the 2s

the night of tess's birthday i told my mom that i couldn't remember anyone turning 2. those
first birthdays are etched in my memory......second ones? maybe not so much. i had to browse
back through a little photo history to find proof that they all really did turn 2.

and they all really did.
tess, annie, erin and kate, respectively.
four sweet little 2 year old birthday girls.

it's been a rough week for annie. she woke up early monday morning with what we thought was
the stomach flu. it turned into a high fever and nasty ear infection that is still going on 4
days later. certainly a quieter christmas vacation than we had anticipated.....i don't mind a few
quiet days but poor annie. i wish she felt better!

2

our girl had such a sweet second birthday.

she got bouncy balls and balloons and lots of singing and sweet wishes from her sisters....

helped to make her own cake...

grandma and grandpa came and she did a genuine happy dance....

learned to blow out candles (she did it twice....2 year olds need practice!) 

got a new baby that she cuddled and loved....and a new puppy that she didn't.

  

it was a good day to be 2.

erin, and her cousins.

2 years ago today we welcomed this sweet girl into the world.

she's been running our house ever since.

happy birthday, tess.

we love you

(and every wonderful, crazy thing about you!)

xoxoxo

mama daddy kate erin annie sara

christmas 2011....

after all the anticipation and planning and worrying, it turned out just about perfect.
a christmas eve mass to remember (forever!), a good day spent with family in chicago, and a christmas day spent home in pjs, with happy girls and a snuggly baby and my husband who makes me laugh more than anyone else can.

my cup runneth over.

have yourself a merry little christmas.

yes, sara jane....even you.

worried face.

i got to spend the whole day with julie today....as i said on

Facebook, so good for my soul. i met julie in 1994! when we

were sophomores at BU. we shared three good years of college

...many, many, many laughs...and one lucky rescued cat named

max. she has recently moved from arizona to alaska but always

comes home to her sister in wisconsin....lucky me to be so close.

today she chatted with annie and cuddled with erin and snuggled

sara jane....and got to witness a little bit of crazy that

goes on in this house. i got a day full of good chats and i laughed

harder than i have in quite some time. i'm so lucky.

hooray for old friends.

i like that face.

sara is in love with prince charming.

i mean, who wouldn't be?!

i've heard sara jane's belly laugh twice now, and it's about

the best sound in the world. once tess got her to do it, and last

night it was kate jumping on bubble wrap. i've tried very

hard to get her to laugh like that for me, and she will smile

and coo politely. good grief!

tess came with me to kate and erin's dance lessons last night....

and an observing mother said (of tess).....oh, she must be your live-wire.

oh, yeah. she is DEFINITELY my live wire!

i love this baby....

more than any words i have.