10 photos of life with three boys (Monday listicles)

This week's Monday Listicles should be an easy one. These are photos chronicling my life as a parent. 

1. Holding Chris for the first time at 5 weeks old. Pure joy and relief. I couldn't wait to get my hands on him, at last, and I could hold him for only 1 hour the first time. Each day for a month, Mike and I would have to alternate holding him. So hard! As a result, when the next two kiddos came along, I could not put them down. 

Holding Chris, who was born at 24 weeks gestation and very, very sick

 2. Christopher's baptism, in June 1997, when we finally took him out into public

With our pastor and friend Laurie, and my sister Nadine and her husband, Christopher's godparents

 3. Christmastime with Chris at 1 year old, after he was hospitalized for a week with RSV/pneumonia 

Family in December 1997

 3. We had a little family of three for six years

Visiting Paris, August 2001

4. And then Kieran came along in 2003, after four miscarriages

Kieran's baptism, surrounded by wonderful godfamilies

 5. Christmastime, 2005

Alpenrose, Storybook Lane, December 2005

 6. And then--surprise!--pregnant with #3 at age 41

On the Oregon Zoo train at my company picnic,
 days before Nicholas was born in September 2006

7. Nicholas' baptism, welcoming him to the world

With one of his pair of godparents, our pastor, and our priest (November 2006)

8. Adjusting to life with three kids!

Portland Farmers Market, fall 2006

 9. Traveling with three kids has its challenges but also rewards

At Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 2009

Oregon Coast, 2011

10. Our family of five

Last November 2012, professional photo by Capturing Magic Photography
(Nicholas, age 6; Chris, age 16; and Kieran, age 9 [now 10])

Check out the other listicle photos at The Good Life, especially our host Stasha's gorgeous, professional photos of her boy and two gorgeous Newfoundlands!