Monday, April 25, 2011

It's Official...5 Years Old

Happy Birthday Devin! You are 5 years old!

Everyone (and I mean everyone) told us to enjoy "the baby stage." They said, "You'll turn around one day and she'll be in high school and want nothing to do with you." While I hope that never happens (the not liking me part), I have to admit, everyone was right.

I'm not sure how 5 years could have passed any faster. I heard a saying just the other day regarding time with children. "The days are long, but the years are short." That about sums it up for me. Perhaps our choice to have just one child, makes us want to savor each moment even more. Or, maybe Dev's just super-cool and actually pretty fun to be around, for a 5 year old. Either way, I try and make an effort each day to slow down & enjoy the moment. It's not easy with our busy schedules, aka tennis:)

At 5 years old, Devin continues to top the growth charts. She's 45" tall and 49 lbs. (She's been in the 90th % for height and weight since a few months old) I predict she'll be tall, since I'm almost 5'10" and Matt's 5'11". Devin's favorite activities are art, cooking, gardening, gymnastics, Barbie's, swimming in the summer, Legos and wearing dresses/skirts. I'm not sure where this girly-girl streak came from. I own a total of 2 dresses and 3 skirts. Devin absolutely insists on wearing a dress/skirt everyday. She's also particular about her hair...she requests various ponytails and braids.

Two things we either got lucky and/or did "right" for her, were sleep routine and food. When she was a baby, I was pretty intensely focused on keeping her sleep routine. But, I think it paid off.

Although, Devin hasn't regularly napped in about a year, we still take a "rest time." Most days, from about 1:30-3:00 she plays quietly upstairs, draws, reads, sings, etc....Her bedtime routine is simple and easy. We aim to be in bed by 8:00 pm & she loves to be read to. She sleeps through the night, unless she's sick and wakes up around 7:00 am.

Devin's eating has been epic from the moment she entered our world. I tried for 2 weeks to exclusively breastfeed and pump, but nothing seemed to satisfy her. I remember having a really messy cry on the phone with her Dr.....begging for help, Devin screaming in my arms. I felt like a total failure, adding some formula to her bottle. But, the she stopped crying. This was my first lesson in, "doing what works for you." For 6 months, I pumped and we mixed in formula and all was well. Once she got a taste of "real" food, it was over. She'll try just about anything placed in front of her and loves to go out to restaurants. Some of her current favorites: Sushi, Salsa and Fajitas at Mexican, Shiraz (kabobs), Corbetts...We also eat quite a bit of "normal" stuff during the week...she loves pasta (with or w/o sauce), ham or turkey sandwiches, peanut butter, salad etc...

Like most parents these days, we're trying to limit Dev's total "screen time." (Tv, Ipod, laptop, Leapster) We've pretty much narrowed her TV to PBS kids shows. Her favorites are Sesame Street, Martha Speaks and Electric Company. With Tivo, we also share a few of our shows with her...since we can fast forward through the ads. (The worst part IMO) So, we all watch Wheel of Fortune, Wipeout and a first few minutes of American Idol or Survivor. She loves playing her Leapster, which was handed down to me from a friend.

Even at 5, I think Devin's sense of humor stands out. Her teachers have noted it and last week, I received this email from the Mom of Devin's classmate, "C."

C was talking to Daddy on the phone this morning (Daddy works in Chicago during the week) and Daddy asked C what he was going to do at pre-school this morning. C said, "I'm going to marry Devin and there's nothing you can do to stop me". Then my husband asked why he wanted to marry Devin and C said, "Because when I say something funny she laughs really loud at me."

I think we'll all have a major adjustment, as she transitions out of preschool. St. Francis has been an amazing opportunity for Devin. In hindsight, I think we started a bit too early...she just wasn't ready to separate from me (at all) at 2 years old. (Even though it was only 2 morning a week) But, this year, she's truly flourished. Her small class size (8 kids) & experienced teacher, allowed Devin to bond closely to several friends.

5 years ago, it was hard to picture our life with a child running around. We were so busy working, playing and enjoying us. Now, it's impossible to even imagine a life without Devin. My one (and only) regret was not having her just a bit sooner...so my Dad could have met her. Deep down, I wonder if having a granddaughter like Devin, would have motivated him to take better care of his health. They would have been very close, this I know. And, she would have already been fishing/golfing/riding in the Porsche...just like me.

Happy Birthday Devin!!!!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy 5th Birthday-A Picture Review

Tomorrow, Devin turns 5 years old!

Today, we're busy dying Easter Eggs, cooking our Easter dinner (Standing Rib Roast) & relaxing with friends and family.

In 5 years, I've taken 1000's of pictures of Devin. Photobucket alone, has over 1500 images I've stored for the blog. Here are some of my favorites. Not because they're great photographs (still learning), but because they bring back that memory I was hoping to capture.

Ultrasound


Ultrasound

Newborn


Devin Baby

Devin Baby

Christmas 2006

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Devin Baby

Devin Baby

Devin Summer 2008


Christmas 2008

Papa & Grandma's Summer 2008

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Make Up

Devin's 3rd Birthday

Devin at Park

Devin at Papa and Grandma's

Face Paint

Face Paint

Devin Valentine's 2010

Easter 2010

Snow White

Devin's 4th Birthday

Devin's 4th Birthday

Devin Cooking

Ruth's Chris Date Night

Ruth's Chris Date Night

Disney 2010

Disney 2010

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Disney 2010

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Monday, April 18, 2011

The Early Birthday

This year, Devin's actual Birthday falls on the day after Easter. Therefore, we decided to schedule her a small Birthday party for this weekend.

The wonderful folks at Kazoing were beyond accommodating, allowing me to change my mind (due to weather) 3 times!

Saturday morning was indeed, cold and rainy. But, that didn't dampen the Birthday girl's spirit.
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Let me back up a second to Thursday's photo shoot.

We had a great time with our outdoor shoot & Devin was 100% cooperative. We did 3 outfit changes, with many changes of scenery. A majority of the pictures were taken with her fancy, Birthday dress...but I also got a few precious shots in her polar bear costume.

I really liked how Jennifer (MckMama) worked with Dev. She immediately got down on her level and talked with her, explaining what they were going to do. I was shocked with the amount of pictures she took...often rapid fire, without even looking in the view finder.

I can't wait to see the results! This shot gives me serious camera and lens envy:)
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After the pictures, she chose our lunch spot...Napa River Grill. (A good choice for a special lunch)

She wanted to write out a list of the people coming to her party.
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Much to Leah's delight (our cake artist), Devin gasped and giggled when she saw her Barbie cake. It tastes as good as it looks, trust me!
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After 45 minutes of bouncing and running, the face painter and balloon animals arrived.
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The party was perfect. Small, casual and on a schedule. (And, no clean up!)
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That afternoon, some of my friends (who are close to Devin) came over for cake and presents.

Look who helped assemble Barbie's Vacation House? Devin was thrilled with everything. Did you know Barbie's vacation house comes with a flat screen? (1080 p no less)
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