Cousins

Evey loves playing with her cousin. She has loved him since day one! They share special connection, maybe because they grew together in the womb? I'm not sure what it is, but it's cute to see them interact!

I got to babysit Harrison the other day. His parents were buying a new house and beginning the moving process, so Aunt Jenni was happy to help out!

The Very Happy Birthday Girl

Evey's first birthday was an amazing day! Her party was so much fun and we had a blast with all of our friends and family who came to celebrate! I can't believe the day I'd been planning for since January has come and gone and even more, I can't believe that Evey's in her second year of life! I am so in love with that sweet little girl, and I'm so glad we were able to celebrate her in such an amazing way!

Our party was catered by Topher's Table Personal Chef Service. We served everything the Hungry Caterpillar ate... Apples, Pears, Plums, Strawberries, Oranges, Chocolate Cake, Ice Cream Cones, Pickles, Swiss Cheese, Salami, Cherry Pies, Lollipops, Sausages, Cupcakes and Watermelon!!

A Very Special Birthday Cake for our 1 Year Old!

I was very, very busy during the party, so Evey hung out with the Miparents and her Nana. It definitely made playing hostess easier! Her Mimi fixed her a plate with EVERYTHING on it and Evey ate it like a pro!

When it came time to eat her cake, her little tummy was stuffed! She was interested in the sticky frosting, but wasn't hungry enough to eat it! Even when I tried to give her a piece, she closed her mouth tight and shook her head "no." After a while of playing, she finally ate a little bit - and she definitely liked it!

I tink she did a pretty good job for her first try!



Getting a bath from the cake coating!



This is her asking to nurse... she wasn't hungry, but she was tired from all the excitement and was ready to nap!

She wasn't sure about opening presents. She seemed to like it at first, but didn't care for the fact that her toys were quickly taken away before she got to play with them!

Nana with her "Grandtwins!"



One Proud Mimi!



While we cleaned up, Great-Grand Nanny babysat for us. Evey had fun taking rides on her walker and Nanny enjoyed being able to keep her happy! 

Party Pooped!

July 27th, 2011, Christopher and I made our final preparations for bringing a child into the world. We were nervous and excited about the day to follow, imagining, but not really knowing what the day would bring.

One year later, we were doing something very similar. We were busy making the final preparations to celebrate our daughter's birth for the second time. We had cherished every moment spent with the amazing little miracle that had changed our lives one year prior.

My mom, dad and sister met Christopher and I at the Solid Roc Cafe where we were holding her party and from 2 - 7:30 the night before Evey's birthday, we were working very hard decorating the cafe to make her first birthday so special.

Maybe I went over the top a little. Her decorations were mostly hand made with hours and hours of love. People probably thought I was totally insane. I had several people say that it didn't matter what I did because she wouldn't remember it. But it did matter to me. I wanted her celebration to be just as meaningful as she is to me.

Will she remember it? No. Will I? Yes. Every day. For the rest of my life. I will cherish those moments watching her eat her birthday cake and her big smile as we sang "Happy Birthday". Was it worth the crazy amount of man-hours that we logged? Absolutely. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

So, as we prepared for the first of many to come, Evey played. And slept. And played some more. She was so sweet and had a lot of fun running amongst the madness!

Evey and the Papoochkins

Evey loves our dogs and cats. The pooches (or papoochkins in our house) don't mind her so much, but the cats won't let her even get close.

Don't worry... the following events were closely supervised by Christopher as I snapped photos. When we got Whitney and Amma, we trained them to be okay with someone messing with their faces and food bowls as they were eating. We sat on the floor next to them, petting their snouts every day for months as they ate. We knew we wanted a family, and we needed both dogs to be okay if a child decided their food looked fun and stuck their hand in the bowl while one of our backs were turned. Both dogs are excellent with Evey and even though we're not worried about bites, we're careful... just in case.

Cutie Patootie

These photos were just too cute not to share! This was just a day or two before E started seriously walking. She was just on the verge, but still needed a hand from Mommy or Papa to boost that confidence! I love these memories.

Reducto!

Evey's prepping for Hogwarts already!