Life's Next Chapter: Birthday Bonanza!

Lainey got to celebrate her birthday three times this year! Celebrations began on the 23rd with Grandpa Bob and Sharon. I thought she was going to be stoked to have "Happy Birthday" sung to her, because she loves singing it and her favorite YouTube video is of her birthday from last year. But, when we started belting it out she got really shy and hid by putting her head down on the table. Maybe it was just our voices? We have video, but since we took it on the camcorder who know when it will get uploaded. If it's not on my iphone where I can easily upload to YouTube and post, then it has to go on the always growing to-do list. She did enjoy present time, however. A brand new tricycle from us and a tea set with play food from Grandpa were the big hits. Grandpa and Sharon also bought her clothes, but she just pulled those out of the bag and then threw them on the floor. The tricycle is a little too big for her, so we're going to put blocks on the pedals and hope they bridge the gap.

On her actual birthday, June 27, she had to go to daycare. Wah, wah. I wanted to take the day off, but since we closed on the house and had to take another afternoon off for contractors, (and I have to take July 3 off, because daycare is closed), I just couldn't ask for another. Turns out she had a BLAST at daycare. They celebrated her all day long, and she got a toy tamborine for a gift. When I picked her up, she kept saying, "It's Lainey's birthday! It's Lainey's birthday!" The celebration at home got a little off-track. It started pouring rain just as I was picking the kids up at CLP, so that was a fun juggling act getting them to the car, home, and then into the apartment without us all getting soaked (just me as I ran back-and-forth between buildings and the car). So, I was a little stressed, but then we had a fun Skype session with Uncle Chris and Uncle Sean before dinner. Dinner started off well...Lainey picked what she wanted (PB&J and yogurt), and Nick was contently nursing. Then a fruit fly appeared and Lainey lost it (she's developed a huge fear of bugs). You would have though Godzilla came into the kitchen. So, I had Lainey screaming in fear and Nick screaming because I had to stop nursing him. I got the whole crew relocated to the living room away from the terrifying fruit fly. I did get her to resume eating on the ottoman by the TV, so I could finish feeding Nick. I just accepted that PB&J would be all over the furniture and figured I'd deal with that later. I was able to coerce her back to the kitchen with a Potbelly Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie, which I stuck a candle in for her to blow out. The good thing about the chaos is it pushed her bedtime back about 45 minutes, so Mark made it home to see her before she went to sleep.

And the grand finale was this past weekend in O'Fallon with the entire Brandi crew! Lots of celebrating to do--Ben's birthday, Lainey's birthday, and Eleanor's baptism. We spent a great Saturday at the park, which had an incredible water area for the kids. That night we did cupcakes for Lainey and a big cookie for Ben, followed by presents. There was a mild meltdown during gifts, because they were really awesome, but she couldn't play with them immediately (Sit and Spin; tub of art supplies; bubble mower and BIG bottle of bubbles). Luckily, Grandma thought ahead and realized this might happen, so she bought a Little Mermaid toy that we could break out right away. Once that was opened, all was happy again in Laineyland. We have quite the spoiled little girl on our hands!

Lainey had her two-year check-up today. She's healthy and growing just as she should. This has been the fastest, best two years of my life. Happy Birthday one more time to my little Laineybug!