Babies, birthdays, births, and babies' birthdays.

The theme of the past 20 days was "Babies and Birthdays."

In order of occasion...

Happy birthday to my niece Mykenna!
This sweet little monkey turned one on February 11th. We celebrated the prior weekend with the family in Lincoln, IL. She is a tiny doll baby with big eyeballs and a loving temperament. Jason and I love our niece and Hannah loves her cousin.

CAKE!

Grandma Paula is in grandbaby heaven.

Hannah latched onto the balloons, naturally.

Mykenna looks like the missing Olsen triplet. Right?

Also on February 11th, Baby Nora Dawn Walter was born!
We have been referring to her as "Pickle" in utero because we did not know if she was a girl or boy so obviously we needed to refer to the baby as a delicious sandwich accompaniment. Duh. Jesse and Monica did a fantastic job - Nora is absolutely gorgeous, all 6 lbs 5 oz 20" of her!

Jesse tapes us as we photograph him announcing..."It's a GIRL!"

The very lovely Nora Dawn

Such beeeauuutiful eyes. I love her so much.

This baby looks good on us, right? Uhhhhhhhh....

Hannah reaches for her baby cousin.

 

Aunt Mutherford and her sweet little niece Nora Dawn

Family portrait!



Proud papa, my dear brother Jesse

Family face palm

My gorgeous sister-in-law and loving mama, Monica.

 

On February 14th, we honored the one year birthday of our family's precious twin boys, Anthony & Wesley.

Exactly one year ago on Valentine's Day, my family lost two dear pieces of our hearts when God called Jesse and Monica's twin boys home 20 weeks into their gestation. I was 8 months pregnant with Hannah and I remember the absolute fear I felt when my mom told me that Jesse and Monica had found out at their ultrasound on a Friday that the boys had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Just two weeks prior their ultrasound had shown that they were growing just fine. Things changed very quickly, and a few days later Monica went into labor. It was too early and there was nothing the doctors could do but deliver the boys while we all dealt with life's ultimate case of helplessness. I had been trying to stifle my fear because I had heard it was bad to have anxiety when you are pregnant, but I couldn't stifle my devastation and anger. Over the past year, I have watched the faithfulness of my brother and sister-in-law as they grieved, yearned for their boys, became pregnant again, and trusted God's plan as much as we all thought this part of His plan was unnecessary and awful. I can't make sense of it and most of the time I don't even try to. Instead, I open up to God when I'm angry about it, I cry when I miss them, I think about what I know in my heart they look and act like (two little dark-haired darlings, rambunctious and goofy), I beg God to forgive me for not thinking that things always happen for a reason, and I praise Him for giving me such a loving family, my comfort, the people I admire and adore. I honor and love Anthony and Wesley every day.

 

My beloved nephews, Anthony and Wesley