To my daughter

To my daughter,

You switched from “the baby” to “my daughter” on December 14th, and your gender was again confirmed today, since you were pretty modest during our 20-week ultrasound. In the 8 weeks we’ve assumed a little girl is growing inside me, you’ve already changed so much in my life. From checking out frilly dresses every day on zulily to watching tv programs and wishing certain things for your future. From teaching your big brother to ask before assuming girls want to tumble and wrestle to praying over your life from infant to hopefully mother someday.

We are thrilled to see all the new things you will bring to our life. I played with Collin’s animals the other day, and instead of having roles and a story, they were attacking one another. How different it will be with you! We can drive down the road and point out scenery rather than dump trucks. And while Collin went through a determined blue stage where he’d insist on only blue clothing, I can’t wait to see if you go through a princess stage, or pink, or ruffles, or tomboy.

I am delighted to dream about tea parties and picking flowers, leotards and pigtails, baby dolls and art projects, prom dresses and God willing, wedding planning. I hope and pray that our relationship will transition to friendship, that we’ll share the same closeness that I feel towards my mother and she towards hers.

We are so thankful for you already and cannot wait to meet you in May!

Collin's 3rd Birthday

Collin was ready for his third birthday, counting down the days and practicing showing his age with three fingers prior to the big day.  After a healthy breakfast, I dropped him off at school. 

 

For the most part, his classmates all have birthdays within 3 weeks of each other, and he shares his birthday with his friend Anderson.  We had coordinated so that Anderson's parents were bringing birthday donuts (thus the healthy breakfast - to try and get some non-sugar calories in him for the day), and we were bringing cupcakes.

 

I returned before lunch and happened to catch the class singing "Happy Birthday" to Anderson and Collin. 

Clapping for himself -

My genetics have started showing up . . . he still looks just like his daddy, but requested a CHOCOLATE cupcake over a vanilla one!

After school, we took Collin to a nearby trampoline warehouse.  We've been before over holidays, on Fridays and weekends, and it's always pretty busy.  But on a weeknight, we had the entire place to ourselves.  The trampoline place also has a foam pit in another section, and for the last year, Collin has embarassingly to me, bounced to the edge and then one-foot-at-a-time, cautiously stepped back into it.  It completely defeats the purpose, but he loves going to the pit.  However, now that he was three, he took his first jump into the pit.  Uncle Libero met us at the trampoline place, and he, Cas and I proudly cheered him on!  

When we got back from the trampolines, it was all we could do to return phone calls of family wishing him a happy birthday, FaceTime with Uncle Alex and Aunt Coady, visit with Aunt Debbie, eat dinner, open presents, and try to get him in bed at 9pm, an unheard of hour past his bedtime. 

 

Silly back hugs with Aunt Debbie and Jasper sang him happy birthday on the phone -

After dinner, we conducted what we hope is an annual birthday interview.  Clearly the hour at the trampoline place was on the forefront of his mind.  Here is our three year old questionnaire:

What makes you happy?  Jumping at the trampoline place
What is your favorite animal?  Tyrannosaurus Rex
What is your favorite toy?  Truck
What is your favorite thing to eat?  Cheese
What is your favorite thing to drink?  Milk - especially chocolate and strawberry milk (Daddy introduced both of these)
What is your favorite thing to do?  Play with dinosaurs
What is your favorite tv show or movie?  Cars
What is your favorite game?  Matching (Memory card game)
What are you really good at doing?  Jumping, writing, sword fighting
What is your favorite color?  Blue
What is your favorite song?  Jingle Bells, It's Raining It's Pouring, All Through the Night
Who is your best friend?  Mommy, Daddy, Mackeon, Holden, Esmae, Ms. Amber and Mr. Scott
What do you and your mommy do together?  Read books, play with dinosaurs
What do you and your daddy do together?  Go outside, play with toys
What is your favorite sport?  Soccer
What is your favorite place to go?  (Initial answer was trampoline place, after some discussion on all the options of places we've been . . . ) Jan's lake house
What is your favorite book?  Dinosaur book that Great Grandma B gave me
What is your favorite restaurant?  Denny's (again, blaming Cas for this introduction)
What did you do on your birthday?  Get cake, jumped at trampoline place, FaceTime with Uncle Alex and Aunt Coady
What do you want to be when you grow up?  Person who knocks buildings down (no clue)

Cas had an early work meeting the morning of his birthday, leaving for the office before Collin awoke, so at the end of the night in his SpiderMan pajamas, he opened the two presents from us.  The Grover puppet was a hit as far as photo opp smiles go - 

The next day, Collin and I went to the Children's Museum where I let him fingerpaint his face to his heart's content.  Apparently this is his tiger paint, roar! 

Later that evening, my cousin Trish and her sons arrived from Florida.  We had the family over for pizza and more cake.  I'm sure we have candles somewhere, but Cas lit a votive for us to sing to Collin -  

We love Collin's imagination, ingenuity, humor, inquisitiveness, and sweet nature.  We are so thankful for our three year old son!

Snow, Santa and Cymbals - Christmas 2012

The park next to our home brought in snow one weekend, and we caught the tail end of the festivities.  After much convincing - and then just picking him up and dragging him with me - Collin and I sledded down the hill together.  He let us know one sled run was enough for him!

 My sweet, cautious boy -

A few days later, it was actually cold enough for snow in Houston, though we didn't get any.  But the boys dressed up in numerous layers, took out blankets, and went outside for one of their father-son activities: swinging on the hammock with flashlights right before bedtime - 

I took Collin to the mall for our first official Santa photo.  One always comes to his school, but this was a fancier Santa.  As tentative as Collin is, he hopped right up on St. Nick's lap and smiled without any prodding.  We missed the years of fear and terror over Santa, but we'll have to capture some of those memorable photos with baby #2.

We had a great Christmas morning as a family of three, and then the rest of the family joined us for lunch.  This T-Rex is always causing trouble around our house, eating other animals or chasing our poor dogs. 

Once again, our gift to the grandparents was a photo book of Collin from the last year. 

Finally, the worst gift ever, courtesy of Cas, a junior drum set.  My cousin Jasper said she's buying the new baby earplugs. 

Collin loves playing though -

As soon as it's consistently warm, they're moving to the garage!

And out of order, but I just found these on my phone and am adding them in.  At the end of November, I met up at the zoo with four other girlfriends from church and their young children - all ages three and under.  There were 5 moms and 8 kids, and it was such a fun morning!  Here's the one shot that included all 8 kids, though only half are even looking in the direction of the camera, with Collin oblivious behind the rhino cut-out.

A smaller group with some great smiles -

We stuck around for the petting zoo with Riley and Reese, and Collin and Riley posed at the sea lion statue -

I love Friday play dates with this wonderful group of ladies and all their young kids!

Wrestle time at the park

We met my best friend, Amber, and her three kids at the elementary playground right before Christmas.  The kids went from one set of playground equipment to the next, but when Brownie came, it signaled the start of tumbling and wrestling time for Holden and Collin.

 

And when Brownie went home to recover, Collin and Holden kept going -

And the toughest little sister, Esmae, joined in on the dog pile - 

 Amber had to help referee -

Collin talked her into a slide race.  He announced "on your mark" and took off, leaving her surprised and losing the race at the top of the slide -

The kids had fun with a jump rope.  Only Mackeon, the oldest, could jump over the turning rope, but Collin and Esmae had just as much fun jumping over the shaking snake rope - and they were EXHAUSTED when we left -

Short geography lesson -

And back to the swings -

We love this family!  We love that just hanging around them makes Collin a little braver, that he always takes good naps after morning outings with them, and that my kid is friends with my best friend's kids!