just us.

02.29.12

Happy Leap Day! Today only happens once every for years. Had to throw a post on the blog about it. For the record books :)

stay awake!!

Keira and I spent a bit of time visiting a friend in the hospital and when we left, I knew it was her naptime.  The whole way home (from Newport Beach) I could tell she was starting to fade, and watched as her eyes kept opening and closing...but more emphasis on the closing.

I kept talking to her, pointing out all the American flags I was seeing (it's a new hobby of ours, thanks to Keira), asking her if she wanted to sleep in her bed or mine, telling her to stay awake, telling her not to sleep in the car but to wait until we got home.

As we got off the freeway, exhaustion was hitting her hard.  It was getting to the point where my voice wasn't helping anymore.  I had the windows open, hoping the wind would keep her up, but even that was failing (she is normally very self-conscious about her hair blowing crazy in the wind).

as I pulled into the driveway, it was almost a hopeless cause:

but I pulled her out of her seat (taking the straps off first, of course) and told her that we had to put a pull-up on before she went to bed.

I swear that 5 second nap she had was about to have the opposite effect and make her wired and ready to go.  As she climbed into my bed, her eyes were wide open and she looked like she was ready to play.

oh no, not what I wanted.

just went to check on her...and she is still awake!  looks like Mommy needs to lay down with her...and take a nap too :)

in one hour and 33 minutes from now...

this girl will be 3.

I think right around this time last year, my parents were arriving at the hospital after the longest 6.5 hour drive in their lives.  They got the call around 1230pm to head on down, because I was being admitted and labor induced.

this is her "princess" pose.

I started pushing not long after they arrived, and after countless rounds of pushing (one of which I decided to scream and then was subsequently told not to anymore because it takes energy away from the actual pushing) and 75 minutes, Keira Emily was born.

I got pretty sentimental last night while getting Keira ready for her bath, because I realized that it was the last night she would be a two-year-old.  It was hard to believe that 3 years had passed since she was born.  Time surely does fly.  I kept hugging her and kissing her and calling her my baby.

My 3-year-old baby.

Today, we celebrated with her friends at school by bringing mini blueberry muffins to share at snacktime.  When I got there, they were all sitting around the table, waiting for the last kids to get their diapers changed after naptime and reading books.

Miss Amalia even let her sit in the teacher's chair during snacktime and made her a special birthday crown too.  Glitter and all.

They all sang happy birthday and then ate their snacks of muffins, wheat thin crackers, pears and milk.  It really needs to be Keira's birthday everyday, because the behavior report I got today was that she was very good, and even asked Miss Amalia if she could help clean up.  Really?  Is this my child?

While Mike and I had barbecue chicken for dinner, Keira asked to have dumplings instead.  Right after dinner, we had my parents and brother on Skype and surprised her with her very own Sleeping Beauty cake.  I saw this cake on a friend's facebook page a while ago, and knew I had to get one for Keira.  The princess torso is stuck into the top of the skirt, which is all cake and frosting.

The only semi-downer thing is that Sleeping Beauty's face is a bit evil looking.  Almost like she could be the evil witch.  But I don't think Keira even noticed.

Keira had a few more presents to open after cake, from Miss Amalia (a princess magnadoodle and book), Auntie Julie (2 princess books) and Mike and I.  She specifically asked for "a princess rubber doll Tiana and princess fishing pole so she can go fishing with baba."  And "a princess rubber doll Tiana and princess fishing pole so she can go fishing with baba" is what she got.

The fishing pole may look a little rinky dinky, but it works.  Mike's niece Ashley actually caught a fish on one of these poles a few years ago, so I'm sure Keira can too.

Happy 3rd birthday to our little girl.  We are so blessed to have you, and despite all the frustration you bring our way, we love you more than anything in the world.