Rory's First Birthday Wrap Up

My cousin's wife, Karyn, took some pictures of Rory's first birthday and was kind enough to share them with me. (I only had to send her one email begging asking for the photos.) She and her husband Brendan were visiting from Connecticut the weekend of Rory's party, and we were sad to see them go. Here are some of my favorites from the big day: 

We didn't light the candles for obvious reasons.  

First taste...

Yum!

Instead of favors, I set up a candy bar with treat bags for people to take home. 

Rory's "all about me" poster. I found the poster board at the dollar store and a chalkboard pen at Michael's. Please ignore the large smudge at the top. I did this at ten o' clock the night before the party and decided to pretend it didn't happen.

Marcos' contribution to the decor. 

Sugar cookies. I was finally able to use my box of 100 cookie cutters that I found on clearance at TJ Maxx months ago. I used fresh raspberries to tint the frosting pink. 

My cousin Brendan with Marli. I think this may be my favorite photo.

Rory with her dada and a pink balloon. It doesn't get any better.

One of my closest friends, Melissa, with Rory. She was Rory's first official babysitter when Rory was barely 2 months old. 

Family shot. I know it's hard, but try to ignore the hanger string sticking out from my shirt in the next few photos. 

Rory with one of my oldest and best friends, Shannon. It's hard to tell in this pic, but she's due with a girl in January. I'm so excited!

Aunt Kayra came into town from Dallas especially for Rory's birthday.

The Fukumoto family with Karyn and Brendan. Thank you for coming and for being the official photographer! 

How Rory Celebrated her First Birthday

Here's a breakdown of how Rory spent her birthday weekend:

1.Listening to her mom sing, "Go Rory! It's your birthday! We're gonna party like it's your birthday!", over and over again. (I swear I saw her roll her eyes.)

2. Getting her flu shot. (What? It was the only time her doctor could fit her in!)

3. Refusing to nap.

4. Tasting her first truffle fry and her first sugar cookie. (She was a fan of both.)

5. Spitting out the banana-Greek yogurt-applesauce cake I made.

6. Playing with the boxes that all of her gifts came in.

7. Listening to the check-out lady at the grocery store say, "Happy Birthday, Laurie!". (I corrected her three times before I began singing Frozen's "Let it Go" under my breath.)

8. Torturing Marli with her birthday balloons.


All in all, it was a great first birthday. (Except for the shot.)

Christmas Photo Shoot

I have yet to get professional photos taken of Rory. I was going to do newborn photos, but then my eyes felt like sandpaper and I could barely remember to brush my teeth, let alone schedule an appointment. By the time I felt like I could manage leaving the house without having a panic attack, Rory had a pretty bad case of baby acne. Plus, we take so many pictures on our phones, and I'm a firm believer that the best photos are candid ones. (There's nothing candid about a family wearing matching sweaters and smiling identical smiles throwing leaves into the air on a perfect fall day. I may believe it if one of the kids is missing a shoe and the other one is throwing an enormous fit because a leaf landed in her hair.) Also, I'm cheap, so there's that.

So, when it came time to take our Christmas card photo, I scoured Pinterest for ideas we could do at home without the help of a professional photographer. Marcos' sister let us borrow her nice camera when Rory was born, and we've been using it to take her monthly photos. It makes a big difference when it comes to the quality of the shot. I figured we really only needed one good photo for the card, so the odds were in our favor. We took photos on two separate days and got some pretty good shots. I used wrapping paper as the "backdrop" and borrowed a Santa hat from our neighbor. Marcos edited the ones we used for our card. Here are some of my favorites (pre-Photoshop):

One of my favorite holiday books. 

Priceless.

Best friends?

This picture happened by accident. We were trying to get a shot of her standing in the gift bag, but she fell over, and her concerned father kept snapping away.

This may be my favorite. 

And some of our Pinterest fails:

Awkward. 

Marli wasn't a fan of the Santa hat... 

...And Rory wasn't either.

A Year

12 months. 365 days. 8765 hours. It's easy to define your existence in calendar terms, but it's almost impossible to put into words how much my life changed when yours began.

It wasn't long ago that you were merely a thought- a piece of the puzzle that was my future. A "someday". Then you turned into a plan, and a few months later a bean-shaped thing with a heartbeat. Now you are almost too heavy to rock to sleep. You point and laugh and push me away when I try to kiss your forehead. Somewhere between waking up three times a night and putting locks on all the cabinet doors, you grew up.

Of course, I still have many years left of being your mom, but you are a baby no longer. There is nothing like the first year full of firsts. You will get bigger and smarter and need me less. You will fall asleep on your own, walk to school, and roll your eyes when I remind you to wear sunblock. You will turn into the child, then the teenager, and finally the adult I always hoped you would be. My heart will swell with pride at who you've become,but also clench with sadness, because I will remember when you needed me. When you tugged on my leg, reached for me, and said "up, mama".

I want to freeze time and drink in every little thing about you at this very moment. The way your hair smells after a bath.The way you kick your legs in excitement when I strap you into your tricycle. The way your eye lids flutter when you've just fallen asleep. The way you examine every little leaf at the park. The sound of your voice. There will come a day when I will struggle to remember the way you crinkle up your nose when you smile, or the squeal you make when you hear the garage door open at 5:00. Soon there will be math homework and soccer practice and prom. Soon we will be too busy to remember the little things. The important things.

