The Birth Day

Yesterday Miss Madeleine turned 3! Since we had already celebrated with cake and ice cream and presents earlier this month while grandparents were visiting, and again on Friday with a couple of friends who have kids whose birthdays are around the same time, we decided to just keep things simple. 

I don't know why we bother having more than just a "whatever you wish" kind of day for kids' birthdays at all, 'cause this was just perfect! When she woke up, I offered to make whatever she wished for breakfast. She couldn't think of anything special until I started listing them--and crepes with "chocolate butter" (Nutella) won out.

After Zumba I took an ultra-fast shower so Madie could have a bubble bath. This was followed by Dumbo--movies in the morning are rare at this house since they tend to cause *ahem* slightly less than perfect behavior the rest of the day. But today she was a dream.

When Dad got home he threw some meatballs together and pesto and took her out to the pool while I formed the meatballs and got the rest of dinner started. This was a big day because Madie, using her waterwings and her kick board, swam without holding on to anyone for the first time ever! (Aside from being in an innertube, which I don't count.)

For dinner we had pasta with pesto and cheese and meatballs. Madie was born almost a vegetarian, but meatballs are the exception. She loves them! And when they're followed by chocolate ice cream they're even better! 

While we were out shopping I told her she could pick out some flowers for herself. I love getting flowers--I mean, who doesn't?! Of course, she picked the pinkest ones she could find. I love stock. It smells so good.

She spent some time post-supper doing airplane rides with Dad while I worked on finishing the cape her father told her I would make. Thanks, Mike. ;) She asked me a while ago to put a button on her hooded towel so she could have a proper cape (never mind the lady-bug face and antennae) and I told her no, but that I might make her a cape some day. Mike said, "Yeah! Maybe for your birthday!" Well, I guess she remembered that because at Zumba she told a friend of mine that I was going to make her a pink cape today so she could be Belle. Hmmm... I've never made a cape, nor did I have the material (so I thought).

Turns out making capes isn't too difficult. I had an old dress from a friend of hers that had a tear in the waist that I wasn't planning on fixing so I tore it apart and got to work. The only thing we had to run out for was some beribboned bias tape. I think it turned out fairly well! She didn't get it until this morning so we took it out for a spin in the cool, slightly foggy weather.

Finn is thinking something along the lines of, "I really don't care that she has a cape. Let's keep moving."

Move we did! We spent pretty much the whole time running away from the beast. That was fine with me since at a run she can keep up with me at a decent pace. Otherwise I may as well be sitting on the couch.

She looks like some wealthy orphan in a Charles Dickens novel. 

We saw this snail doing some awesome moves on this twig. Honestly, I don't know how it was staying on the thing. I have better pictures of just the snail, but ya know, I didn't know how interested anyone else was to see them. Madie and I loved it though!

I asked her last night at bed time if she'd had a good birthday. "YEP!" she cried and ran off to her room. And that was even before the cape!

Stats on the Finn-Man

So a couple of notes to prelude the main point of this post: (a) we do call Finnegan "The Finn Man." At first, Madie was very much opposed to this until we heard her saying it to him secretly. PSH! Uh uh, girl!

Sorry, got a little carried away with my hip self.

(b) Finn's head, at birth, was a full inch bigger in circumference than Madie's was--and I could have told you that without the nurse telling me that. You smell what I'm steppin' in?

Today was Finnegan's 2-month check up. Let me tell you, he is about 150% easier to take to the doctor's office than someone else in this family (and no, Grammy, I'm not referring to myself). At Madie's two-month check up she did what any two-month old would do: cried. She cried when I took her out of her car seat. She cried when I laid her on the table. She cried when I stripped her. She cried when they weighed her. She cried when they measured her. She cried when they measured her head (and continued to cry every time they tried to measure her head for each appointment thereafter, might I add--often the nurse would leave with an inaccurate measurement from the fight Madie put up and the doctor would have a second go at it while she met with us). She cried and cried and cried when they poked her. She cried when I swaddled her back up, and cried all the way out to the car, where she promptly fell asleep. That was all I had ever known about taking babies to the doctor.

And it's not that I blame her--oh no. I can certainly understand how having some stranger without so much as a lollipop to give her, trying to wrap a measuring tape about her head would be troublesome to say the least.

