Logan’s 8!

Logan-

You are eight years old today! Watching you grow up this past year has been so much fun; somehow you suddenly turned into a big kid. As your mom, this change is a little bittersweet and I now treasure your rare “little kid” moments. 

The other night, we had a small birthday celebration with a few of your school buddies. When we got home, it was late and I had a huge list of things to do before work the following day. After you finished showering and brushing your teeth, you came to me and said, “You know what would make my birthday celebration even better, mommy? If you read a Moonlight book with me, it will be the start to the best birthday ever!” How could I say no? 

When I think about one word to describe you, sweet boy, “passionate” is the first word that comes to mind. Every day is either your “best day ever” or your “worst day ever”. You fight hard and love even harder. Parenting you is often a challenge, but the reward is always worth it. 

You are sweet, kind and thoughtful. When we sit down for dinner, you are usually the first one to ask about everyone’s day. You show sincere interest in the people around you and show genuine excitement when someone has a great day. 

Seven was a pretty great year for you, Logan. You began the year playing Tiny Tim in The Lyceum Theater’s production of The Christmas Carol. For six straight weeks, you spent your afternoons, evenings and weekends in Arrow Rock, MO preparing for the 13 performances. I might be slightly biased, but I felt like you stole the show. Seven also brought the end of first grade and the beginning of second, playing on basketball and soccer teams and finally becoming more comfortable in the water!

Mommy and daddy are so happy to be your parents and we can’t wait to see what the next year has in store!

Love,

Mommy

18 Months

Miles-

How is it possible that you are 18 months old, crazy boy? It feels like you were just born and have been with us forever at the same time. I can’t imagine our family without you. 

I have loved every stage with you, but I think this one might be my favorite. It is so much fun to watch you change and grow. You learn new words and commands everyday. Just yesterday you learned how to do a somersault and were so proud of yourself. 

You love making animal sounds and talking to Scout (cat). You really think you can talk to her and get right in her face to “talk”. Fortunately, she’s pretty tolerant of you and your shenanigans. 

You love being outside and ask to go out constantly. Once you are outside, you make sure the big kids know that you are one of them. You have to be in the middle of whatever game they are playing. 

You are sweet and sassy. You love giving hugs and snuggles, but know exactly what you want at any given time. You have changed and grown so much since you turned one and I can’t wait to see what the next six months holds. 

Avery Is Nine!

Avery-

How is it possible that you are nine today? Lately, I have been spending a lot of time looking through pictures and videos of you over the years. I love seeing you as a cute, sweet and chubby baby, a smiley, precocious and silly toddler and now a kind, smart and beautiful little girl. As I always say, you are my favorite girl. 

You truly are a perfect mix of mommy and daddy. You have daddy’s lackadaisical side when it comes to life. You also have his sense of adventure and fun. From me, you get order and consistency as well as a listening ear and the ability to remember every word to every song.  From both of us, you get lots of love and support in anything you decide to to. 

I love our girls’ trips, watching Hallmark movies together, baking and simply talking with you. Your adventurous spirit is one of my favorite things about you, sweet girl. You love trying new activities and foods and would rather run around outside than just about anything else.

When asked to describe you, Avery, the first word that always comes to mind is "happy".  You always have a smile on your face and are the ultimate optimist.  The world could use a lot more people like you.

Love, mommy

As always, I asked you the same questions on your birthday.

1. What is your favorite color? I like all colors.
2. What is your favorite toy? My Rip Stick
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite TV show? Ravens Home
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Donuts
6. What is your favorite outfit? Workout Clothes
7. What is your favorite game? Mario Cart
8. What is your favorite snack? Ice Cream
9. What is your favorite animal? Dog
10. What is your favorite song? Ed Sheeran Music
11. What is your favorite book? Smile
12. Who is your best friend? Addi 
13. What is your favorite food? Ice cream
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with friends
15. What is your favorite drink? Soda
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Owl, Brownie and “b”
18. What do you like to do with daddy? Go on bike rides
19. What do you like to do with mommy? Watch Hallmark Movies
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A dog watcher
21. What do you like to do with Logan? Play Spies
22. What do you like to do with Miles? Chase each other

Happy 1st Birthday, Miles!

