Happy 2nd Birthday Claire!

Claire finds her birthday table first thing in the morning...



Excited to find a card from her big sister...



and from big brother...



The "big" present! (A Duplo farm set... it's super hard to find gifts that aren't stuff we already have (or total junk) and are perfect for a 2 year old and this fit the bill perfectly for us!)



"Fish!!!"



Her birthday window...




Arden got Claire a pink spinning skirt for dancing in and Walter chose a dress up dress that Claire promptly declared herself a "prunsess" upon trying it on. After present time Chris took all three children outside for some snow play while I got time alone to get the house ready for a small dinner party. While they were outside the mail came and brought with it a treasured baby from her cousins in Florida!

She loves this baby! Thanks so much you guys!




Luckily we managed the double nap and then it was time for friends!

Our dining room isn't that large but our table is! There were 13 of us!







Claire and Chava...



Cake and wishes time! We wish for a wonderful year ahead for our sweet little one! Happiest Birthday to Claire!



(That's a homemade vanilla and chocolate ice cream cake!)

17 weeks 5 days complete

There really is a baby in there!

Anniversary

Eight years ago today I was married. At the time I had plans for three beautiful children... not knowing I would have them all plus one more on the way eight years later. I did not know that the future held traumatic births for my first two children. It never occurred to me that I would have a c-section or a brain injured child. I didn't know that my Mom would be found dead on the side of her driveway, or that I would grow to despise my in laws for their utter narcissism.

The truth is I didn't envision much of what married life would be like. I was a blank canvas... waiting for my life to unfold in the realm of marriage and hopefully motherhood.

Now eight years later, here I am, and while my life has had more than it's fair share of travails, I am humbled. I have experienced profound and untold joy in becoming a mother, and it is this that I am most thankful to my husband for. He has gratified me with three awe-inspiring, magnificent people to share my life with and the promise of one more to come.

(Thank you Chris. Happy Anniversary! I love you!)

As a small token of my love I knit this nifty hat for him!



(as a bonus it matches Walter's... minus the pom pom!)

It's what Christmas is made of...

Baby gift finished!

Milan Jacket
Originally uploaded by LynnE73

I knit this little newborn sweater for Walter's speech therapist. It's her first baby, a sweet little boy. I used Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton, size 0-6 months.

The Band

Happiest 4th Birthday Walter!!!

At bedtime the night before Walter's birthday he shows us it's his very last day of being 3!



In the morning he woke up to find his birthday ring!



He was happy about that but not happy he had to wait for Arden to get home from school to open his presents!



At last it's opening time! He told us he wanted to open his presents in the playroom instead of at the table which worked out fine cause he had some pretty big ones! We were joined by our neighbors (one of them wore all orange just for Walter!)



Arden is great at helping...



literally, she is his left hand...



And Claire was pretty interested too!



Walter just wanted to open, open, open!!!



He could hardly believe he got new bird pj's! They were his favorite when he was 2 and he wore them to death! (You gotta love Ebay!)



We got him a sand and water table for the deck! (Arden was *totally* into it too!)



Birthday window...



and flowers...



and dinner! (rib roast and roasted broccoli and zucchini that we made Scotty eat cause it was overdone! I made a salad instead!)



Cake time! (It was so nice that Scotty was able to take off of work early and drive up from NJ! You rock Scotty!)



4 candles and 1 for luck!



I hope he wished for good things! I know I did!




The next day was his party!






Cheater cake from Whole Foods!



We all sing and we all wish and we all help blow them out!



This little sweetheart is in Walter's class at school. The other day Walter asked why you had to be a grown up to get married. I responded by asking him who he would marry and he immediately said this little girls name. Isn't she cute?!



Apparently Scotty is really good for snuggling with! (Ladies?!)



And for helping big girls climb trees...






Down the street there is a gnome home. Here is Arden having a visit...






And here's the gnome! What?! You didn't think there was really a gnome?! Well there is!





It was a great weekend! (I just realized there are no photos of Chris. Sorry Honey!)