Meet the Cubs

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(aka: KID, Kev-Ice, Kevie)

Kevin Izaiah is our goofy, single-dimpled firstborn cub. The fact that his initials spell KID occurred by happenstance, but he was the one that inspired the trend for each cub thereafter. (All of the cubs have initials that spell something because it’s supposed to be good luck.) Kev was born on my 21st birthday — June 2003, and he has by far been THE BEST birthday gift I’ve ever received. KID is a spitting image of his Daddy, but he has his Mama’s personality. Kevin loves to read (he’s already reading at a 4th grade level), write in his journal, dance, make comic books about crackheads, and play video games. Kev uses his high vocabulary on a regular basis and has known to stump his Daddy a few times with his big words. He is quite possibly the smartest 7-year-old ever! Clearly I’m biased, but I don’t care.  I'm a proud Mama!

(aka: ADD, Boo, Boo-Boo, Boo-Boosh, Booshie, Amboo, Amp, Ampy, Ampernee)

Anthony Dean is our precocious, long-lashed second born son. He was the 2nd addition to our family which is why his initials spell ADD. Boo is a spitting image of his Mama, but he has his Daddy’s fiery personality. Boo is devastatingly adorable, but mischievous as hell. And we love it! ADD has been known to occasionally share inappropriate family secrets (like descriptions of parental nether regions)to whomever he sees fit. He’s also infamous for shoving a metal ball up his nose and living to tell about it. John and I jokingly refer to him as the “sensitive bully” because he’s tough & pushy, but also very quick to sulk & cry the minute things don’t go his way. Our multi-nicknamed boy enjoys going to school, skateboarding, dancing, protecting his sister, and playing video games. Boo is my mini-me, but he’s Daddy’s boy. I think he enjoys making it obvious that he’s too cool for his Mama!

(aka: END, Another, E-pin, Little Lion)

Ethan Nikolas is our angelic third son. I jokingly referred to him as “Another” during my pregnancy because we were having another boy. Our laid back, single-dimpled baby boy was born on February 20, 2008. We selected the initials END because it was supposed to symbolize the “end of the boys” in hopes that our next cub would be a girl. The initials END were also supposed to symbolize the possibility of Ethan being the end of our cub-making IF taming three cubs was too crazy. Ethan was a very serene little boy. He could sleep in anyone’s arms as long as he had his hat and beloved binky. John and I miss him with every fiber of our being. Ethan unexpectedly suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and passed away on February 27, 2008. This spontaneous hemorrhage was caused by severe Factor VII Deficiency. If it weren’t for Ethan we would have never known that John and I carried this very rare gene. Ethan served his purpose during his seven-day stay on this earth. He has saved lives and inspired many, many people to do good. His tiny foot has left a giant imprint on this world (and on my heart) and I am so honored to be his Mother.

(aka: AND, The Queen, Niki, Nikiface, Niki Boom Boom, Boomer, Niki Boom)

Our long-lashed daughter, Annika Nikole (pronounced Ann-Nick-Ka) was born on February 16, 2009 — almost one year after Ethan was born. We selected the initials AND to pay homage to the fact that we had three boys AND then we finally got our girl. John was ecstatic that the 4th time was a charm. We refer to Niki as the “Queen” because she is not like all of the other princesses out there. Niki was also born with severe Factor VII Deficiency. She wouldn’t be alive today of it weren’t for Ethan. (And God, of course.) We’ve been told that Ethan & Niki’s severity isn’t believed to be compatible with life, but here she is! There are mixed reviews on who Niki looks like, but it’s very clear she has her Daddy’s spit-fire personality. Niki enjoys singing and dancing to Justin Bieber’s “Baby”, The Wondergirls’ “Nobody”, and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” She also takes pleasure in tormenting her big brothers and bullying all the kids at daycare. This girl isn’t going to let her bleeding disorder stop her from getting what she wants.

(aka: AND, Fireball 2, Diamond Tiara, Noie)

Anjali Noelle (pronounced Awn-Jah-Lee) is expected to arrive on January 31, 2011. It looks like Ethan’s initials held true to their symbolism (END of the boys) because Diamond is a GIRL! John cracked a huge smile when we found out that we were having another little girl join our family.We are looking forward to meeting our youngest daughter in a few short months! We recently found out that Noie only carries a copy of the factor VII deficiency gene (my copy) which means she can only pass on this bleeding disorder IF she meets another carrier. John and I are hoping she isn’t as “lucky” as we were.