Miles-

You completed your first trip around the sun, baby boy, and what a trip it was!  To say this past year flew by is an understatement; your first year has been one of the most magical years of my life.  Giving birth to you seven and six years after Avery and Logan made me really stop and enjoy all the moments with you.  The late night feedings, miles of stroller walks, endless giggles and numerous firsts, I truly enjoyed it all.

When we decided to name you Miles, I joked with daddy that you "can't spell smile without Miles".  I can't think of a better phrase to describe you, sweet boy.  You have brought so much more love, joy and smiles to our family than either of us ever could have imagined.  You truly complete our little family.

Before you were born, everyone told daddy and me that "third kids" are so easy and go with the flow.  I am writing this a little after 10 pm the night before your birthday and am reminded that exactly a year ago today, daddy and I were getting into bed when my water broke and we had to head to the hospital instead.  From the moment you were born, you have been in charge.  For the first few months of your life, the only way I could get you to nap was by taking you on long walks.  I spent hours every day listening to podcasts and walking around the neighborhood.  At around six months of age, you found your voice and you love to use it.  Whether it is your need to eat every 17 minutes or your constant yelling for attention, every person who visits or sees our family knows that you run the house.

At one, you are getting really close to walking.  You get so proud when you stand up by yourself or walk run behind your walker.  You can climb an entire flight of stairs and think you are pretty sneaky when you do it.  You love clapping and giving high fives and Avery is your favorite person in the entire world.  I love seeing how excited you get when you see her.  Logan is a close second, but there is something special, something indescribable about the bond you and Avery have.  You also love almost all foods.  When you eat, you giggle and bounce up and down the entire time; it is adorable.

Miles, thank you for such an amazing first year!  I can't wait to see what year two will bring.

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

Logan Is Seven!!

Logan-

Today you are SEVEN! How is this possible? Where does time go? Mommy and daddy are so proud of you, sweet boy. You are kind, generous, loving and fun. You are crazy smart and amaze us every day. You also challenge us more than we ever thought possible. On a daily basis, we have to remind ourselves to be happy you only act up at home. You have not only taught me patience I never thought possible, but also how to find joy in the simplest things. You still have the best smile and big eyes that make it hard to say "no" to. Watching you become a big brother this year has been so much fun. No one can make Miles laugh the way you do; he loves you so much.

At your birthday party this year, you asked for toy donations to a local children's home, Coyote Hill.  We were so proud of you for being so selfless on your birthday.  Honestly, I was even more proud when you didn't ask to keep any of the toy donations for yourself!

Just like every year, I asked you the same list of questions for your birthday. Here are your answers:

1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite toy? That's hard. Cars 3.
3. What is your favorite fruit? Blueberries
4. What is your favorite TV show? Wild Kratts
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Donuts
6. What is your favorite outfit? Workout Clothes
7. What is your favorite game? Mousetrap
8. What is your favorite snack? Chocolate
9. What is your favorite animal? Orca and Narwhal
10. What is your favorite song? Whatever It Takes, Imagine Dragons
11. What is your favorite book? Otis and the Puppy
12. Who is your best friend? Anders and Zach
13. What is your favorite food? M & M Yogurt
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with Nerf Guns by myself
15. What is your favorite drink? Powerade
16. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Teddy, "B" and my snuggly
18. What do you like to do with daddy? Play Super Mario 3-D World
19. What do you like to do with mommy? Snuggle
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? An app creator
21. What do you like to do with Avery? Play Puppy Dog Pals
22. What do you like to do with Miles? Snuggle

Happy Birthday, Logan!  Mommy and daddy love you!

178 Days

I started my maternity leave 178 days ago and Miles joined our family twelve days later.  I can't even begin to describe how incredible it has been to spend almost six months at home with Avery, Logan and Miles.  Don't get me wrong, we've had our share of stress, meltdowns and exhaustion, but overall, the time with my babies has been incredible.  Although there isn't ever enough time, I feel so fortunate that my company allowed me to take the time off that I did.

