Let them eat cake...

It's a tradition for every one year old to have a smash cake on their birthday, right?

Well, our one year old was given a cupcake and you sure wouldn't have guessed that it was only her first time eating such a delicious treat. She seemed to know just what to do:

I'll start out slow and make them think I'm new at this...

Little bites. Contain the excitement so they don't think I'm going overboard...

Oh boy, I'm starting to make quite a mess here...

Oh, maybe I should just stop...

Or heck, I'll just go ahead and make the most of this...

Yep, glad I didn't hold back...

This is everything I could've dreamed of and more...

Uh oh, I think I've surpassed my limit. This isn't going to look good in the diapers tomorrow...

Somebody better wash me off before I turn into a purple monster...

And just for your viewing pleasure, here is what a two and a half year old looks like after eating a piece of cake and a scoop of ice cream at record speed....and then being denied a second piece after asking (but I even said please...)!!!

Dear Leah,

Today you are one. Where did this past year go and when did our sweet, little baby turn into a girl on the verge of toddlerhood? We'll admit that this year has flown, but when we look back at all that has happened we find thousands of memories to fill our hearts. From the moment Mommy felt the first symptoms of pregnancy sickness, we knew that you would be a girl who planned to rock our world. Congrats, little darling...you have lived up to this expectation! The memories made within this past year stem from one end of the spectrum to the other. There have been times of great (GREAT) trial and times of complete joy.

You have taught us a lot about parenting. More than we ever really learned from your older brother. You've made it clear to us that you will not follow in Caleb's footsteps. On the day you were born, we discovered your first tooth. We waited almost an entire year for his first tooth. We knew at that moment you were telling us to back off and let go of the natural tendency to compare. You are happy with doing things at your pace, in your time, when you want to. You will create your own path and there might be a few (hundred) days (per year) that you will command everyone to walk behind and follow you on that path.

From the many challenging moments you have taught us to love with more patience and faith than we ever thought we had. Whether is was your jaundice, the battle with digestion, the sleepless nights, your lack of naps, your refusal to fall into any sort of routine, the early days of crying (followed by your innate ability to throw tantrums before the age of 9 months), and so many more trials...you have given us many moments where we thought there was no way we'd have enough sanity to see the dawn of a new day!

For every bit of frustration, you have managed to pour out an equal amount of joy into our lives. We love your smile that stretches across those adorable cheeks and makes every muscle in your face move to the point where your dimples couldn't possibly go any deeper. We love when you babble and we can tell that you have so much on your mind and that you want to be heard. We love your personality and the fact that you already have a sense of humor and enjoy making people laugh. We love that you love your family. From the beginning you have adored your brother, you've been a Mommy's girl all along, and you don't smile for anyone quite as big as you smile for your Daddy. And most importantly, we love that everyday since you were born you have been a reminder of how wonderful God is and how much of a blessing it is to watch a baby develop day in and day out.

The past year has certainly come with its ups and downs. We know that the years to come will follow along those same lines. No matter what happens, we are so thankful for all the joy you bring to our lives and we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you. So, here's to you our baby girl....HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY Miss Leah, Leah Peah, Leah Loo Hoo...our wild child, our monster, our beast!

Love ALWAYS,

Daddy and Mommy

Where has the time gone?

A year ago today, we went to the hospital to have our little baby. Where has this year gone and will life ever slow down?

We like to joke that December 29, 2009 was the last time we'd ever have the upper hand in making decisions for Leah (we chose to be induced instead of waiting for her arrival)! Regardless of how much she keeps us on our toes, we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our little girl. We'll be sure to post tomorrow on her actual birthday.....remember, Leah waited 12+ hours to make her appearance. Would Leah have chosen any other way to make her grand entrance?!?

Who's kid is this?!?

Most of you who follow our blog would know that I have an older sister. She is the sister that girls would dream of having....she's the friend that I can tell anything to, the friend that I can argue and laugh with all in the matter of hours, the friend that has always been around to share most of my greatest memories, and the friend that I know I'll always have. Tracy is an awesome sister and a great aunt to my babies. She adores Caleb and Leah like they are her own and it makes me so happy to have her around....and slightly jealous of the fact that by the time she has her own kids she'll be a pro at the whole mommy gig :)

Anyhow, ever since Leah was born....almost a year ago (not quite ready to be saying that, but I guess I'll come to terms with it).....we've always debated where her looks came from. I still think that when sitting next to Tyler, she is his spitting image. However, when looking through my mom's photo albums today, I came across this picture:

