Introducing...

I never really imagined life with five children. Sure, at some point I had imagined having lots of kids (I think the plan was for 6 - well, before the plan included a husband who had an opinion). This is our newest addition (and if medical science has worked its magic, our last), Malakai. He's a bit over 3 months, and he must be THEEEE fussiest baby on the planet! I would've thought that the youngest of 5 would realize he has no choice but to be content...unfortunately, Kai did not get that memo! If the child is not being held or nursed, or if he's not in a wonderfully sleepy state following much holding and nursing, he is crying. If you don't believe me, just ask one of his siblings, lol!

This little beauty is Shea. A picture cannot adequately capture the bigness and blueness of her eyes. I like to think she looks like one of those Precious Moments ornaments (my best friend says she looks like one of those baby Bratz dolls, lol). She is two-and-a-half - that should say it all! Her frequent outbursts remind me of myself at 13...oh dear. It doesn't help that her older sisters like to leave her out of all the fun stuff! Speaking of medical science, Shea's conception could be considered the utmost of surprises - I discovered her embryonic existence about 10 months after Pat's first vasectomy! The name Shea means 'blessing.' It seems Shea's greatest goal in life is to emulate her next oldest sister, Meg.

Meet Megan, 4 1/2 years-old and full of spunk. Notice the hands on the hips? Uh-huh, attitude. Anyone who doesn't believe in the science of birth order has never visited our home - middle girl of 3, middle child of 5. Meg has this beautiful smiling face, her eyes turn into smiling, sparkling little half-moons, her cheeks get rosy, all the teeth are on display, and her giggle is pure glee. But when she turns into Mr. Hyde (or is it Dr. Jekyll?) - everyone better clear a path! No one and nothing is safe from her destructive rage! We are actually awaiting a call from our doctor about seeing a child psychologist - I just cannot understand where all the anger comes from? (I think she's the most like Pat - not so much how he is now, don't get me wrong, but how he was as a youth - temper, temper.)

Abbey Dawn, eldest girl. I often add her middle name when speaking of her to emphasize that it is NOT short for Abbigail (ugh, so not a fan of that name, lol). Even now, in Kindergarten, you'll seldom catch her without that thumb in her mouth. Everyone else in the world is trying to convince her to stop - I've given up, whatever. We started saving for braces last summer, hahaha! Abbey really likes to help and hear the words "I'm proud of you." She's very tender-hearted and cries easily (I think she's the most like me). Oh yeah, Abbey's almost 6.

This is our big boy, Braeden, soon to be 10. If you're wondering about the large age gap, Braeden has some special needs, and God knew that he needed extra time before adding more kids to the mix. Braeden's got mild CP (cerebral palsy) and epilepsy - his left arm and left leg are affected, as is his speech and overall development. He's in 4th grade in a special ed classroom within the regular school system. Braeden has a witty sense of humor (like his dad) and is both shy and outgoing (I know, doesn't make sense to me, either).

You might be wondering about me after reading all this, thinking that I've got a bunch of really difficult ('bad') kids. Honestly, I don't mean to sound all negative! Overall, they are so great. They are quite well-behaved in public, obedient even, and they all have awesome manners. We get a lot of compliments, in fact. But since I'll be sharing a lot of real life, from the trenches stuff on here, I thought it best that you understand the unique challenges each of my little blessings presents.

And before you think I've forgotten, I'll let you meet my husband, Pat. (He'll be mad that I put this picture on because he figures I always choose pictures that make his family look like idiots - fact is it's hard to find anything but, lol!) He is very goofy and a lot of fun to be around. It's hard to stay mad at him... Lately, he's taken on the new job of managing the laundry (my most hated household chore) and he's only about 2 loads behind (which is so much better than my typical 6 loads behind). You might think I'm making my marriage sound all roses, which it is not, but I must say things have been generally pretty good for the past couple years. And you really don't want me to get into the many not-so-good years before...