Over the past six months, I spent the majority of my days holding, snuggling and talking to my high maintenance sweet baby Miles. Baby boy missed the memo that third babies are supposed to go with the flow and be "easy".  For months, the common phrase around the Musselman house has been, "September is going to be ugly."  We say this because Miles is a complete mama's boy and I fully give in to ALL of his needs and wants.  To date, I have only spent 29 of his waking hours away from him.  Starting today, I go back to my 40 plus hour a week full-time job and Miles starts full-time daycare.  Yikes!

This summer was busy and hectic and stressful, but so much fun.  We enjoyed a family vacation to Aruba, multiple trips to St. Louis, behavior boot-camp, movies, parks, ice skating and so much more.  We sang "The Wheels on the Bus" and "If You're Happy and You Know It" more times than I can count and played at least 100 rounds of SkipBo and Monopoly Jr.  I loved watching Avery and Logan play with Miles.  Their interactions with their baby brother really showcased their different personalities.  Avery is the typical big sister.  She loves to take care of her baby brother.  She was like a second mom and the best helper.  Logan, on the other hand, is the fun one.  He can make Miles smile and giggle in an instant, but only wants to play with Miles on his terms.

I'm going to miss being home with Miles all day and meeting the big kids at the bus stop after school.  I love being able to help with homework and talk about their days while they can still remember what they did.  To keep things real, I won't miss daily fighting about healthy vs. unhealthy snacks and emptying backpacks and lunch boxes.

The days spent at home were often long and exhausting, but the weeks flew by.  Tonight, Miles was eating and fell asleep in my arms.  While I held him, Avery told me that it reminded her of when he was in the hospital after he was born and that "it felt like just yesterday".  I couldn't agree more. 

Avery's 8!

Avery-

Eight years around the sun, sweet girl, I know I say this every year, but where did time go? Daddy and I are so proud of the person you have become. You truly got the best parts of your daddy and me.  You are beautiful and don’t even know it.  You are kind, compassionate, and thoughtful.  And you always believe that the glass is half full.

In a year of Avery, seven was pretty awesome.  You had a great teacher at school and learned so much.  You had a few tears and plenty of celebrations as we tackled math wizard (rapid math facts) head on, you learned to love reading chapter books and you met lots of new friends.  At home, you mastered your ripstick and pogo stick and became a big sister for the second time.  You have always been such a great big sister to Logan, but watching you become big sister to Miles has been amazing.  You are such a big help with him.

In the last year, so many of your "little kid" traits have started to disappear.  You are turning into such a beautiful, smart, grown up girl before our eyes.  With that said, I love it when I get to witness and hold on to some of the things that remind me of you as a little kid.  The one thing that really stands out is your pronunciation of the word, "finger".  You still pronounce it as "thinger" and I hope you always do as this is the only word that you still mispronounce.  It makes me smile every time I hear you say it.

Happy Birthday, goosey girl!  I couldn't love you more!

Every year, I ask the kids the same interview questions to see how their answers change over the years.  Here are Avery's 8-year-old answers:

1. What is your favorite color? Red
2. What is your favorite toy? Nerf Gun
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite TV show? Full House
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Chocolate Donuts
6. What is your favorite outfit? Workout clothes
7. What is your favorite game? Hide and seek
8. What is your favorite snack? Donuts
9. What is your favorite animal? Dog
10. What is your favorite song? Nothing's Holding Me Back, Shawn Mendes
11. What is your favorite book? Harry Potter
12. Who is your best friend? Addisyn
13. What is your favorite food? Candy
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ripstick
15. What is your favorite drink? Root Beer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Owl and "B" (Blanket)
18. What do you like to do with daddy? Go in caves when we are hiking
19. What do you like to do with mommy? Eat Chocolate
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Own a farm
21. What do you like to do with Logan? Steal Papa/s candy
22. What do you like to do with Miles: Talk to him

Avery had her well child check a few days after her birthday, her stats are as follows: 

Introducing Miles Oliver Musselman

I've been meaning to post this for weeks, but with three kids, time just isn't my friend these days. Miles Oliver joined our family on March 19, 2017 and is the perfect final addition to our family.  Aside from his full head of dark hair, he looks a lot like his big sister and brother.  So far, he's a sweet, but needy baby; we joke that he missed the memo about third kids being low maintenance.