The darling baby in this picture is not me....it's Tracy. When I came across this picture I instantly gasped and said, "This is Leah. It's totally Leah"! Although I don't have any pictures of Leah with this exact facial expression, I can assure you that she makes this face on quite a regular basis. Everything from the wild hair to the toothless-looking grin that stretches from ear to ear is 100% Leah.
So, to my little Miss Leah I have a few words to share. You are (and I might be a little biased) the most darling little girl on the planet. Your face and your smile melt my heart day in and day out. As I've watched you grow I've continued to imagine just what you'll look like when you grow into a beautiful woman....and now I just might have my answer. If you end up looking like your Ti-Ti, you will be one lucky girl. I've always envied my big sister for her beautiful looks and I'm sure you'll be happy to follow in her footsteps!

Holiday Happenings

It's that time of year already....time for all the fun of the holiday season! We've had a great start to our festivities and figured we ought to share a bit about what we've been up.

The holiday season began for us down in Carmi. We had a great long weekend celebrating Thanksgiving (a weekend early, but who's keeping track) and we even snuck in some Christmas cheer. Throughout the weekend we enjoyed hanging out, relaxing, and checking out some of the town Christmas celebrations.


On the day before Thanksgiving, we took a trip to visit Ms. Lamont (aka Ti-Ti) in her classroom. The kids were watching the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving movie...and Caleb just couldn't pass up the chance to watch it with a bunch of cool 5th graders!

Thanksgiving morning was quite enjoyable at home. We had a yummy breakfast and the kids actually sat and watched the Thanksgiving Day parade on tv.
We spent Thanksgiving evening at Grandpa and Grandma Lamont's house with the entire Lamont family. It was so fun to hang out, catch up, eat yummy food, and play a mean game of catchphrase!

In preparation for Christmas, our small group had a really fun "family friendly" gathering. We spent time hanging out with all the kids (they're usually running wild in the basement while the adults spend time together reading, discussing, and praying). We also packed boxes for Operation Christmas Child....which is an awesome outreach that is done every year. Boxes are packed with all kinds of random stuff ranging from toys to personal hygiene items. They are then shipped off to less fortunate children around the world. It was awesome for Caleb to experience the concept of giving (he reeeeeeeeeally wanted the Lightning McQueen car that went into our box, but was willing to part with it when we explained how special it would be for another boy to have).
It wouldn't be Christmas without visiting Santa! We had a great brunch with Santa and the kids really enjoyed themselves. We were shocked that Leah warmed up to the giant man in the red suit. Given her temperament, we expected a much more dramatic response when we put her in his lap!

To top off all the fun we've been having, we finally got our first big snowfall. Caleb has been waiting and waiting to play in the snow and he's just loving this weather! Apparently our neighbor has also been waiting with just as much excitement as Caleb, because I'm pretty sure they tied for the award given to the first child outside playing in the first snowfall of the year...if it was up to Caleb, he would've just skipped breakfast altogether and put his snow pants on right over his jammies!

Kitchen Remodel: DONE

Aside from one last tile on the backsplash that needs to be replaced and a few paint touchups....were are DONE!!! Can you believe how much it has changed?!?!

Fall Fun

We have had a week filled with perfect weather! It has been so nice to be outside with the kids...because we know that all too soon it'll be time to hibernate and avoid the chilly Chicago winters. I'm not quite sure how we'll survive days on end of being stuck inside, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there!

The nicer weather made me decide to take the kids to a nearby park/forest preserve. We don't have a lot of big trees near our house, so the kids don't really get to experience the leaves in the same way I can remember doing as a kid (we had tons of huge trees, which I LOVED and miss so much). They both seemed to enjoy it, and surprisingly I think Leah had a better time than Caleb. I hope that as these kiddos grow, they will have the same love for nature and the outdoors that I have. I can definitely thank my dad for that trait....he always had us outside on walks, bike rides, etc.! I have so many awesome memories of spending time outside with my dad and I hope my kids build plenty of their own memories of being in the great outdoors!

Kitchen Remodel Part 3

We're almost there! Yesterday, the new countertops and sink came in. I love, love, love the dark countertops and the huge sink. All that's left is the floor....which we have to wait until Friday to see!

Kitchen Remodel Part 2

Friday morning started out looking like this:

And we ended with all that! Wow, those two guys are some of the most talented people I know!