Birthday and Baptisms
This post is going to be heavy on the pictures and light on words- we have too many pictures to share and if I don’t focus on posting them I’ll never get to it, so here we go!
We’ll start with Hazel’s second birthday party, which was less of a party and more of a family get together since we had a newborn to fret over and didn’t want the stress of hosting a big to-do. And, we figure that she’s only two, and that this year we still get a sort of free pass in terms of throwing a big soiree!
We had two cakes…
Jered and I were very proud of the robot cake we made together…
there were party hats…
Hazel’s friend Lily got to come
And her good friend Kirsten stopped by for a bit too! (Kirsten really came over to watch soccer…)
Hazel got some bubbles!
We had a pretty full house!
One of Hazel’s favorite things was the musical card we got for her…
Hazel had a great time, and we didn’t even get to all the presents on her birthday- she liked to stop and play with each thing she opened, so she was still opening presents the next morning!
Switching gears now to last Sunday, Hazel and John were baptized. The baptism was at the Celtic Eucharist on Sunday evening and it was absolutely beautiful. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…
Proud Godfather…
They sent us home with these beautiful flowers!
It was a busy and beautiful weekend… Here are a few pictures since then.
Happy Father’s Day
Growing up I had a great model of a good father. My dad was patient, kind, adventurous, funny, affectionate- the list goes on… From the time I was very little I was described as a daddy’s girl, or in our family’s case, a “papa’s” girl. As most of you know, I lost my father almost 4 years ago and since then, father’s day has not been an easy day for me. I looked forward to father’s day every year with my dad- I would always get him some sort of goofy card, sometimes a little gift, but usually just some funny card or piece of art work. That’s the thing about a good dad- not much is asked of you in return. This post isn’t really about my dad, though. For two years after my dad passed I had no cards to buy for today- the sting of losing my dad was a little worse when the advertisements for king of the grill gift sets started up on tv. Then, two years ago, Hazel came into our lives. I found myself with a new dad to recognize- Hazel’s dad, or, as he’s called around here, papa.
and then came John…
What can I say about Jered that isn’t captured in the pictures above? When Hazel was born we were both in for a rude awakening- making the transition from our little comfy world of two, to life as a family of three wasn’t easy on us. But very quickly Jered gave me a new example of what a great dad looks like. Like my father, he is patient, kind, loving, affectionate, adventurous and funny. My kids don’t even realize how lucky they are to have such a creative papa. Around these parts he is the one who builds forts (known around here as houses) in the living room, dances with Hazel to her princess songs, does hair, has tea parties, and has recently become known as the breakfast king for his uncanny kitchen skills in the hours before noon.
Jered and I have been together a long time, and in that time I’ve always known him to be a cut above the rest of the guys I saw around me, but it wasn’t until we had kids that I really got to see just how deep his greatness runs. Sleepless nights, diaper changes, squealing toddlers, potty training- he’s up for all of it, and he does it with a smile.
So, here’s to you Jered- papa extraordinaire. You have it all- charm, wit, good looks, and a family that loves you more than you could know. Happy Father’s Day- to a dad that would have made my dad proud.
More movies!
And just because he’s super cute… a few movies for your Friday viewing enjoyment!
VID00001 from esther benoit on Vimeo.
VID00002 from esther benoit on Vimeo.
VID00003 from esther benoit on Vimeo.
VID00004 from esther benoit on Vimeo.
This one was taken today!
VID00005 from esther benoit on Vimeo.
Filed under John by esther | Comment (0)Exciting Weekend!
Snuggly babies…
And hilarious toddlers- on the way home in the car this evening Hazel said she was going to drink all of John’s milk. We asked her what John would drink if she drank all his milk, her reply, “Ice Cream!”
Hazel turns two tomorrow- pictures of the entire weekend (family birthday party tomorrow at 2 and Hazel and John will be baptized Sunday evening, busy, busy, busy!) should be up by Monday or Tuesday. Jered and I got a little time to decorate Hazel’s birthday cake tonight, which was a fun way to celebrate our little girl turning 2- we made a pink robot cake that turned out super cute. Hazel has decided that she loves robots, and she decided this quite out of the blue (another back seat conversation that went a little something like this (completely randomly, too)- “Hey Mama! Hey Papa! I LOVE robots!!” So excited for this big weekend!
Filed under Pregnancy by esther | Comment (0)The first week as a family of four…
What a week it’s been! I’m typing slowly (and one-handedly) as John naps in my arms. We’ve been home about a week now and it’s been an incredible week. Our boy had his first pediatrician’s appointment on Monday where we learned he had already gained back 5 oz of the weight he lost in the hospital. John weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces on Monday, measured 20.5 inches long and came out in the 50th percentile for all of his measurements- we’re so happy he’s a healthy boy!
Nursing has been going great and sleeping has been going as one can expect with a newborn- we sleep in fits and spurts but we’re getting as much rest as we can manage and the fatigue isn’t nearly as overwhelming this time around. Hazel continues to surprise us with her absolute fascination and adoration of “Baby John.” She was overheard asking him “are you hungry, buddy?” when he was fussing tonight- she’s a heart melter that Hazel Madeline!
I’ll continue the written part of this post below, but want to add a few pictures from our first 9 days as a family of 4.
Having two children is so different from having just one. I find myself trying to balance spending time with Hazel and John and switching gears from parenting a toddler to parenting an infant has highlighted just how much these little guys change in just 2 short years. Jered and I are both filled with this strange sense of contentment- it feels like the love in our family has just expanded exponentially. This experience has been very different from our experience with Hazel. With Hazel I was anxious, tentative, exhausted, and overwhelmed. With John, while there are moments of exhaustion, things feel so much more settled. Making the transition from one child to two has been, dare I say it, a lot of fun. I am so excited to get to know little John as his personality emerges and to watch Hazel as she continues to grow and learn alongside her little brother. We are so truly, deeply blessed to have each other.
Filed under Doctor's Office, Hazel, John by esther | Comment (0)