Fortunately, Miles' birth story is fairly uneventful. We scheduled a c-section for March 21, but my water broke minutes after I climbed into bed at 11:15 pm on March 18. I hadn't been feeling well all day, but certainly didn't think I was in labor.  When my water broke, we called a neighbor to come stay at the house with the big kids until my mom could get to Columbia.  By the time we got to the hospital, I was in a lot of pain and ready for an epidural.  I was lucky because my OB-GYN was on call and I was the only patient in labor and delivery the entire time I was there.  After getting checked in and changed, Dr. Jones checked me and I was dilated to a 5.  At this time, Dr. Jones discussed a VBAC with me.  I initially declined and began signing all of my c-setion paperwork, but as I signed the paperwork, I started getting anxious.  Dr. Jones came back into the room and convinced me to attempt a VBAC with the promise that I could switch to a c-section at any time.  With the decision made, I was able to get my epidural.  At first, the epidural only worked on the left side and it took quite a bit of manipulation to get it to work on both sides.  (This was fine except that it took FOREVER to wear off.)  Once the epidural was working and in place, Luke took a nap and I relaxed for a couple hours.  At around 4:00 am, Dr. Jones came in to prep me to push.  I pushed through two and a half contractions and Miles and was born at 4:23 am.  Miles weighed 7 lbs, 3 oz and was 21 inches with a full head of dark hair.

Avery, Logan, Luke and I all completely adore sweet Miles.  I can't get enough baby snuggles and the big kids constantly hold and hug and kiss him.  It is so much fun to see them with their baby brother.

SIX

Logan-

Today you are six years old.  This past year has been such a fun year to watch you change and grow.  You started Kindergarten, lost your first tooth, learned how to ride a two wheel bike and started riding the bus.  You love being in "big kid" school.  I have so much fun talking to you about your day and hearing about everything you learn.  You have a huge personality that is a perfect mix of sweet and spicy.  Parenting you is definitely my biggest challenge in life and constantly keep me on my toes. However, I wouldn't change a thing and truly love the variety that each day brings.

Daddy and I joke that you are class president.  It truly is the perfect way to describe you and your personality.  When you walk into a room with your friends, the other kids flock to you.  It is so sweet and you eat it up. You are kind, caring and loving. I am so proud to call you mine. Happy Birthday, Jack Attack! I love you the most!

Once I Was Seven Years Old...

Avery-

Happy 7th Birthday, sweet girl! This past year has been a fun year for me to watch you grow and mature. You have become such a kind, considerate and compassionate little girl. You love family time, doing your chores, crafts, playing with your friends and taking care of your cat. You FINALLY like school!! As a book and math lover myself, I couldn't be more proud to see you begin to enjoy reading, writing and math. You even joined math club in First grade and did great!

At home, you love to help as often as possible. You love taking care of Logan and "babysitting" while daddy and I are busy at home. You almost always willingly do your chores and often offer to do Logan's chores for him. When I asked you what you want to do on your birthday, you said, "spend time with the family because family is the most important thing in the world".

The other day, you and I were running errands and you brought up something that happened over a year ago. When I reminded you how long ago it was, you exclaimed, "No, way! Are you sure, mommy? I remember it like it was yesterday!" This is exactly how I feel about the day you were born (and every day in between), goosey girl; wasn't it just yesterday? I know I will blink and you will turn 14 or go to college or get married, but for now, I will enjoy sweet seven.

I love you, Avery!

