March 13th 2022
- Karlie -
"I can't be any quieter than I'm being right now, Tay, I'm thirty five weeks pregnant!" I whisper my frustration at my wife as she shushes me for the millionth time, "alright, but be careful or we'll wake them up and it'll be totally ruined!" I sigh as I roll my eyes, and she just blows me a kiss.
A year ago today, we adopted Lilah, Ro and Auggie. So, we're trying to surprise them for their 'gotcha day' and make it special for them, but my huge bump doesn't exactly make me light on my feet.
The little ones decided that they wanted a sleepover in their big sister's room last night, and Lilah never turns them away when they ask. So as far as we know, they're all still asleep and Taylor woke me up at an ungodly hour to surprise them like they always surprise us on birthdays and holidays.
"Ready?" Taylor smiles at me and I nod, the singer pushing the door open and both of us walking in as quietly as possible. Taylor goes to one side of the bed and I go to the other, seeing our babies peacefully cuddled up together is so sweet, but they're not gonna stay that way for long.
Taylor holds up three fingers to count down, and as soon as she hits zero, we pop party poppers over them. "Happy gotcha day!" Lilah's eyes shoot open the second she hears the poppers, and Rosie just groans into her sister's arm as Auggie bursts into tears from the shock. "It's okay, buddy," Taylor coos as she picks Auggie up and cuddles him tight, sitting back down on the other side of Lil.
"Gotcha day?" Lilah raises her eyebrows as I take a seat beside Rosie who's still trying to sleep. "What do you suggest we call it? Happy anniversary of the day we signed some paperwork?" I laugh and Lilah rolls her eyes, "gotcha day works." She sits up too and I rub Rosie's back, the seven year old giving me evil eyes as she faces me, "mama, I'm tired!"
I smile as I kiss her little face, "we know, munchkin, but mommy and I have so many fun things planned to do today, we wanted to get an early start." Rosie peeks up at me as Taylor smirks, "what kind of fun things?" I chuckle as she warms up to the idea of an early morning - she's very much like her mommy in that sense, she's not a morning person.
"Well, we thought maybe breakfast at Elliston to start off?" She shoots up, "can I have ice cream?" I glance up to Taylor who's smirking, "of course you can, little monkey. Today, you three get anything you want."
- Taylor -
Celebrating the adoption anniversary is so important to us this year, with it being the first anniversary and the last chance we'll really have to celebrate our first babies before their little sisters are born. Our kids are everything to us, and we really meant it when we told them they could do or have whatever they want today.
"Everyone ready?" I peek back at the kids as I turn off the parked car. Rosie is excited enough for all three of them, but Lil and Auggie aren't exactly unhappy that they're allowed ice cream for breakfast. "Come on then, buddy," I lift Auggie out once Lil is out, and Ro holds onto Karlie's hand as she bounces around the place.
We came to this soda shop one day when I'd taken Lil and Ro shopping, and they loved it so it's become a favourite ever since.
"Let mama sit on the end, Roo," Rosie tries to argue with Karlie about where she's going to sit, and Karlie hates to say no to our girl, but sticking her in the middle of the booth at this point would not be a fun experience for anyone. "Thank you so much," I smile at the waitress as she brings a highchair over for August, "here we go, buddy, you get your very own chair! How cool is that?" The coo at the toddler as I clip him in, praying that he doesn't throw a tantrum because of it.
