The Birthday Girls

It is fun to have the girl's birthdays close together and the boys birthdays in our family. We'll have to see how the future goes for the rest of our kids.
This year has been the fastest year of my life to date. And I hear it only gets worse. I can't believe how fast Anna has grown. It doesn't help that she did everything from sitting to teething early - except sleeping through the night of course - that one is a recent development. I keep thinking that if I would have known how fast this year would go I would have drunk it in even more... however, I do think that I did a better job of just enjoying my kids with Anna than I did with Josh when he was little. But the last couple of days I've been reflecting on my sweet baby a little bit:

At what point do they stop being babies? Josh is definitely a little man now, when did that happen? Somehow I missed the transformation.

How much longer will she want to be by me no matter what I'm doing?

How much longer can I expect to find cans and dominoes in odd places all over my house - her favorite game is to take cans out of the pantry and put them places. Which always makes me question, am I really out of tomato sauce or will some show up somewhere?

How much longer will she grin when I walk in the room and run over for a hug?

Will the day come when she actually keeps a bow in her hair?

How long until she or Josh loses their excitement at everything? A stick of gum, getting to play with the pan lids - everything is such a cause for celebration.

There's so many things that we take for granted and then they're gone...



The pictures of her presents I think really capture her personality - and Josh's friends are all big fans as well. The chair from Grammy Taylor is a big hit - Grams gave her a little tu tu that she loves to wear as well and a purse that she loves to stuff with dominoes and carry around - sorry no pic of that yet although it is priceless
The shoes Josh picked out himself.

Golden toy for all ages - would highly reccommend it.


Personality traits: She has a great sense of humor already, she knows she's funny and will do something, wait expectantly and then throw back her head and laugh.

Stubborn - this is how it usually goes when I tell her no...
1.) She makes her "mean face" at me - which is my face mimicked, frown eyebrows down, then laughs and does it anyway
2.) She gets highly offended and cries hysterically - ahh the emotions of girls.

Observant - she mimics everything!! And wants to be big so incredibly bad. Josh is having a harder and harder time keeping legoes away from her. She can already put some together though so maybe they can play together soon. Whenever Anna does something new Josh claims, "I taught her that Mommy"


Favorite things: babies, shoes, necklaces, dancing, and books.

I had a fabulous birthday too. No pics, that's what happens when you get older. I basically sat around and read and played with my kids all day feeling no need to be productive. Then my sweet friend watched Josh and Anna so Justin and I could go to a sweet photography exhibit, and Justin made me a fabulous shrimp dinner.... and cleaned up - what could be better.

PS - Don't worry Jessie - girl's weekend pics coming next...