Billa's 3rd Birthday Recap

We finally got around to celebrating Sybilla’s birthday!

Beautiful girl!  I love this picture!

I wish I had more pictures, but unfortunately, my camera went unused, since I was socializing and having such a good time that I totally forgot to use it!  So family members who are reading this and have pictures, please send them my way :)

Michael: "Psst! Billa, you have something on your lip."

Billa: "WHAT?!"

We kept it pretty simple and limited it to family with just a couple of friends.  We had a Scooby Doo theme, so Billa’s Scooby Doo lunchbox, beanie baby, and action figures got in on some of the décor.  I always hate it when I’m left with nothing but knives at the end of a party, so I told myself I wasn’t going to serve any food that required flatware.  We served orange creamsicle cupcakes, Oreo truffles, sugar cookies, fruit skewers, sushi, chips and dips, cheese, and veggie crudités.  It was perfect for a tea time get together and clean up was super fast, which made visiting afterwards very enjoyable indeed.  And I admit, I did not bake the cupcakes from scratch, although the frosting was homemade.  That’s just non-negotiable in my book!

Zeydi is being silly!

The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful and our friends Kellie and Anthony were gracious hosts to let us use their home for the venue. They’d mowed the yard and set up a bunch of chairs around the fire pit for everyone to sit in and the atmosphere was so relaxed.  The kids played on the swing set while the grownups visited with one another.  We nixed singing “happy birthday” and lighting candles since people couldn’t wait to eat cupcakes, but we did sit around to watch Billa open her presents, which was funny, since all the kids jumped in and were unwrapping stuff together.  Billa, Madeleine and Cameron are thick as thieves and I will be sad for the day when they stop being so nice to one another at present time!

Mommy helps Billa unwrap her presents

Billa showing off her new apron from my friend Anna to Michael's mom

Billa received a play kitchen from the Marino family.  Their kids had outgrown it and we’d been looking at some for Billa anyway, so it worked out perfectly.  She also received a new big girl car chair from Michael’s dad (who drove here and back from Oklahoma in one day!), some books, a new Scooby Doo movie, and lots of cute dresses and clothes.  My friend Anna also bought an adorable apron for Billa, which tied in wonderfully with the play kitchen.  Of course I want one for myself now, lol!  We hadn’t expected any presents, and we are so grateful for all of the things that Billa got.  She is well loved and we are blessed to have so many friends and family around us.

Here’s to another year, Sybilla!

Love, Mommy & Daddy

Plum Tuckered

Billa had a great birthday on Monday!  Wanna know how I know?

The brown pooch nestled into her arm there is one of her birthday presents from us; it's a Scooby Doo beanie baby, which she has not put down for more than a few seconds since she got him.  She usually takes a book to bed.  The Poky Little Puppy has been a favorite lately. And I swear, this was exactly how we found her when we came in to turn off her Christmas lights!

As you can see, she done wore her little self out!  So what got her so tired?

Well, after having cakes for breakfast (pancakes), we watched some Scooby Doo and Busytown, played "eh-lun"(Elefun), cleaned house, made some juice, baked cookies, played video games with Mommy, went to the shop (Target), visited the fishies (PetsMart), and then had dinner at Burger King, where she played on the playscape for over an hour and made some new friends.  Whew!  That exhausted me just writing it.

Happy birthday, Sugary.  We love you so much and wish you many more wonderful birthdays to come!

Love,
Kelly

Three is the Age to Be

Today is Billa's birthday and I'm having a hard time thinking of what to write.  It's difficult for me to fathom that my baby is growing up! 

It seems like just yesterday that she was placed on my belly, a squalling little pink-skinned bundle.  I remember staring at her, half-delirious from no sleep for two months and half mesmerized by the realization that she was finally here.  Holding her in my arms that day, I had a difficult time processing that she was mine.  I made this, I remember thinking.  Here is my heart, outside my body.  She snuggled close and I held her in my arms as we both slept.

Was it only three years ago we looked upon you with wonder, little bit?

I should have known that was a taste of things to come!  These days, Billa is a blur of activity and motion.  She runs everywhere, climbs everything, and is hopping and bouncing from place to place as she soaks in the world around her.  Stillness is anathema to every fiber of her being, and "hold still" might as well be said in any other language besides English, it's so foreign to her!  As much as I've desired for her to grow, explore, and discover, I creep up beside her at night to watch her as she sleeps.  It's the only time she's still long enough for me to drink in her every feature and breath in her little girl scent.  It's only been recently that she's been sleeping in her own bed, and I still sometimes feel that loss when I wake up without her snuggled in my arms.  My heart aches to hold my baby close.

She moves so fast, I can't even take decent photos of her half the time!

