It's a Belated Party!

We went to Houston this weekend to celebrate Christmas (we missed going due to Phoebe being sick), Stella's Birthday (who would have wanted to come when again, Phoebe was sick) and to see Kiran and Yasmin (because, finally, Phoebe wasn't sick!).  We had a really great time and Stella and Phoebe both seemed to love their new cousins.  Well, Phoebe liked them a lot more when they were in another person's arms but she did let me feed Kiran without putting up a fuss.  Here are a few pictures from our weekend. 


Uncle Brian and Yasmin

Nauman and Yasmin

Stella getting ready to blow out some candles, but most importantly, eat cake!

 Come on cake...!

Almost got them all in one shot (Check out Puck joining the party from outside!)

Stella and Jenna

 Cousins!  Tried to get them all looking and smiling but what a challenge that was!

Yasmin already able to hold her own bottle. My nieces are so advanced.

Stella reading to Simon as she "watched him" upstairs.

4 years old!

4 years ago today I became a mother.  Stella, this charming, energetic, silly, and delightful 4 year old girl changed my life in so many ways.  She taught me so much about myself, both good and bad.  She made me realize just how much I have to learn to be the best mother I possibly can.  But she makes wanting to learn easy. I have a very good reason to keep trying, continue making mistakes, but learning from them. She taught me the most about unconditional love.

We celebrated her birthday with a party at our home.  Stella continues to show what a caring, patient and understanding big sister she is to Phoebe.  Poor Phoebe has pneumonia and was again rather cranky and upset on a major holiday (first Christmas and now Stella's birthday).  Stella took it in stride that her birthday started off with a crying and cranky sister that needed to be attended to.

However, after opening her presents, having a party with her friends (and a Curious George cake), she realized that her 4th birthday was pretty special.  In fact tonight she said "This was the best birthday ever."  Phoebe continues to recover. The poor girl can't catch a break this winter.

At 4 Stella really enjoys imaginative play, swinging, singing, painting, crafts and playing games like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. She loves being a big sister and nothing makes her more happy than getting her sister to laugh and chase her around the house. She is enjoying dance class and gymnastics at school. She loves to look at books for almost an hour before bed. She is becoming very patient, empathetic, humorous and has an enormous amount of love to give.  Four is fabulous!


Curious George Cake

Birthday girl opening her presents

 Phoebe in her "sick" pajamas


Stella taking the first stab at Curious George

Stella, London and Crosby,

Stella showing off her need to visit the dentist after eating candy from the pinata

Phoebe post advil and feeling a bit better

Pinata scramble

Blowing out her candle

It's time to say goodbye to Winter Break

And we did it by going ice skating at Whole Foods.  Brian luckily also had today off and although we have one more day of winter break, it feels like it is officially over.  I enjoyed every single second of it.  Every single one. Even the feverish, coughing, crying, fussing, and whining ones.  It was such a gift to be off for 13 days in a row, in our lovely city, and in our very warm and inviting home.  I was most tickled with getting to see Stella and Phoebe be together for that amount of time.  During the week, their time together is very limited and usually slightly rushed.  These past two weeks being able to watch them interact together all day has been just priceless.  I hope they continue to have this much fun together for years to come.

Stella did great at ice skating this year. She spent some time on her own and never held onto the railing.  A lot of time was spent holding my hand, which was fun, but back breaking at times.

Waiting for our turn on the ice

Phoebe wanted to get on the ice

Skating solo

Phoebe taking a new interest in photography

This was the back breaking part

Skating success!

Me and my almost (gasp) 4 year old!

Ringing in the New Year

Christmas 2011 and New Year's 2012 will be remembered for the fun and the fevers.  We celebrated the New Year with a kid friendly, early dinner at our lovely friends Emily and Ethan's house. They made a delicious Italian feast it was so nice to have a relaxing dinner while the girls all played with no parental involvement needed.  Stella had a wicked dry cough all day, but without any other symptoms I assumed she was developing her first case of Cedar allergies.  But when we arrived home, we realized Stella had a fever.  We felt terrible inflicting her germs on our friends, but we had no idea a fever was brewing. So here it is, the first day of 2012 and we are ringing in the new year with a constant cough, fever and sniffles.  I am hoping for health in the rest of the year.  

Phoebe dressed up for her New Year's Eve dinner party

Stella with her new favorite obsession:  Candy Land

I think I will see this look quite often in about 10 more years

My 2012 celebration Lemon Cake.  I think it was the 2nd cake I made in my life.

Stella and Daisy playing

New Year's Sick Day

We are living in jammies today.