Finn on the other hand was peaceful, even happy, while we did all of this--except the shots of course. He cooed at the nurse while he lay naked on the scale. He grinned continually at himself in the mirror that ran the length of the table (which is GENIUS to have there, I must say). He didn't even struggle when I held his head to get an accurate length measurement. It was all wonderful! And he only cried while the nurse poked him. Then I wrapped him, nursed him, and walked all the way back home with a happy son.

And now for the fun stuff: his stats!

As of August 14, 2012, Finnegan is 22 1/4 inches long (which is the 25th percentile); 10 lbs. 9 oz. (which is the 25th percentile); and has a head circumference of 41 cm. Guess. Go ahead, guess.

75th.

Which leads Mike to quote possibly his favorite line ever:

"Would ya look at the size o' that boy's heed? It's like an orange on a toothpick."

Finn at two months in an 18-month cap.

Finnegans Blessing

I blessed Finnegan on August 5th, 2012 at the Livermore California Stake Center. Others that helped bless him included Dad, Casey, and Bishop Nolan Cheney. He fell asleep on the walk over to church, slept during the entire blessing, and all the way through the end of Sacrament meeting and all the way home after that! I think Yosemite wiped him out. And believe it or not, he wore the exact outfit I wore when I was blessed. 

Finn and I got matching hats. We were two sharp-looking dudes. 

Grammy and Grampy filling their canteen before they head to Utah. 

Papa's ipad was a hit for Madie. She couldn't get enough! When Grammy and Grampy announced they were getting ready to go, Madie said "But Papa's not going, right?" We all knew what she meant ;)

We then went for a walk to the creek to throw some rocks and pick some blackberries. What a fun weekend!

Early Birthday Celebration

We had both of our parents in town for Finnegan's blessing last weekend, and Madeleines birthday is on August 20th. We just figured we would have an early celebration! They don't get to make it to every birthday, so we made this one a special family party.  

When Mal asked Madie if she wanted little cakes (whoopie pies) or a big cake, she replied "I want a big, big, huge, HUGE pink cake!" Marilou and Mallory fulfilled the tall request of a soon to be three year old. It was huge, and very impressive. I love cake, but I'm not a big fan of frosting. This frosting though, was probably the best I'd ever had. It was light and smooth. It also doesn't hurt that it was made from fresh strawberries. 

We all pitched in to help Madie blow out the candles. This was the first birthday that she really understood what was going on, so she had an idea of what the expectations were as far as blowing out candles. 

Madie had been asking to open or even compromise by just holding her presents all day. She was so patient! She got some clothes, a boy doll (now named Finn), a paper dolly, a tea set, jump rope, and a tigger stuffed animal. 

And her two favorite things...a new dress and flip-flops. She was so excited about the flip-flops, she wants to wear them everywhere. 

Yosemite with Family

Another Yosemite trip down, and many more to go. It was Finnegans first camping trip and may I say, he slept so well I have considered moving his bassinet to the back patio! He loved being outside, like most kids do. Madie always seemed to sleep better outside too. They were both real troopers. We went camping with Casey & Marilou (Grampy and Grammy), Eden (Mals sister), and Bryan & Karen (Papa & Nana). 

Crazy hair with blankie in-hand...we are ready for a hike. 

What's a hike without playing '1, 2, 3!'?

I thought this one was cute of Madie putting her little arm on Grampies back. 

It was great camping with four grandparents to pawn the kids off onto. Many helping hands made it more relaxing for us. 

Post-dinner. 

Madie was on the look-out for tunnels with Papa and Eden. 

Over-sized pine cone, anyone?

The Finn Man. 

Madie checking out what lays under Grampy's hat. 

Papa and Finn. 

Almost smiling...

These three caused quite the traffic jam. 

We decided to have lunch along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley, and a few ducks decided to join us. 

Nana was doing something to make Madie laugh. I thought she was going to pee her pants. 

Our little family at Glacier Point. 

The whole gang. 

Half-dome was so massive from our vantage point!

We went for a little hike down the Panorama Trail. 

The next morning, we checked out Hodgdon Meadow. Very beautiful. Madie had quite the mischievous face on. 

A sample of the wildflowers. 

What a fun trip! We are glad our parents and Eden could join us!