Billa surprises me every single day with yet another concept she's grasped or words she's learned and I experience joy at seeing the world anew through her eyes.  I believe that she is part of the source of my new-found optimism in life.  How can you not hold a sunny view when you see things from the perspective of a curious toddler?  Everything is magical and shiny and new!  I am so grateful to God for giving me this life with her.

So much spunk, from head to toe!

We will be celebrating Billa's birthday quietly today, enjoying her favorite foods, going to her favorite places and spending time together as a family.  A few months ago, I didn't think Billa would ever have that opportunity again, and yet here we are, still together and still committed.  Our daughter is definitely an inspiration towards that goal.  She deserves nothing less than our best efforts at working on our marriage and our commitment to be better people.

Sugary, you have graced our lives with sweetness and wonder.  We are so grateful for your presence and the light you bring to our lives.  Happy 3rd birthday, love!  May you have many more!

Love,
Mama and Daddy

Pictures from Billa's Birthday Party!

Howdy pardners!

A very big thank you to everyone who came to Sybilla's first birthday party! And another big thank you to everyone who helped make it happen. Sybilla had a wonderful time and we are so very grateful to have celebrated this milestone with so many friends and family. Billa is truly loved!

The birthday cake came out awesome, the food tasted great, the ballpit was a hit, and everyone had a good time. Billa the kid made out like a bandit and got lots of great toys, books, and clothes. All of her grandparents and aunties and uncles were there, along with all of her friends from school and beyond! Mathilda, Alexander, Madeleine and Cameron all stayed long after the party was over and really helped make the day. Thanks to Michelle, John and Julia for helping us clean up afterwards. You have no idea how much it made today better :o)

We had red velvet cake for Billa's birthday and it went over really well. It broke my heart to have to cut them up since it's definitely my best work to date. You can see the pictures of them above in the slideshow. Billa's favorite toys so far have been the ride on pony we got her, the roll along snail from her friend Justin, and the chatter phone from her friend Jocelyn. She loved everything of course, but so far those have captured her attention the most!

The ballpit was the star of the show when Billa wasn't running around stealing everyone's hearts. The kids had so much fun and I have to admit, what with all the screams of joy and delight coming from her room, I am amazed the cat stayed under the bed the whole time. Billa only had one nap and by the time 7 pm rolled around she was crashing hard. All the energy, people, and cake (three pieces!!!) kept her going for several hours.

Enjoy the slideshow! We hope that you will all stick around for the next year of adventures... it's shaping up to be quite a year!

Love,
Kelly, Michael, Billa, and Gumerry the Brave or Incredibly Scared, We Can't Decide Which Yet

Happy 1st Birthday Billa!

One year ago today we were on our way to the hospital where our Little Bit made her appearance at 11:27 and weighed in at 8 pounds, 14 oz. And ever since then, our lives have been all the better for it!

Sybilla Kathleen, 1 day old

Billa, the road here hasn't been easy sometimes, but it sure was worth it. In one year you have taught us more about patience than our parents could in a lifetime. In one year, you have tested our endurance, our sanity, and our limits. In one year, we have laughed until we cried and cried until we laughed. In one year, you have have amazed us with your talents, helped us rediscover our inner child, and melted our hearts with your fierce, all encompassing love. In one year, you have not only inspired us to be and do greater, but changed us for the better.

Sybilla Kathleen, 1 year old

Every day we love you more and more and thank God for choosing us to be your parents. You light up our lives and make each day worth getting up for. Thank you for the smiles, the laughs, the tears, the joy, the three a.m. wake up calls, and most of all, your love.

Happy Birthday little love!
Love,
Mommy & Daddy (& Gumerry the Gray, Destroyer of All Things Paper, Q-Tip, Hair Tie, and the newly conquered Laundry Bag)

2 days away!

Billa the Kid turns one in two days!!!!

Last night I sat down and wrote a letter to her and then tucked it away inside her baby time capsule. Maybe this is a bit morbid, but my mother always says "you know not the hour nor the day" in regards to one's death, and should something happen to me before I get to see my daughter grow up, I want to at least be able to impart some wisdom to her or share some stories about myself. And hoping that nothing happens to me before then, she is going to have an amazing sentimental gift when she reaches the age of majority (Thank you Jacqueline Carey for that wonderful phrase).

Michael and I are about to head out to get Billa's birthday present and some stuff for the party. Tonight I will be baking her cake and the sugar cookies that I will be giving the kids as their goodie treat. Tomorrow I decorate the cake and cookies and finish cleaning, and Saturday we do all the last minute things like set up, get balloons and naptime! I am so excited about this party!

I really hope Billa has a good time and her friends have fun. The next time I post will be a play by play of the party and pictures!

Love you all,
Kelly et al