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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Christian's Third Birthday Party


This year we celebrated Christian's third birthday on Thursday night at 5:15 at Pump It Up.

He was pumped up!
We've been talking about this day for over a month!
Notice his sweatshirt:
Warning
I am Three




Third time's a charm.
This is the third time we've held his bday party there.
1st bday: too shy to enjoy
2nd bday: too sick to enjoy
(found out two days later he had pneumonia)
3rd bday: he was a jumping rock star






I think he's imagining a bank deposit!

Had to take a break from gifts to enjoy the best party of a party:
The Cake


He loved his fire fighter's costume!

Amazingly, this was our smallest turn out ever.

It was a very fun night!!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Christian is Three

Dear Christian,

Three years and one day ago you looked like this:




It is truly hard to believe that three entire years have passed since Daddy drove me to the hospital that wonderful morning of January 28, 2008. It is hard to believe how much I loved you that very moment your naked little body was placed on my chest.


Right there, that very second, I was completely and totally in love with you!


So was she!

My biggest concern that morning was how your sister was going to handle this life changing event. If I only knew then that you’d be the best of friends I could have smiled and relaxed.





Watching you two play together, talk to one another or help each other is the best feeling. I bet you love her to the moon and back. A couple months ago she didn’t feel good and went to sleep really early and you kept asking, “Where Toria at?!” Your life is happy and full because she is your big sister. This year you’ve begun learning how to ‘push her buttons.’ You’re a typical little brother and she loves you so!



It is hard to believe just how much you’ve changed this past year. Last year, when you turned two you didn’t speak much. Now, you talk all the time. You tell us just what you want and when you want it. Last year you had so much energy and didn’t know what to do with it. This year, you’ve learned to be a good listener. You’re not perfect, but that makes you even more lovable. When you’re told to go to Time Out you run right to it – and usually make a sad face and then begin to cry for a minute or two. But when I come to get you you’re quick to apologize and never forget your hug and you run down the hall happy as can be. You are such a happy little boy. It doesn’t take much to make you smile. Watching Daddy snow blow, saying a silly word, having a dance party in the kitchen, or giving you dessert


will all generate an adorable smile from your gorgeous little face.



In the last few weeks when you have trouble sleeping I’ll come into your room and you’ll have your tiny arms outstretched for me and you’ll say, “But I want you!!” Then I will melt into those little arms and whisper I want you too. I’ll rub your head or scratch your back before giving you your final kiss of the day. A couple months ago you were sick and I took a warm bath with you at 3am to clear your nose. As soon as you wake up, every single morning since you ask for a bath. You’ve We've begun a new morning routine.


Then

Now

Your latest love is Mickey Mouse. Oh, how you love his Clubhouse. We’ve watched Minnie’s Pajama Party many many times. Anytime you see two circles together your face lights up and you say, “Look! It’s Mickey Mouse!”


Your true love is trains. You love them in a movie, in a museum, in your little hands, small, big, Polar Express style or Thomas. You love trains! You could sit and watch your train with smoke for hours.


You also love to roller skate. You get so excited. You are very good. The funny thing is, you never smile there. You just take it all in and keep to yourself going around and around for two full hours.


Being outside is another of your favorite things. We had so much fun this summer. You really loved the beach. The water, the sand, the other kids, you loved it all. We went there anytime we could. I took so many pictures of you playing. I remember lying on a towel near you watching your serious little face dig in the sand and thinking not only how lucky I was to not have to work in the summer but how lucky I am to be your mommy.



If I could pick any boy in the whole world, I’d pick you over and over again.

I'm excited to be by your side as you see what being THREE is all about.  It's going to be a great year.


Happy birthday buddy!


Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Birthday Bird

When Victoria was one I bought the book Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Seuss.  We only read it the night before or the night of one of our bdays.  That usually means 4 times a year.  Not many. 

We read it tonight after Christian wonderfully successful 3rd bday.  In the book, the Birthday Bird swoops into your room and takes you away for the most amazing birthday ever.  At the end of the book I said, "So we all better stay in our beds tonight so the Birthday Bird can come." 

"WHAT?!?!"  Christian asked.  "He come to my room and wake me up?!" he asked with his huge blue eyes staring into mine.

Hmmm. . .did I make a mistake here?  Gotta go with it either way now. 

"Yeah, he comes and decorates your room when you're sleeping."

Victoria says, "What?!  I thought you did that!!!  You mean the Birthday Bird is real!?!?!?!!!!"

What have I gotten myself into?!?!?!?

