Birthday season

Its Birthday season around my family and today it was my turn. It was a simple day from start to finish and it has been perfect.  Olivia army crawled into my room and jumped up and shouted "surprise Happy Birthday!" and we stumbled through the day from there on.  I shopped with Harper while Olivia was at school, had a picnic lunch with the girls and some friends, and then went out to dinner with Jon. Now I have feet up, computer on my lap and wine in hand.  perfection. 

Weekly Koepke updates :

Olivia seems to have stopped napping!  Its been 6 days in a row of not taking a nap.  We have some downtime in the afternoon, but no actual sleep.  She is doing pretty well, but tonight at dinner she completely crashed.  I am thankful for the 4 1/2 years of napping that she blessed me with, but I really was hoping for a few more months.  maybe this is just a phase, and we'll go back to the normal nap routine next week?? yes? yes?

Harper's latest form of entertainment is to "wrestle" and then try to steam roll you.  Its sweet and hilarious.  I will try and post a video.  She will roll about ten times in a row across the room into you. If you lay on the floor she will crawl at a high speed towards you and then throw herself onto your stomach.  She just wants to play the way she sees Jon and Olivia wrestle around.  

Harper used her first signs this week.  I have been signing to her a few basic signs (more, all done, drink) and a few days ago she signed "more", and today she signed "all done".   She was just sitting in her highchair having her snack , and I was walking around, and when I looked at her she was sitting there making jazz hands at me.  oh, yes...all done!  It's so amazing to experience all of these moments. Yes baby girl, we just had a conversation.  You are all done with your snack, you told me and I understood, no one cried or shouted or threw food on the floor, you made jazz hands and I knew what you meant.  God, I am so grateful for these moment and that I am present to experience them first hand.  

Olivia's sweetest thing lately is her constant writing of love letters.  She will sit and compose a note and then write it out to the best of her ability using her own inventive spelling.  She cuts out these notes, folds them up very very small and puts them into an envelope.  She tapes it closed and brings them to me, daily, every few hours, they are covered with hearts and I love yous . It is the best, I keep them and will put them in a shoe box.  Whenever I am blue, I have a box filled to the brim of love notes from the sweetest 4 year old on the planet.  This is the best medicine to cure any sadness.  I know that I am so sappy, and overly sentimental, but time marches on and waits for no one, but I am definitely here and enjoying it all.  I promise not to turn into a hoarder, but for now I have to keep these little love letters proclaiming that Olivia and I are BSTFRDSFREVR  

Well, I am off to bed.  Tomorrow I am going to spend the day baking and decorating a fancy cake for Harper's first Birthday.  Her Birthday is in four days!! Her family party is Saturday, I am in denial of my baby turning one.  But yes, sweet Harper, in this birthday season your next!!  Tag, you're it.  xoxo