My sugar and spice.

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but this week welcomed a three year old into our house.
Three?
Really?
I am a big time celebrator of birthdays. Regardless the age. It's a BIRTHDAY!! Another year of amazing you.

But to plan for and celebrate my girls third birthday? Well, it's right up there with all-the-things-I-dreamed-about-in-being-a-mama. It made my heart so happy.

But at the same time, for some reason this year left me feeling all emotional. Even more emotional than her first birthday.
Because this was the year.

The year she went from this:

 

To this:



Okay, so maybe the cupcake consumption hasn't changed...but my little girl has.

This was the year.
The year she changed from my baby to my little girl.
She grew up.
The change from two to three is drastic. And amazing. And wonderful. And heart breaking.

It's a change from 3-5 word sentences to full on conversations. A change from fitting in my lap to spilling over but still trying to fit. It's a change from side by side play, to truly interacting and imagining with her buddies. And speaking of imagination, get out of here! In her latest world Nick is our good friend Lisa's new baby, baby Caroline, and I am baby Jesus. I'm not sure I'm up for the role, but I'll take it in her world any day.

It's just the year overall that I feel like she grew up...and I love it and mourn it at the same time.

For the record, I don't succumb to the common "terrible two's" theme. The almost-three-and-three-year-old is much more challenging. I've come to calling her my "sugar and spice girl". She would argue with you that she is just sugar, but I assure you...there is plenty of spice in this one.

Opinionated, independent, original, emotional, sensitive, impatient...there's your spice.

Tender, loving, cuddly, nurturing, caring, needing...there's your sugar.

My sugar and spice girl.
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Her birthday party was a blast! It's hard to find words to describe how happy I feel to watch her run around with her little friends, developing such important friendships, and just watching them be together. I love all these little ladies so much and feel so thankful for the role they play in my girls' life. The PJ's and Pancakes theme worked out so wonderfully (kids are SO much better in the morning!!)

For these friends...the weather...my girl...thankful doesn't begin to describe it.
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The celebrations continued the next day with a family BBQ and thankfully, the weather decided to stick around too.

Our big gift to her was a sandbox that she had to find from a string maze- I wish I would have gotten video because she thought it was THE funniest thing ever when she realized the string went outside!

(yep, we celebrate birthday's all week long and holiday's like Christmas all year long)

 

Right now she just thinks it's normal and expected, but someday she will know how lucky and fortunate she is to have such amazing and loving relatives on both sides of the family who support and love her endlessly. She is one lucky girl. We are one lucky family.
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I said I was a lover of birthdays, and I meant it.
We spread this one out three days...which, I mean, really only seems appropriate.

Her actual birthday was much more low-key.
Just us.
At home, enjoying the sunshine and our girl.
It was the perfect wrap up really.

(new shoes that are still a bit big for her but she couldn't wait...and who can blame her...it's Cougs AND they squeak)

My sugar and spice girl...
I'm not sure how I got so lucky to have you...
And I'm certain I don't deserve you...
But I sure am glad you are mine.

I love you with everything.
xoxo
mama



Dainty?

 

 

 

 

 Not exactly.

 

6 months.

How on earth are we six months into her year? Half-way? Seriously?

 

 

This little dove has stolen our hearts.
I can remember being pregnant with her, knowing that I loved her with everything I was...while at the same time wondering how it would be possible to love another as much as I loved her sister? It sounds bad, but when one little person is all you know- it's hard to imagine it any other way.

And then she came.

And it was like our little missing puzzle piece was found. She was (and is) so perfect for our family. And it's true what they all say...your heart just grows and grows. It's quite amazing really.

 

With her whole heart issue going on, I find myself in a rather interesting position at times. Part of me wanting her to get bigger, get bigger...and another part of me wanting to hang on to those precious infant days. I already miss them. I love my tiny girl. I love how she snuggles in my neck. I love that sweet baby smell. 

 

This second time around as a parent brings with it the knowledge that time flies by shockingly fast.

I worry less about sleep schedules, the fact that she's in our room still (and sometimes co-sleeping), that we still aren't really sleeping through the night, or reading every night what a 6 month old should be doing.

Because really, it's engrained in me now.

She's rolling, she's happy, she's gabbering, she's grabbing...and even though she is tiny, she is thriving.

 

This time around I worry about time passing too quickly. Am I doing everything I can to absorb her and these precious days? Am I documenting enough? Will I remember everything that happened months down the road?

 

And so I breathe her in and say a thankful prayer each day for our little Madeleine. I love you so my little dove. Happy 6 months baby.

 

 

Mother's Day.

 

I am quite certain that the best days of my life have been since I have become a mama.
These girls of mine make life beautiful and meaningful in a way that I've never known before.
Challenging...yes. But, oh so good.

 

The girls' school had their annual Mother's Tea and without fail, it was the hands down cutest performance I ever did see. Clearly I'm not biased.



 

Mother's Day happened to follow Teacher Appreciation week this year (or does that happen every year?), which seems only appropriate because these caring, special women mother my girls daily. We are so blessed with the friends and staff that look after our girls when we have to be away from them, and Charlotte was pretty excited to give them a little thank you gesture.

 

 

My girls. Thank you for making me a mama.

 

"I feel whole at last."

Meg Matthews 

5 years.

5 years married.

That's cause for celebration, right?

We thought so.

So a few weeks ago, we packed up the car (NOT a lesson in living with simplicity, FYI) and headed up to Oak Harbor to enjoy the gorgeous early summer weather that we were temporarily blessed with in the Pacific Northwest.

And if we're being honest, to also ditch the kids for a night with the grandparents and have a night away.
(Any lingering hesitation I had at leaving Madeleine for the first time was quickly dismissed in knowing she was in loving hands with Teta...and the mussels and wine at Toby's in Coupeville didn't hurt either.)

It was the perfect weekend. A blend of sunshine, family time, and husband time.

Oh, and champagne. Always champagne.

 

 

5 years of memories. And so very many more to come.

I love you all the way my sweets.
xoxo