Tag Archives: Birthday

Dad’s 37th birthday

Two cousins, zero serious photos (as Des would say, “that’s okay!”)

Eleanor always on the run, this time with brother’s BB-8 ball

Des presenting a card in envelope, “Here Dad, this is a Darth Vader card!” In all fairness, with the two lit-up lightsabers and noises, it was awesome. Though this was followed shortly by, “(handing wrapped present to dad) Here’s the R2-D2 coffee (mumble) [french press] we got you!”

Summarizing both kids’ interests:

Ribbons are fairly entertaining

Singing, to various degrees

Grandma supervising the tower build

Birthday girl

Playing with Viv and Grace. Shirt: “It’s my birthday!”

Ella, big fan of balloons

Des watching the first-year slideshow

Not knowing what was going on with the crowd staring at her, needless to say, Eleanor was taken back by the spontaneous singing

With prior cupcake training complete, Eleanor knew to eat the cake

…one tiny, non-smashing pinch at a time.

Desmond eating his cake and ice cream, with a side of Halloween candy. Someone found extra treats…

Even with demonstrating a lot off effort towards self-restraint, Desmond flirts with doing a majority of the unwrapping

Ribbons don’t get any easier later in life either

So happy

Opening her presents from mom dad- a tent/ballpit

and a new winter/indoor tricycle (there are days dad thinks Eleanor isn’t looking out the window at the trees or cars, but rather pining after brother’s blue tricycle on the front porch)

Year One

During the evening, Ella’s raspy voice from her cold the week prior turned into wheezing. By 1:30am, it’s was clearly abnormal breathing (mom and dad learned the term “stridor”) and the nurse advised a visit to the ER. She was diagnosed with “croup,” an upper-respiratory viral infection. She stayed for a few hours for a steroid shot and breathing treatment. By 4:30am, everyone was back home and asleep again.

Although she wasn’t able to attend, her classroom was ready to party

Who’s the birthday girl?

Ella’s the birthday girl!

Desmond and dad return from daycare and shopping for sister’s birthday present. Dad leaves present on front porch, explaining to Desmond that we’ll sneak the toy in later to wrap it. Des walks inside, dad walks in side. Dad returns to living room a few minutes later to find that Desmond has gone back outside, retrieved the toy and then gave it to sister. Oh well, she liked it anyway.

Ella’s birthday cupcake, enjoying the singing and learning not to touch candles

Definitely on Team Frosting
 

Turning 3

To celebrate Desmond turning three, mom and dad took the day off work to visit the pumpkin patch. Sister was in utero last time, but today was just the three.

Hayrack ride out to the pumpkin patch, it was a beautiful autumn day

THIS MANY!!!

Des wanted to get a second, more substantial pumpkin. Dad said he could have it, if he could pick it up. A toddler’s rendition of the Sword in the Stone

Dad pretending not to be fighting back significant nausea

Vala’s Pumpkin Patch is one part pumpkin patch and orchard and another part amusement park. Seen here is the animatronic cows and other barnyard critters playing bluegrass interwoven with riddles and jokes. Somehow we walked past this earworm barn 14 times in a single visit.

Des ventured out onto the windmill platform all by himself, but wasn’t too thrilled upon looking down, so mom walked out as well. He’s still not a fan of grated-design: the caboose platform at the Durham, the staircase of the old market parking garage…

For being generally disinterested interested with swings, Des was surprisingly content with riding the zip line.

Mom had to into the action (and dad too)

Might be time for some new outdoor toys next spring

Desmond toddlering the apple cannon (looking closely, an apple can be seen mid-air)

Seriously fun

Tractor ✔️

The apple pie mostly made up for the sad potato soup

Oddly enough, the sheep waiting Des’ pellets took the same resting position as Max with his head in your lap waiting for a head rub

The sheep gobbled up the treats

That is a sheep tongue stretching the distance for a few more pellets

An entire multi-floor barn is dedicated to a complex pneumatic system for a truly frantic ball-flying rush

Though it quickly turned into a ball hoarding sprint…

…which ended in loss, certain disappointment and tears

Making it rain corn

Also walked out on the massive bubble, though ended up preferring seated fun

Duck water races, naturally

This cool three-year-old going with dad to get sister at daycare

Desmond’s present: a little sister to always (voluntarily, never any cajoling) share all of his toys with

Both kids going immediately to building with the new Squigz like at Joslyn’s Discovery Room

“Oh, a book!” Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax

A crane truck to take apart and reassemble

Special birthday dinner and a movie, with a viewing of Cars 2 (of course)

Reading The Lorax before bed (during the second reading the night after, Des picked up on the tragic nature of the ending and was clearly distraught)

::

From Mom: Happy 3rd birthday to this wonderful creature. He has taught me joy and love in ways I could have never dreamed. He can’t get enough Star Wars, tractors, rocket ships, The Beatles and his dad.

From Dad: Your toddler-sized heart knows no stranger, laughs with full life like your mother, reads every book in sight, hugs so hard, finds pleasure in helping, is curious about so many things. You struggle with mouse-and-elephant problems too like the rest of us, but I’m so fortunate to be your father, growing with you hand-in-hand. Welcome to three, Desi.

Caution: Birthday Under Construction

Baby’s first time sitting in a shopping cart

First time at the checkout register, Eleanor is dubious of the man touching all of our food and hiding it in brown bags

Nap time is the best time

Generations 1, 3 and 4

Desmond felt it was best to gather all the balloons together in the middle of the room, as you do

Balloons = magic

Some truly remarkable women and mothers in this group

Inspecting the found ladybug

These cousins remain in motion

CAKE! It took a few tries and some coaching, but he blew the candle out

The look of pure bliss

Little heart, so full

Liam reading Des’ card

Snoopy and Woodstock play music and light up?!

Big brother sharing his card, Ella was equally impressed

Desmond quickly settling in story-listening position as Uncle Mike read one of his new books

Eleanor hopped in and contemplated the book’s plot and sub-themes

Eleanor showing off her most recent nighttime party trick: waking up and sitting, without making much more than a peep, then falling asleep again.

Year Two

A foggy start to Des’ birthday at the pumpkin patch

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Tromping along with mom to find the perfect pumpkin

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Presumably reflecting on the second year of his life, or contemplating the mass of mud on his shoes

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Snacks with Liam and Viv

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Not so thrilled about the stormtrooper

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Swimming in corn, such happiness

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Shaking the nap daze with grandma as the birthday party starts

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Ask Desmond how old he’s going to be, the answer is “six!” However he knows the shape for “two,” so it may be starting to sink in…

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CAKE! (with baby carrot)

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Hammering on his new workbench

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Dad demonstrating the mechanics of screws versus nails

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Figuring out his new drill, saying “skeeze, skeeze” while squeezing the trigger 🙂

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They say it’s your birthday

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Year One

desmond, i’ve been meditating all day on what it feels like for you to turn one. as my mind wanders, there’s just a distilled stream of moments and dynamics.

this morning a year ago, i walked out to the car to quickly change shirts (we’d been at the hospital for a few days) before your mother went into labor. in the dark, there was both quiet peace and the intensity of hundreds or thousands of birds squawking away in the trees. after you were born, and the room settled to darkness again as your mother slept, it was just you and me. there was both elated peace of holding you and the first learning of how to soothe your cries.

in the years to come, we’ll be soft, we’ll be loud, we’ll be:

“i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go, my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling)” –e.e. cummings

One year ago today, this joyful, curious, active, determined creature came bursting into our lives. If it’s possible, we love him more & more every day.

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Just the four of us in Elmwood park for a picnic and birthday cupcake.