Keira's First Birthday Party!!!

Believe it or not...Keira is now one year old!!!  We definitely had our ups and downs this past year, but I think we are finally getting the hang of being a family of four!

One of my greatest memories of Keegan at a young age, is his time at The Little Gym.  I remember taking him there once a week and calling Kevin after each of our classes being so excited to tell him what Keegan did in class.  The Little Gym is such a welcoming, positive, and comfortable setting for parents and children. 

When I began planning for Keira's party I originally thought it would be an open house at our home.  But then, after watching how much Keira likes to climb, roll around, and be active, I just knew The Little Gym was the perfect place for her party.  So, today we had our friends and my parents to a Little Gym Birthday Bash!  I am so glad I chose to have the party at The Little Gym.  I was honored when the owner, Katie, was the lead teacher for the event.  Katie led the kids in a 70 minute gym program that included an air mat, a parachute, a balance beam, bubbles, and lots of exploration on all the gym equipment.  I was so in awe of how Katie created an atmosphere of controlled fun!  The kids behaved so well and had a wonderful time!  We ended the party with cake and punch!

The babies and the parachute!

Keira and Teacher Katie!

Keira going for a roll over!!

Keira and Dad!

Keira and Carson!

Keira and Evan with bubbles!

Play time!

Warm up!

The air mat!

The beautiful birthday cake!

She wanted that cupcake now!

Now she is happy again...

Getting ready....

Success!!!

I left the party with a huge smile on my face knowing that my kids had a great time and my friend's children had an equally good time.  I could not have asked for a better celebration for Miss Keira's special day!

This too shall pass...

Forgive me, for this blog entry is simply therapeutic for me.  Keira is 8.5 months old.  It has been a long 8.5 months.  I have been the ONLY one who has been able to feed her.  I do not say that in a boastful way.  I say that with much fatigue and much frustration.  Two weeks ago I hit my limit.   After much discussion with Kevin, we came up with a plan.  I packed my bags for one night and Keegan and I went to my parent's house.  Kevin graciously agreed to stay with Keira and help her learn to drink from a bottle.  With much emotion, I drove away and my heart ached.  No mother ever wants to take away any type of comfort from their child, but I needed my life back.  Kevin needed his wife back.  Keegan needed his happy momma back.  I knew it was the right decision, but man did it hurt. 

I am happy to report that over the course of 5 days Keira finally took to the bottle!  It was such a victory and such a relief.  I can now have babysitters and family watch her without me having to watch the clock and race home to feed her.  The best part...we are all much happier.  I feed her a bottle at night and feel closer to her than I ever have.  It is hard knowing that I will never nurse a baby again, but I look forward to making new memories with my children.  I have the first steps, the first day of school, and loosing the first tooth to look forward to. 

Although it has been a trying time, I did learn that I have amazing people in my life.  Because of my husband, friends, and family, I was able to tackle this most recent parenting challenge. I know there will be many more challenges ahead, but I feel so safe knowing that my support system is strong and supportive. 

Life is good. 

It feels good to say that again..

Fire Truck!!!

The moms group I belong to scheduled a trip to the Copley Fire Department today.  We had the pleasure of meeting Fireman Jeff, who gave us a tour of the facility and then let all the kids get in the fire truck and the ambulance.  We even had a Copley Police cruiser stop over for the kids to play in!  

Keegan and his best friend, Charley!

Looking good buddy!

Fireman Jeff getting ready to climb the ladder!

How cool is that!!!

This better be the last time I see my kid in the back of a cruiser!!

Then, these guys showed up....

So, we just had to get in and give it a try!!!

We had a great day and feel so privileged to have had a day filled with firetrucks, police cars, and construction vehicles! What a lucky little boy!

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter! We had a fabulous day!  The day started off with Keegan and I going to church where there was an Easter egg hunt for the children.  He had his basket and filled it up with tons of candy.  We then headed to a wonderful brunch buffet with Kevin's parents.  The kids behaved well and we had a wonderful meal.  The day ended with opening up Easter baskets and playing with all of the kids' new toys.  It was a great day!

My sweet Keira!

Hanging out at the restaurant.

Keegan giving Grammy her Easter gift.

Being silly with Grampy!

Keira at 4 months old!

Keira just had her 4 month check up.  She weighed in at 13# 13 ounces!!  She continues to eat well and is sleeping about 6-8 straight at night.  Her favorite toy is Keegan!  She always smiles anytime she sees Keegan.  And to be honest, Keegan smiles too when he makes her smile.  I think their relationship will soon change when she starts crawling and taking his toys!  Here are some recent pictures.

Disney World 2012

We just got back from a fabulous time in Florida.  Kevin was traveling to Orlando for business, so we decided to tag along with him!  Kevin did not have any meetings on Monday, so we went to Disney World.  We both agreed to have no expectations and just take the day as it came.  You never know what to expect with a 2 year old and a 4 month old!  Well, we were amazed with how great of a time we had!  The kids did great!  Keira took her naps while in the baby carrier and in the stroller.  Keegan got to go on several different rides and most importantly meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Kevin and I both agreed that we will be back in about 3-4 years and we better start saving money now!  It is so expensive to go on a Disney vacation. 
I did not take near the amount of pictures I wanted to, but my main goal was to keep calm and keep the kids happy!  Enjoy the pictures!





As we walked into the Magic Kingdom, we got to see a fabulous parade.  This was my favorite part of the day!



Keegan taking a peek at Mickey!!

It's a Small World ride!

Keegan was amazed at all the dancing figurines!

Keegan riding on the carousel..his first ride at the park!

Keegan driving a race car!  This was his favorite ride!-

The boys!!

The girls!

Keegan finally smiling for the camera!!