Love, mommy

Finishing First Grade

Last Thursday marked the end of First Grade for Avery. I couldn't have been happier with her progress this year. She had the best teacher, Mrs. Bradford, and a class of the sweetest boys and girls. Since I am a huge math geek, I was so proud when Avery learned to love math and even joined math club. She also came full circle from Kindergarten when she refused to check out books at the library to being excited for library day on Thursdays so she could check out new books. I love that she finally started to enjoy reading. We are still working on her writing, but she made significant improvements from the beginning of the year.

Yesterday, we went to summer school open house and Avery couldn't be more excited to finally have her BFF, Addi, in her class! She also has two of our other neighbors in her class so it should be a fun month for her.

Five

Logan-

Today you are five!  How did this happen, best buddy?  In five years, so many things have changed, but your contagious laugh and huge smile have stayed the same.  I hope you never lose your joy for the little things in life.  I love watching you get excited when you learn a new dance, learn how to read a new book or build a Lego creation.  I hope your enthusiasm for learning never ends.  Every day you come home from school, you tell me something new you learned about an animal, an occupation, a letter, nature, anything.  You get so excited and are so proud of yourself.  Of course, I am also proud of you, sweet boy.

At bedtime last night, I asked you if you wanted some extra mommy snuggles on your last night as a four year old.  You squealed, grabbed your B and puppy and ran to my bed to build a fort for us out of my pillows.  As you tried to fall asleep, you told me all about being five and how great it's going to be.  You reminded me that you will soon be in Kindergarten and hope to ride the bus home with Avery, but made sure I knew you wouldn't be able to sit past the exit sign.  Clearly your sister is preparing you for the important aspects of school!

Four was a fun year, Logan!  You are working hard on addition and reading and continuing your goal of becoming a dinosaur expert.  We went on fun family trips to Legoland and the beach in Florida and Disney in California.

You are such a sweet and loving boy.  In the morning, you are always the first to run to me to give me kisses and tell me that you love me.  At night, you always ask me about my day and give me lots of hugs and kisses.  You make me so happy.

I love you, Birthday Boy!

Love, Mommy

All good things...

...must come to an end.

On Monday, I start back at work after eight weeks of maternity leave.  I'd like to say I'm ready, but I'm not.  I even tried to get a couple extra weeks of unpaid time, but it became complicated so I couldn't do it.  Aside from the first two to three weeks of c-section recovery, I really enjoyed all of the extra time I have had with Avery and Logan as a result of my maternity leave.  I feel so fortunate that my company was supportive of my surrogacy journey and that I was able to take advantage of the generous paid leave for recovery.

While I've been off work, my house has stayed clean, laundry kept up, meals cooked and I've had plenty of time to work out.  It has been amazing and a relatively stress-free eight weeks.  Most of you who know me well, know that for me, a clean and organized house is the one thing that can make or break my day.  For Real?  Yes.  Ridiculous?  I know...

I have had a lot of time with my kids that I will always cherish and remember.  Logan is lucky and has been able to stay home with me most days.  I still took him to preschool a day or two each week, but, when he's home, we have so much fun together that I hate having to take him.  During our time together, we have played countless hours of Legos and trains, read the same six books over and over, visited parks, run lots of errands, cooked, had playdates, stuffed animal birthday parties, napped and played at least 50 rounds each of Zingo and Spot It.  He has been such a joy to hang out with.  I'm definitely going to miss our time.

With Avery in school, her time with me has been a little more limited.  I love that I have had the chance to volunteer at her school, eat lunch with her regularly and meet her at the bus stop every day.  After school, it's been nice to sit down with her to talk about her day and help her with homework without being rushed.  We have also enjoyed after school playdates, tons of crafts, raking leaves and beautiful weather for walking/riding scooters up to the park.

Although I know it will be nice to get back into the routine of work, I'm dreading going back.  I told Luke I think going back this time will be harder than when the kids were babies.  When they were babies, they did little more than eat, sleep and snuggle.  Now, they are my little buddies.  We talk, laugh, play games and just have fun.  I'm lucky, they truly are my favorite people to be around.  I will really miss all my extra time with them.

Grateful

Early in the morning on August 31, I gave birth to a perfect baby boy.  He weighed 5 lbs., 13 oz. and had a full head of dark hair.  After my doctor cut the umbilical cord, I heard a healthy cry and Dylan was handed over to his sweet parents.

