Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Happy Birthday, Part 2
I have been so busy! But I figured I better post the rest of my birthday stuff before we leave for our vacation tomorrow...
We had Ruby's 1st birthday party on July 11th, which was also my 30th birthday! When I first started planning the event, I thought it would be a small group of family and close friends and some cake. But much to my surprise, ALL of our family and friends wanted to take part in this amazing celebration! Again, I was reminded of just how much Ruby has touched the lives of those around us. And there are many people who love Ruby (almost) as much as Louis and I do! And I couldn't be happier that so many of our loved ones were able to join us for Ruby's birthday, since they are the only who have loved and supported us over this last year. We couldn't have survived it without them!
We had the party at Trolley Barn Park near our house. The weather was warm and breezy, and thankfully we ended up with the perfect shady spot! We had 50 friends, co-workers, and family members join us for this extraordinary day. Louis' family was even able to make the trip down from the Bay Area, which meant a lot to us both. Love, laughter, food, cake, and a mountain of presents set the stage for the perfect day. Especially after not being able to celebrate my birthday, I could not have asked for more this time around. Any 1st birthday would be a joyous one, but knowing how far we have come, how far Ruby has come, I was overwhelmed with happiness. My tiny 3 pound baby was now running, smiling, laughing, waving, dancing, hugging... and she was healthy. We are so fortunate. And I can't wait to see what the next year has in store!
Here is a link to the pictures...
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcNGrds1btGRH
Monday, July 13, 2009
Happy Birthday, Part 1
Let me just say it has been one emotional and fun filled week! Ruby turned one on 7/7. I took the day off work so we could spend the day together. She squealed when she saw her birthday balloons and seemed to know that the day was a special one. We started off with her favorite breakfast, cinnamon pancakes and bananas. Yum! Then we spent the morning playing and wandering around the house. Soon it was nap time and Ruby and I laid down together and slept for 2 hours! It was glorious =)
Next it was off to do some shopping. Some of Ruby’s happiest moments are riding around in a shopping cart. She loves being around new people, and Louis and I often joke that we spend lots of time looking at the back of her head. She waves and says hi to everyone who will look. And with her big smile, she’s always making new friends. And of course, it was around this time that I started to feel very sentimental… How far we had come from my tiny little girl who came too soon.
Once we got home, Ruby had her favorite lunch. Cheese and crackers, with some turkey. Then it was nap time again! This time I cleaned house, hurricane Ruby had struck again. Once she woke up, Aunt Michelle came over, and then Daddy came home and we left to meet Aunt Nickel at Chuck E Cheese’s. Louis wanted to take Ruby to celebrate her big day! Ruby had a good time, but was mostly excited about the other children that were there. She didn’t seem to notice all the flashing lights, loud noises, and rides that surrounded her. Maybe it was a little like her time in the NICU… bright lights, alarms, wires… I’m so glad those days are behind us. I’ll take crappy pizza at Chuck E Cheese any day!
After a little bit of play time, we went home for cake. We sang to Ruby, who looked confused but was smiling! I presented her giant cupcake, which probably looked more like a toy than food. She had a taste, but didn’t destroy it as one might imagine. Louis, my sisters, and I ate our cake, laughed, and took some pictures. It was lovely. A simple and great day…
Later that night, after Ruby had fallen asleep with me, I scooped her up to put her to bed. I stood in front her crib and rocked her. The year before I couldn’t even watch her sleep, let alone hold her, and I found myself not wanting to put her down. The day Ruby was born was traumatic, but her birthday will always be a celebration, one of gratitude and relief. Because we made it. And I have a beautiful, healthy, and happy baby girl that was worth every sleepless night, every tear, every painful memory… The good by far outweighs the bad, and at the end of the day, I am blessed. I am lucky. I am happy. I could not ask for more.
Happy Birthday Ruby! Thank you for all you have given me.
Next it was off to do some shopping. Some of Ruby’s happiest moments are riding around in a shopping cart. She loves being around new people, and Louis and I often joke that we spend lots of time looking at the back of her head. She waves and says hi to everyone who will look. And with her big smile, she’s always making new friends. And of course, it was around this time that I started to feel very sentimental… How far we had come from my tiny little girl who came too soon.
Once we got home, Ruby had her favorite lunch. Cheese and crackers, with some turkey. Then it was nap time again! This time I cleaned house, hurricane Ruby had struck again. Once she woke up, Aunt Michelle came over, and then Daddy came home and we left to meet Aunt Nickel at Chuck E Cheese’s. Louis wanted to take Ruby to celebrate her big day! Ruby had a good time, but was mostly excited about the other children that were there. She didn’t seem to notice all the flashing lights, loud noises, and rides that surrounded her. Maybe it was a little like her time in the NICU… bright lights, alarms, wires… I’m so glad those days are behind us. I’ll take crappy pizza at Chuck E Cheese any day!
After a little bit of play time, we went home for cake. We sang to Ruby, who looked confused but was smiling! I presented her giant cupcake, which probably looked more like a toy than food. She had a taste, but didn’t destroy it as one might imagine. Louis, my sisters, and I ate our cake, laughed, and took some pictures. It was lovely. A simple and great day…
Later that night, after Ruby had fallen asleep with me, I scooped her up to put her to bed. I stood in front her crib and rocked her. The year before I couldn’t even watch her sleep, let alone hold her, and I found myself not wanting to put her down. The day Ruby was born was traumatic, but her birthday will always be a celebration, one of gratitude and relief. Because we made it. And I have a beautiful, healthy, and happy baby girl that was worth every sleepless night, every tear, every painful memory… The good by far outweighs the bad, and at the end of the day, I am blessed. I am lucky. I am happy. I could not ask for more.
Happy Birthday Ruby! Thank you for all you have given me.
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