Happy Birthday, Baby!

 Bug,

Today is the day....1 year old!  I can't believe it's been a year since we met you for the first time. I remember the doctor saying "It's a girl" and her handing you to me.  You looked right at me and even though it was the first time we met, I felt like I'd known you forever!  Daddy held you and was so proud...he never wanted to put you down and he never took his eyes off of you.  He would watch you sleep for hours!  When Abigail held you for the first time, you two instantly became the two closest people in each other's lives!  You bring so much joy to our lives and are the perfect piece to our family puzzle! 

You are surrounded by people who love you!  You and your sister are best friends.  You look up to her...and she takes care of you!  All of your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousin LOVE you so much!!!!  And you have a mommy and daddy who love you  more than anything....and are so proud of you!

Your smile lights up a room.  I pray that one day you have a daughter who smiles at you the way you smile at us...it's a feeling that can't be explained!  Your smile makes everyone around you feel so loved and special!!!!!  We can see how happy you are through your smile!

Happy Birthday, Caitlin Bug!  You are such an amazing daughter!  You are our dream come true!  We love you!!!!!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Abigail, and Kramer 

Don't miss the "Year in Review" below!

A Year in Picures

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1 Year Ago Today.....

One year ago today, we were checking into the hospital to have this most amazing experience:

Tomorrow is a big day for our Bug!  I will spend this whole day thinking about what I was doing at the time....and will be setting my alarm to wake up at 4:04am tomorrow to give Caitlin the first kiss of her birthday!  So much pride and joy today.....

Monday!!!!!!!!! (& Mickey too)

REMINDER:  Watch Channel 5 News on Monday for 1st Birthday Pictures!!!!!!  (Usually runs between 6:20-6:40 but not always)

I can't believe it....my "baby" is turning 1 on Monday!!!  And on Monday, for the next 2 months, I'll officially have a 1 year old and a 2 year old.  My sister and I are one year apart for 6 months of the year, so it's pretty cool that my daughters will be like this too...only there is a school grade between them which may help in the "competition" department!  ;)

Lots and lots more to come on Bug's birthday!!!!  She's been really sick this week....but hoping the fever breaks today and she'll be healthy for her BIG day!!!!  Daddy took her to the dr on Tuesday and it's just a cold.

This weekend is a big weekend for us.  We are having a small family party to celebrate Caitlin's bday....it may be small in numbers but I'm really into the theme!  Pics to come next week!

Then, on Sunday, Rob and I officially become godparents to our beautiful niece Lucy!  It's a big day for her and we can't wait to celebrate with her!  (Oh, and on Saturday night, we get to babysit Lucy while her mom and dad go to a wedding....I CAN'T WAIT for all those snuggles!!!!!!!)

Last Friday, we took the girls to see Mickey Mouse Live.  We originally were just going to take Abigail for a special day, but due to a lack of sitter, we brought Caitlin with.  We had 3 seats, but really only needed 2 cause the girls sat on our laps the whole time.  The day started off hectic.  I started a new job (lots of lil jobs) being a student teacher supervisor for Kendall College.  That's right...I'm officially a member of the Kendall College faculty...maybe one day I'll become a professor!  ;)  Then, we had to bring our car in and after 3 hours of waiting (and no nap) we were told we had to bring it back on Tuesday!  Ugh...but it's fixed so that's good!  Anyways, so we headed to Mickey Mouse Live a little tired and rushed...but had a great time!  Of course Abigail loved it...and spent the whole time asking for "Daisy" who apparently didn't make the cut for the Mickey Mouse Live show.  We weren't sure about Caitlin but she actually watched the whole time.  They were both at great ages...but anything inbetween their ages would have been hard.

Who loved Mickey's Magic Show the best????  DADDY!  He's a sucker for magic.  He was in awe of the magic show!  It was adorable to watch these 3 watch the show!!!!!!

Notice Caitlin's shirt????  It's the same Minnie shirt that Abigail wore last year when Julie and Joe took her to this show.  Only Abigail was 21 months and Caitlin is 11 months!  :)  I really squeezed Abigail into it for the show! 

Have a great day...I'm gonna spend a few extra minutes cuddling with my "baby" who officially isn't a baby in 93 hours and 5 minutes!

We Don't Want Halloween to End!

And by "we" I mean Abigail!  We are over Halloween...but Abigail is not.  All she wants to do is watch Halloween shows and play with the Halloween "decorations" I am trying to put away. Today is the LAST day of Halloween in our house....so to celebrate the END of the holiday, here are a few more pictures from Halloween.

We went to the Halloween party where my grandma lives.  It's Abigail's 3rd party...and the busiest one yet! 

The whole crew!!!!!

I LOVE this picture!  My grandma loves to "make big eyes" at the girls and make them laugh! They were playing peek-a-boo with her using her walker!

We also went trick or treating at Great Nani and Great Papa's house...and got treated to a delicous lunch! 

Want to see more cute pictures?????  My sister started a blog:  http://www.theblandfordfamily.blogspot.com/

There are the cutest pictures of our niece, cousin, and god-daughter, Lucy Alexandra!!!!!  Go check them out!!!!!!!

Now, on to Caitlin's bday!!!!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!!! 

We had a great weekend with our lil pumpkin and our ballerina!

Abigail got to trick or treat for the first time and LOVED it!!!!  She really got into it and kept forgetting to say "Thank You" because she was too busy looking in her pumpkin to see what she got!  But she loved trick or treating...and was pretty brave going up there all by herself.  She was also pretty nosy...she had her lil nose right up to the window checking who was coming!  Caitlin stayed in the wagon, but was given plenty of candy from her big sister.

Too Much Halloween for this Pumpkin: 

In addition to our family trick'or'treating this weekend, we also went to Mickey Mouse Live, a Halloween Party at my grandma's nursing home, and Great Nani and Papa's house...oh, and had all the grandparents over for chili tonight!  So we were very busy this weekend..and will post pictures of all these events during the week!

Happy Halloween!!!!

"OH MY!!!!!!!"

I have lots to update...but today was Abigail's Halloween Parade at school!  It was ADORABLE!!!!

Ballerina Abigail and Buzz Lightyear Luca!  I mean...come on!  When they get married, their wedding video slideshow is going to be the best ever!!!

Classroom picture in the Care Bear Room

Getting ready to sing the Jack O Lantern song for the parents. Abigail just stood there and watched the kids sing...maybe next year she'll sing!

Decorate cookies!

Caitlin had her first cookie...we just pretended it was dairy and gluten free!  ;)  She loved it!

Abigail with one of her new teachers!

This is where "Oh My" comes into the play!  OH MY...do the parents really get into Halloween!  We got home and looked at all of Abigail's goodies...and she was screaming "OH MY" everytime she looked at a new bag.  I'm not sure what happened to the old days of 1 piece of candy...but each kid gave a bag of toys, candy, stickers, and goodies!  I was impressed that we put playdough and a sucker in a bag...wow did we get outdone!  One mom told me not to worry...there is still Xmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter!  I'm gonna step up my game!!!

"OH MY"...it was adorable watching Abigail and Luca at their 1st Halloween Party!!!!