As many of you know, I was a gestational surrogate.  For me, being a parent was something I always wanted.  As a child, I dreamed about being pregnant and raising children who looked like me.  I never imagined not being able to have a child of my own and am so fortunate that I never had to.  Sadly, infertility is real and I have seen too many of my friends struggle to start a family.  I could help.  I had to help. 

I feel so grateful that my friends entrusted me to be their gestational surrogate.  Seeing them with baby Dylan for the first time was one of the greatest moments of my life.  The love they have for their baby boy is incredible; it made a rough nine-month pregnancy and scary delivery worth every second.  This family will always have a special place in our hearts and our family.  I love the connection we have and look forward to watching this sweet family grow.

I am grateful for my husband, Luke.  Not many men would support their wife’s crazy idea to go through a yearlong process to have another man (and woman’s) baby.  This past year was a huge test for our marriage and our family.  It brought the four of us closer together and taught us all about unconditional love and giving.  I am so proud that we made the journey together.

Finally, I am grateful for my family and friends, modern medicine and my incredible OB-GYN, his nurse and the wonderful nursing staff at Boone Hospital.  My mom, sister and friends really stepped up to help when Luke had to travel at the end of my pregnancy and during my C-section recovery.  The kids and I couldn’t have made it through the past month without all of them.  And my OB-GYN and the amazing nursing staff were so great dealing with this type A lady when I had a placental abruption and Dylan’s delivery turned into an emergency C-section.

When Dylan and his parents left the hospital to head home, I expected I would cry and I did.  I didn’t cry because I wanted Dylan to stay, I cried because this crazy, beautiful journey was over.  I cried because I was overjoyed to see this miracle with his mom and dad.  The biggest gift I could ever give someone was going to his new home to learn, grow and discover his blessed life.  That, my friends, is amazing.

Pre-Kindergarten!

It's hard to believe my baby started Pre-Kindergarten this week.  He was so excited to start in the Sentries class at school.  I know this year will be so amazing for my sweet boy.  He loves learning, school and playing with his friends.  Often, when Luke and I pick him up at the end of the day, we have to wait while he finishes whatever he is playing or working on.  On the way to Logan's first day of Pre-K, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grows up. His response was typical Logan, "Since I'm already a Lego expert and almost a dinosaur expert, I think I'll just be a construction worker and drive an excavator when I grow up." I can't wait to see what the 2015-2016 school year has in store for Logan!

First Grade!

Avery started first grade earlier this week.  When she got her teacher assignment, she was so excited to learn that she has the same teacher she had for summer school!  Her nerves about making new friends got to her for about a week before school started, but she did great when it was time to start school.  After her first day, she rode the bus home and told Luke that first grade is "so much better than kindergarten".  I think it was a successful day.  First grade will be fun and challenging and we are so excited to watch Avery learn and grow this year.

6-Year-Old Interview and Stats

Avery had her 6-year-old well child check this week and she starts First Grade next week; time, please slow down! During her WCC, she was quick to tell her doctor that school is boring and she only likes PE, recess and lunchtime. Fortunately her doctor immediately responded by telling her that she should probably figure out how to like school because she will be going for 12-20 more years. Aside from the school thing, Avery's WCC went really well.  She's right where Dr. Beal wants her to be with all of her milestones, growth, etc.  As expected, Avery is still small.  Recently, instead of meltdowns about her small stature, she embraces it and talks about how being small makes her special.  She is 42 3/4" tall (10-25%), weighs 36.4 pounds (3-10%) and her BMI is 13.9 (14%).

On the kids' birthdays each year, I do the same birthday interview so that they can look back on it to see their changing answers as they get older.

