Day 237

The kids trying to wake up Tim this morning.

Waiting in line to go through security at the airport.

Elyse left this morning.  I did her laundry last night, as I always do.  That's always the worst part of her visits, packing her suitcase.  Usually when she gets in she is so excited to show me everything she brought so we sit together and she goes through her suitcase and carry on to show me what she has.  I sit and wonder which outfits she will be wearing while she's here.  During the Summer, I unpack her suitcase and put everything into her dresser.  I get so excited and am so happy thinking about all the time we will be spending together.  While she's here, I spend every single minute with her.

My heart hurts as I pack her suitcase.  I've said it a million times, but it really, really sucks to have to share a child.  It is something that I will never have Ryan do.  Elyse is so sweet.  When she came down this summer, she was so excited about being a big sister.  She went into Ryan's room with me and I showed her everything.  The night before I had Ryan, she was a little sad that she wasn't going to be able to spend the whole day with us while we were at the hospital.  Her face was so happy when she came to visit us that morning.  She had to leave the room as I was giving birth, but she came back shortly after.  She was begging my mom to bring her back to our room to see Ryan.  Her face was priceless.  She was there to watch Ryan have his first bath & even got to be the first person to brush his hair.  Ever since he's been born she has been so good to him.  When he was brand new she would get so excited to see what Ryan was wearing.  When he was napping in his pack n play, she would walk over to him and stare at him.

I love so many things about Elyse.  The way her she raises her eyebrows when she smiles without showing her teeth, the way she sticks her tongue out on the side of her mouth when she's writing, putting saltine crackers in bowls when she eats them, the way she snuggles up on her Daddy when he's sitting on the couch, how wide her mouth opens when she laughs, the way she talks to and plays with Ryan all the time, asking me what she should wear in the mornings, her laugh, listening to her read, her little toes, coming out of the bath with her hair covering her face, asking for tortilla soup and rice w/ butter.  Maybe I'll add more tomorrow :)

I hate saying bye to her.  I hate having her for such short periods of time.  I hate going months and months without seeing her.  I miss her =(