Celebrating our birthday girl!!!!

Ryleigh-

Even though it's a very busy time of year,
(and even though you didn't quite understand that it was your very first birthday,)
I still wanted to celebrate it in grand style.
After all, you only turn 1 once!
I invited all your little friends over for a Secret Santa Birthday Party.
Rather than compete with the Christmas holiday,
I figured we might as well make a big celebration out of it.

We picked up the cutest little cupcakes

We decorated with your birthday banner 

and red & white sweet treats

We had Christmas carols playing on Pandora,

and the basement baby proofed for all the kiddos

Everyone had been paired with a Secret Santa,

and your big sister was SO excited for your guests to arrive

that she waited at the front door for a good ten minutes before friends started showing up. 

Everything was perfect...except, of course, that you woke up that morning feeling under the weather.

And you got plenty worse with each passing hour.

Your face was downright puffy, your eyes were swollen, your nose was running,

you were whimpering and whiny and not at all your happy-go-lucky self.

I worried that you'd get the other babies sick.

I worried that you were not in the mood for a party.

I worried that you wouldn't sleep for the sitter later that night.

But...what could I do?

It was too close to Christmas to postpone, and so the show went on.

You were not the happiest birthday baby, that's for sure.

But it was such a special afternoon.

Your mom and your sister (and all of your guests) had a pretty wonderful time,

and I was just so happy to celebrate YOU -

and all the happiness you've brought to us this past year!

We decided to wait on your family celebration until you were feeling better.

In the meantime, you were diagnosed with an ear infection and RSV.

You literally slept for a week straight.

You wouldn't eat, you wouldn't drink, you had no energy,

you had to miss your sister's school party and cookie-decorating party. 

You stayed inside for days and suffered through nebulizer treatments, 

an endless array of nose drops and loving babysitters who sweetly rocked you for hours.

But finally, FINALLY our sweet girl felt better and was raring to go. 

So, the weekend before Christmas, we enjoyed all things festive.

We went out and got our tree together as a family.

We spent the afternoon decorating it. 

Your sister sang us Christmas carols. 

We got more birthday cupcakes.

We got all the presents from your extended family ready to go.

We got out the birthday hat and bib.

It was time to get the party started.

You smiled, you cheered.

You got so very excited when we lit your candle 

- legs kicking, arms banging, smile from ear to ear.

You knew just what to do with your cupcake. 

You had great fun opening your presents.

You liked the bags and bows and tissue paper almost as much as what was inside. 

You had just the celebration that we hoped for...

feeling happy and healthy and excited.

And that alone is more than we could ask for. 

Happy 1st Birthday to our sweet, loving Ryleigh!

Christmas Card and Holiday Wishes

For any visitors stopping in over the holiday,
we wish you a very Merry Christmas -
one that is filled with comfort and joy

ONE!!!

Ryleigh,

When I happily learned that I was pregnant with you,

I went out in search of a book that would be "yours",

the special one we would read to you at bedtime.

Just like one we were given when your big sister was born. 

Nancy Tillman's "Wherever You Are" had come out the year before.

I read the first page or two with tears in my eyes 

and knew I had found it.

The first time your daddy read it to you, 

he had the very same reaction. 

The sweet message holds true, not just on your first birthday,

but for every birthday you celebrate, and every day in general.

Tonight while we snuggle with you and read your book to you,

we will hold you extra tight. 

We are so very thankful for the gift of you.

Happy, Happy Birthday to our darling, our angel, our star:

 "I wanted you more

than you will ever know,

so I sent love to follow 

wherever you go.

 It's high as you wish it. It's quick as an elf.

You'll never outgrow it...it stretches itself.

 So climb any mountain...

climb up to the sky!

My love will find you.

My love can fly!

 Make a big splash! Go out on a limb!

My love will find you. My love can swim!

 It never gets lost, never fades, never ends...

 If you're working...or playing...or sitting with friends. 

 You can dance 'til you're dizzy...

paint 'til you're blue...

There's no place, not one,

that my love can't find you. 

 And if someday you're lonely,

or someday you're sad, 

or you strike out at baseball,

or think you've been bad...

just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair.

That's me, my sweet baby, my love is right there. 

 In the green of the grass...in the smell of the sea...
in the clouds floating by...

at the top of the tree...
in the sound crickets make at the end of the day...

 'You are loved. You are loved. You are loved,'

they all say.

 My love is so high, and so wide and so deep,

it's always right there, 

even when you're asleep. 

 So hold your head high

and don't be afraid

to march to the front

of your own parade.

If you're still my small babe

or you're all the way grown,

my promise to you 

is you're never alone. 

You are my angel, my darling,

my star...and my love will find you,

wherever you are."

Big month for birthdays

Of course, there is a very important birthday later this month.
We're working hard to remind Alexis of the real reason for the holiday season.
At her school Christmas party this week, the whole class is blowing out
a birthday candle - or at least that's what she tells me.
This should help reinforce the Christmas message.
It's also a big birthday month for our own family in December.
First up is Nanny, who celebrated a "big" one this year (although you'd never be able to tell!)

Wendy, Ryleigh and I spent the day with her in New York celebrating.
We visited Rock Center, saw the tree, enjoyed a few of the department store window
displays and then finished up with lunch at Becco where she opened gifts over Prosecco.
Despite the rain, it was a pretty great day!

Then it was Vic's turn.

He's not a big "let's celebrate my birthday" kind of guy.

So I had to be a bit creative and get a group of our friends together...

"to toast the holiday season"

There are all kinds of "crazy eyes" in this last pic...courtesy of my iPhone

(and not the amount of beverages consumed)

Lexi also insisted we bake him birthday brownies with sprinkles on top.

Must have been Harry, our elf on the shelf, who polished them off at the end of the evening ;)

And...our sweet Ryleigh turns ONE on Sunday!

We are celebrating with a Secret Santa birthday party later this week.

It should be quite cute. 

My prediction is that she will devour her cupcake.