best eater of the three kids in terms of eating almost every food he's ever been offered. He definitely likes soups, stews, and vegetables far more than his sibling. He is my best climber and is in most instances very brave. He wants to do schoolwork like his siblings. I am very, very thankful for the privilege of being  the mother and teacher of these three blessings from the Lord.