1. What is your favorite color? Red and Black
2. What is your favorite toy? I don't like toys.
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite TV show? Jessie
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Little Muffins
6. What is your favorite outfit? Workout clothes
7. What is your favorite game? Minecraft
8. What is your favorite snack? Watermelon
9. What is your favorite animal? Dog
10. What is your favorite song? Sugar, Maroon 5
11. What is your favorite book? My superhero chapter book
12. Who is your best friend? Addisyn
13. What is your favorite food? Potato Casserole
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play soccer
15. What is your favorite drink? Sprite
16. What is your favorite holiday? My birthday
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Owl and "B" (Blanket)
18. What do you like to do with daddy? Go to Taco Bell
19. What do you like to do with mommy? Go to Chipotle
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Vet for cats and dogs
21. What do you like to do with Logan? Ride bikes

Happy 6th Birthday, Avery!

Avery-

Today you turn six and you are thrilled! As excited as you are for today, it's a bittersweet day for me. I love watching you grow up, but, as always, it seems to happen so quickly.  Some days, I feel like I blinked and you went from a baby to a six-year-old.

Wow, five was a big year for you.  This past year, you started and finished kindergarten, learned how to ride a two-wheel bike, learned how to swim, lost your first tooth and started to read.

While putting you to bed last night, I asked you your favorite thing that happened while you were five.  In true Avery fashion, you said, "Spending time with my family".  Your response is what I love most about you, sweet girl.  You are kind, caring, thoughtful and sensitive.  You love making people happy. You are shy around new people, but outgoing around your family and friends.

You recently started playing with your American Girl doll and other typical "girl" toys, but still prefer getting dirty and playing outside.  Most days, you wake up, get dressed and immediately ask when you can knock on the neighbors' doors to play.  You are always on the go.

I can't wait to see what six has in store for you, Avery.  I just know it's going to be a great year!

Happy Birthday, Avery!  Mommy and Daddy love you more than you could ever know!

Love,

Mommy

Birthday Celebrating

Logan turned four on Thursday so we had a birthday party for him this past weekend.  Since Logan has a winter birthday and I didn't have the time to put together a cute, "at-home" party, I defaulted to Logan's third choice for his party, Going Bonkers.  (His first choice was to go bowling, but I didn't think the other three, four and five year olds would be as stoked to go bowling as Logan would.)  Going Bonkers is a massive inside jungle gym.  It's full of tons of fun and plenty of germs.

Logan invited friends from his old preschool class as well as his current preschool class, neighborhood friends and family friends.  In all, we had 16 boys and girls.  They seemed to have a blast and were so cute celebrating Logan!

Logan is Four!

Logan-

Today you turn four.  It's crazy how quickly time has passed.  Just last week, I kept teasing you about wanting you to turn one so you would stay little forever.  You giggled and said, "Silly mommy, people can't go backwards, we can only get older."  So young, yet so wise.

At four, you are the source of most of my headaches and even more of my smiles and laughs.  You know how to take me just to my breaking point and then do something cute to make me forget my frustrations.  When you walk into a room, you light it up with your big smile and infectious giggles.

You love to learn.  At four, you have gotten really good at basic math and are working hard to learn to read.  Your teacher says that although you often tell her you are a stinker at home, you are one of her best listeners at school.

Your favorite toys are Legos, books, puzzles and Ninja Turtles.  You love playing with your sister, cul-de-sac friends and school friends.  Your diet is still lacking, but has gotten better.  Sometimes I make a new food and after throwing a massive fit, you finally try the new food, turn to me and say, "I was just teasing, mommy, I love eating xyz."  Ugh.  Cue the headache. :-)

We haven't had your 4 year WCC, but I don't imagine any surprises.  You are still tiny.  You wear 3T jeans, 2T-3T tops and 2T undies.

As I write this, I just looked at the clock; four years ago, my water broke. After this happened, daddy ran around the house frantically trying to get ready to leave while I sat on the toilet telling your daddy that I wanted to wait a couple days.  Fortunately, I didn't have that option and you were quietly born at 4:47 in the morning.

When I put you to bed tonight, (after discussing every construction vehicle known to man) you said, "Don't worry, mommy, I will still love you when I'm four."  So, Happy Birthday, sweet Jack!  I will love you to the moon and back; I will love you forever.

XOXO

Mommy