Kaia is Here!!
This is Kaia. She is brand new. Kaia's mommy is one of my oldest and dearest friends. We'll call her Kate...because that is her name. I was the stand-in maid of honor at Kate's wedding because her first choice was about to have a baby at that time. I was cool with being her second choice because her first choice was her childhood bestie. But, I wasn't going to let her get off easy...I totally humiliated her during my toast. And I intend to show no mercy here.
Kate has neurotic tendencies. So when she is brewing a new life inside of her, these tendencies show their teeth. It's very important to Kate that things are planned out, she remains informed about the pregnancy and feels confident about the plan. She knows her doctor, she knows the hospital, she knows what is going to happen and, more importantly, HOW it's going to happen.
But Kaia had other ideas.
Kaia came last Sunday morning. Early. And she came fast. So fast, that Erik, Kate's husband, delivered her in their half bathroom next to their kitchen with assistance from a 911 dispatcher on a cell phone. We'll call her Master....because I don't know her name and she deserves a title appropriate for her relationship to Erik during the morning's events. He tied off her cord with his shoelace per Master's orders. From the shoe on his foot. When EMS arrived, they took Kaia to the kitchen island to get her cleaned up and warm and got Kate ready for the trip to the hospital. They returned home a day and a half later as a family of four.
I was there yesterday to meet this squishy little kid who rocked Kate's world and destroyed her birth plan. I went in the bathroom and it's even smaller than I remembered it. Not just because it's been a while, but also because the last time I was in it was after an entire bottle of cabernet. I am amazed at what happened in there. I'm trying to convince Kate to request a copy of the 911 call. So far, she's not convinced. But I'm not giving up. Ever.
So here is a preview of little Kaia. Perfect little Kaia with her olive skin and dark hair. Perfect Kaia who smells like sweet milk and baby soap. Perfect Kaia who made her way onto my "most respected people" list before I even met her. Perfect Kaia who completes this family in so many ways.
Congrats to Kate, Erik, Joseph and their respective families. Love you guys!!
(Notice I only posted black and white photos to contrast her colorful entrance into the world.)
Back to School 2013!
The first school morning of the year (or every school morning, if we're being honest) is always a rushed blur. I try to get a lot of good shots, but it doesn't really work out. This year I used my brain and took some photos a few days early. Here are the girls rockin' their new clothes, shoes and backpacks with their good friends! Ok, Mal's backpack isn't new...it's Lydia's old one.
Mal is going into her second year of preschool at the zoo and Lydia started second grade! eeeks! That means this is our last year with a kid at home. Next year they are both in full-time school. That's a HUGE milestone. Huge.
Here's to a great year of learning, puking, making friends, breaking glasses, fevers, homework, holiday breaks, bus rides, half eaten lunches and tooth fairy visits.
Lydia Turns 7
Wow, it's been a full year since I have blogged here. That's embarrassing. I have no real excuse, other than I haven't really thought about it and I'm not sure anybody even reads these. Regardless, it's nice to see images and moments come together here, so I'm getting caught up.
I haven't taken a ton of photos this year. I hate my camera and my lens. I need new equipment, but that isn't happening anytime soon! I did manage to get out for Lydia's 7-year portraits. This year she picked her own clothes and accessories. The result was a series of photos that capture her personality perfectly.
I've also tossed in some photos from her birthday party that was mermaid-themed. Again, so fitting.
She's the coolest kid EVER. So hard to believe it's been 7 years. It's been a wild ride, but it keeps getting better!!!
No. 2 Goes to the Zoo
FINALLY! We got her out of the house! Mallory has been ready for this for quite some time. Poor kid came out in late October which, in Ohio, means she has to wait an extra year to start school. Lydia was barely three when she started and Mal is about to turn four. The theme when Lydia started was "Oh My God What the Hell is Going On?" while the theme for Mal is "Let's Get This Show on the Road".
We got Lydia on the bus and then rushed to get Mal ready for her big day. Here is a glimpse at her morning mood:
In the car:
The outfit, the hair, the backpack the shoes and the always changing expressions:
At the Zoo:
It's important to note here that shortly after this shot, she fell flat on her face, scraped up both knees, her elbow, the palm of her hand and the tip of her nose. Did that deter her? No. It just made her want to get in there faster for band-aids. Here she is on the walking rope getting ready to go in:
She came out after school with some artwork and a smile. All-in-all, a successful first day for Mallory. And for us. We're looking forward to two more years of the Toledo Zoo Preschool!
First Grade What???
Today is August 22, 2012, also known as the day Lydia conquered first grade. She loves school. She also loves sleeping in. She's been torn. Once she was awake and had a waffle with chocoloate syrup and whipped cream in her belly, she was ready to rock!
We've done a lot to prepare for this day including, but not limited to, shopping for clothes, shopping for supplies (and I never found Elmer's white washable glue sticks...she got disappearing purple...sue me), studying sight words, shoe shopping, shopping for more supplies, searching for the perfect Monster High back pack and lunch bag, headband shopping, etc., etc. But, the single most important thing was....taking her Great Grandma Raine's silver locket in for a cleaning and polishing so it would be super special for her first day of school. Dad took both girls to the same place he purchased my wedding ring. The woman in the store made it sparkle again while she talked to them about gemstones and jewelry. They even came home with two new rings (plastic, of course)!
So, armed with her gear and her like-new locket, off she went. She took the bus and I followed the bus to school again. Just like last year. I was the creepy mom hiding behind the tree taking photos of children with a zoom lens. I supposed it's better than pretending to paint the lines in the school parking lot, like my mom had to do for weeks because my brother was such a hot mess during kindergarten. Yes, I'm serious.
So, while it's bittersweet to see her grow up so quickly, I know how lucky I am. I have exactly 16 days to prepare myself for painting parking lot lines when Mallory starts preschool. Eat your heart out, Uncle Brian.