I wish you could understand how grateful I am for this past year. You've given us more joy than we've ever thought possible. You've helped me realize things about myself I never would have discovered otherwise and you've motivated me to grow and change. I knew becoming a mom would change my life forever, but I didn't realize to what extent. My entire definition of love changed the day you were born, and it's not one I can even attempt to put into words. You will forever be a part of me, and I am a part of you. This is what it means to be a parent- to have a piece of you that's separate from you. To have a walking, talking piece of your heart living outside of you.

I am looking forward to watching you grow and change in the next year. If this first year taught me anything, it's to live in the moment and enjoy the little things, because in the end, the little things end up being the big things. Everyday that I get to be your mom is the best day of my life. Thank you for the best 12 months, 365 days, and 8765 hours.

For me?

You were sick for the first time this month. You had a fever for three days straight. I sent this picture to daddy when you finally showed signs of improving.

Goofing off at the park. 

You love when daddy pushes you around in the laundry basket. 

Waving to random strangers at the airport before our trip to Dallas. 

You, me, and your great-grandpa, "Boppa". Thanks to Auntie Whitney, you learned how to say "Boppa" during our trip to Dallas.

Walking around outside of Auntie Mary's apartment in Dallas. You were introduced to fire ants on this walk.

Me, you, and Auntie Katie. 

You finally got to meet Olivia, the daughter of mommy's best friend from college.

Your grandparents brought you this outfit from Brazil. It finally fits, and it brought Sao Paulo good luck- they won the day you wore it. 

Before trick-or-treating. You were the only cutest pumpkin on the block.

.

Rory Keiko: 11 Month Update

 Dear Rory,

This has been a month full of fun, learning, and adventures. You went on your first trip, said your first words, and took your first steps! I say this every month, but watching you grow and learn brings me so much joy.

You don't sit still very long anymore, and you are into everything. We're in full baby-proofing mode. You're favorite toys right now are your peek-a-boo blocks and anything stuffed. Mommy found a bag of finger puppets at a consignment sale, and you can't get enough of them. Sometimes Marli thinks they are her toys, and you and her get in an old fashioned tug-of-war contest. (I'm sorry to say that you usually lose.) You also enjoy rides in your tricycle and trips to the park to see the chickens.

It's amazing how quickly you are learning. Daddy has taught you to point to your nariz (nose) and your "boca" (mouth). You can make elephant and horse noises, and you point to animals in your books, waiting for mommy or daddy to make the right sounds. You are understanding so much of what we say and you have become so observant. You point to pretty much everything, and you're not satisfied until we let you touch, feel, taste, and smell whatever catches your interest.

You love staying with Amanda and playing with the neighbor boys, but you're not a big fan of the nursery drop-off at the gym. Just yesterday I had to end my workout early because you wouldn't stop crying.

Your greatest love (besides daddy) is music. If you hear anything that even half-way resembles a beat, you start to dance. Just the other day, I was banging two blocks together, and you started moving your head from side to side in rhythm to the makeshift beat I had created. It doesn't matter what kind of music it is (nursery rhymes, country, daddy's horrible techno music), you can move to it.

Your personality is becoming stronger, and it's fun to see what traits you've inherited from me and which ones come from your dad. You become frustrated easily (me) and you love to talk (also me). You love to play with any type of ball (dad) and you are almost always in a good mood (definitely dad).

When I look at you, I don't see a baby anymore. You have six teeth, drink from a sippy cup, and have hair long enough for a small pony tail. And in one month, you will officially be a toddler. Rory, you have made me a better person and the world a better place. I love you to the moon and back.

We have to keep the bathroom door closed so you don't see your bath and get to get in the tub.

Boxes: Every child's favorite toy.

Hanging out in the laundry basket.

Proof that you're Irish. There is now a lock on the liquor cabinet.

Playing in the tunnel at story time.

It's fall!

Your favorite thing at the playground.

Happy baby!

Hanging with Chili in Wyoming during our visit to Auntie Karla's house. 

A List of Things Rory Called Daddy Today

1. My toothbrush

2. A book

3. Matt Lauer

4. The bathroom door

5. A scarecrow at Hobby Lobby

6. The librarian (To be fair, she was Asian.)

7. Her bath toy

We Have a Talker!

Rory said her first word a few weeks ago, and now has a total of three words in her vocabulary: daddy, doggy, and pula. Pula is the Portuguese word for "jump", and we owe this word to my favorite Brazilian, Xuxa.

It started with the word "daddy", and I'm not going to pretend that I wasn't a little bitter that her first word wasn't "mommy" or "mama". (Those of you who know me would never believe me anyway.) I mean, I'm the one who gave birth to her-without drugs. I'm the one who changes 85% of her diapers, and I'm the one who uses my shirt to wipe her nose when she sneezes at the park (her daddy just looks at her in disgust), but I don't mind that "mommy" wasn't her first word. Or her second, or even her third. Nope, not bitter at all.

So, even though I was a little perturbed that "daddy" was her first word, I quickly got over it...And not because I'm the bigger person (obviously), but because I discovered that it actually benefits me. You see, we Marcos made a reeeaaalllly big deal out of it the first time she said "daddy"(it was quite embarrassing, now that I think about it), so of course now she says it all the time. Everyone and everything is "daddy". So, naturally, when she wakes up at 5 am, the first thing she says is "daddy!". And naturally, Marcos and I both pretend not to hear her talking through the monitor. (It's like a parental version of  the game "chicken".)

"Daaaadddy! DADDY!" 

And this is when I roll over, nudge Marcos awake, and say, "she's calling for you, daddy". Karma is a beautiful thing, my friends.

This picture has nothing to do with her first words...I just think it's hilarious. Talk about perfect toy placement.