"We'll have to see if he's real in the morning I guess."

Clearly the Birthday Bird is real because I finally just sat down.  Room is decorated.  Kitchen is decorated.  The Birthday Bird is even in the process of drawing a Mickey Mouse on the sliding door in the kitchen.

If you had any doubt tonight if the Birthday Bird is real, then you better come over for breakfast tomorrow.  Then you'll be a believer!

His brand- new -big -boy -with -training -wheels-Mickey-Mouse bike is put together and awaiting his waking in the living room.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day.  My boy will be three.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

One More Day of Two & a Party

The batteries are charging for the little camera, the big camera and the video camera.  The Mickey Mouse cake is waiting with the brand new candles that spell out his name and a Mickey Mouse.  The juice boxes are bagged and waiting.  The outfits are picked out and waiting.

Tomorrow is Christian's third birthday party.  I can wait.  It is finally making me sad my baby is turning three.  I can't see the screen because of my tears.  Today he swam on his own for the first time.  It's so exciting he's growing and becoming independent.  Today I called him my baby and he immediately corrected me, "I not baby!!  I big boy!!"  He's telling people he's turning 7 :)

Tomorrow we will have a wonderful time.  Tomorrow is the last day he'll be two.  Very exciting, but for Mommy it's bittersweet.  I'm afraid he'll wake tonight and want to cuddle. . .because if he does I know I will give up a night of sleep to look at his little face to try to memorize how he looks right now.  To freeze it in my brain so I won't forget.  But I will.  I want to remember his cute little grammatical errors in his speech.  How he always mixes up her and she and I and me.  I want to remember how much he loves to be near me.  How he asks to hold my hand.  How he asks to cuddle for one no two no FIVE more minutes before bed each night.  How he's pretending he can read and just says random things about the picture.  How he thanks God every night for the walls and the pictures because he just looks around and names things to be thankful for.  I want to remember how he's still so little I lift him into his car seat and strap him in- even though so many mornings I've wished for him to be big enough to do it himself.  I want to remember how he enjoys cartoons and asks questions about why things are happening.  I want to remember how little his socks are that I just folded.  I want to remember how sweet his two year old voice is.  And that laugh.  The cutest thing I've ever heard.  I want to remember potty training him.  It's difficult now, but next year I may miss changing those diapers.  Maybe.  :)

I decided not to make a New Year's Resolution this year.  I just changed my mind.  In 2011 I'm going to take a hell of a lot more video of my children.  We have a fraction of Christian by three as we do of Victoria and I'm going to make up for it in 2011 because I want to remember these precious times.  I want to be able to go back and remember and cherish just how sweet he is.

In the end I won't remember it all.  But I will live in the moment and appreciate it now.

Collages of Fun

I've been working on Christian's digital photobook in the last few weeks.
I put together some collages.
I could stare at his little face all day.
I love his little baby teeth - even the dead brown one.
I know they won't be there forever.
I love his chubby cheeks -
that are already beginning to thin out.
I love the twinkle in his eyes when he smiles -
that I pray will stay there always.
I love my boy so much!
I'm going to cherish these last two days of him being two!




Christian's project is taking so long I thought I might as well get some started for Victoria too!



Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Christmas Eve - a month later

We spent Christmas Eve at Mama Jeanne and Papa Mark's house.  It was our second Christmas with Chris and her kids as part of our family.  It was even better than last year.  We enjoyed a meal of appetizers.  I love this because it's so much more laid back than trying to get all the kids to sit down and eat while awaiting the excitement of the presents.

As people were munching we kicked off the festivities with a game of Name that Celebrity. 

#1 was by far the most difficult.


Chris' daughter Emilee and my daughter Victoria.
I wish I had a picture from 1983 to insert here!

Johnny and Teagan. It was nice to get to know her better.
I have a feeling she'll be Auntie Teagan soon.

We made gingerbread houses at the end of the evening.
The kids loved it!



Christian + Frosting = Bliss

The girls joined in in Name the Celebrity.
They said they didn't know what to write.
We told them to write all the words they know how.
I think they each got to about #6 then looked at each other like that.

I passed down my Soon to be Mrs. Humphrey
shirt to Chris:)

















Showing off theirgingerbread houses.


Silly faces!

Christian with Mama Jeanne

He's the only one who wanted to eat it!

Victoria & Papa Mark

Name the Celebrity

Every year after Christmas I think about how it was different from the rest.
 Every year I think how this year was the best.
I wonder how many more years it will continue to get better and better.