Happy Birthday, My Darling Oliver! You are Four years old today!
Oh my boy, I love you so so much. Today you are with Daddy, but I get to have a sweet birthday lunch with you. I'm so happy. This birthday is extra-special because we've been talking about it for months and months. This is the first year you really get the idea of birthday fun! You know you're turning 4. You know you'll get presents. You know you'll have a party. You know the date! March 19th you say. Then you'll be four. You've been waiting a long long time. And now it's here.
We sure had a lot of fun this past year. You took your first airplane ride to St. Louis to visit family for Easter. We had a photographer come and take photos of you and Grampa and you and me, since I'm always the one taking the pix!
We spent nearly every other weekend in Door County. You played in the sand, walking in the forest, swam in the bay. There was always a truck within reach, whether it was a front end loader or Grave Digger. We had a lot of fun!
When we were home you rode your balance bike everywhere! You loved the mud, you loved the park, you loved getting wet, you loved helping me garden. And as often as we could, we'd eat outside in our lovely back yard.
Here you are in your third year. It's awesome being your mommy and watching you grow from a little tiny toddler into a real live big boy.
April 2011
Your first airplane ride
We visited Aunt Crystal, Uncle Jim, James and Drew
You loved the sand box; you loved your baseball cap and your track suits.
The bathroom is another (dangerous) playground for you,
Finding mud and dirt is always your mission.
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Just after you turned three, our friend came by and did a photo shoot with us. We were so glad Grampa could join us that morning!
May 2011
Our first weekend in Door County ... Memorial Day weekend.
Your favorite digital book with our new iPad2
June 2011
Door County Ice Cream Factory, a treat several times a month
Celebrating Father's Day with Grampa and Dotti
Making friends wherever you go
July 2011
Gills Rock, Door County
Friends with all little boys, sharing your favorite Izze drink
Trucks, all trucks, all the time
Your favorite things: diggers, balance bike and bandaids
and mud
and dancing and being goofy
And balance bike
First pair of shades
Roseola
August 2011
A visit with Jonas, your cuz from Switzerland
Water is your very favorite
Riding with the big guns
and cruisin' down hills on the balance bike, every chance you get
Helping Mommy in the garden
September 2011
Warm fall ferry rides to Washington Island
Building and swimming in the warm September water
Eating an entire baguette
Throwing rocks in door county with carson
being a boy
lots of hikes with Mommy in Door County
Always giving Mommy flowers
Laughing often
Loving up on Grampa in Door County after a swim
Enjoying the cottage
Late evening sun sets at the beach
Hangin' with the horses
trucks tractors and farms
riding them if not playing with them
and lucky for you, our neighbor has a real one and loves to give you a ride
October 2011
Always finding a walking stick when we hike
November 2011
being brave with your stitches (because you split your eyebrow open at the playground)
December 2011
Saying goodbye to Velvet
Making cupcakes
Christmas at Sue's
Hangin' with Jasmin, your other cuz from Switzerland, who taught you to ice skate at Millenium Park
Fun in the tub — another playground for you
Bearing the cold
January 2012
Shoveling with you daddy
February 2012
Still loving your cars and trucks
and more bubbles
March 2012
Still enjoying your personality.... and PROOF that you ate lentil soup (so don't give me a hard time anymore when I serve it!) ;)
I love you my boy! You are so fun to be with. The two of us made your third year so much fun! You make me laugh, I love you up, I get to teach you (Look Momma, that garden is so bea-uuutiff-full.) to appreciate what I appreciate, and I get to be a boy, all boy, all the time. I want you to be a kid — be free, run around, get dirty, make our house a mess, just play play play and enjoy your young little life.
Happy Birthday Baby!
x o x o
Momma
*Some photos courtesy of Kelly Fisher Photography.
We sure had a lot of fun this past year. You took your first airplane ride to St. Louis to visit family for Easter. We had a photographer come and take photos of you and Grampa and you and me, since I'm always the one taking the pix!
We spent nearly every other weekend in Door County. You played in the sand, walking in the forest, swam in the bay. There was always a truck within reach, whether it was a front end loader or Grave Digger. We had a lot of fun!
When we were home you rode your balance bike everywhere! You loved the mud, you loved the park, you loved getting wet, you loved helping me garden. And as often as we could, we'd eat outside in our lovely back yard.
Here you are in your third year. It's awesome being your mommy and watching you grow from a little tiny toddler into a real live big boy.
April 2011
Your first airplane ride
We visited Aunt Crystal, Uncle Jim, James and Drew
You loved the sand box; you loved your baseball cap and your track suits.
The bathroom is another (dangerous) playground for you,
Finding mud and dirt is always your mission.
Just after you turned three, our friend came by and did a photo shoot with us. We were so glad Grampa could join us that morning!
May 2011
Our first weekend in Door County ... Memorial Day weekend.
Your favorite digital book with our new iPad2
June 2011
Door County Ice Cream Factory, a treat several times a month
Celebrating Father's Day with Grampa and Dotti
Making friends wherever you go
July 2011
Gills Rock, Door County
Friends with all little boys, sharing your favorite Izze drink
Trucks, all trucks, all the time
Your favorite things: diggers, balance bike and bandaids
and mud
and dancing and being goofy
And balance bike
First pair of shades
Roseola
August 2011
A visit with Jonas, your cuz from Switzerland
Water is your very favorite
Riding with the big guns
and cruisin' down hills on the balance bike, every chance you get
Helping Mommy in the garden
September 2011
Warm fall ferry rides to Washington Island
Building and swimming in the warm September water
Eating an entire baguette
Throwing rocks in door county with carson
being a boy
lots of hikes with Mommy in Door County
Always giving Mommy flowers
Laughing often
Loving up on Grampa in Door County after a swim
Enjoying the cottage
Late evening sun sets at the beach
Hangin' with the horses
trucks tractors and farms
riding them if not playing with them
and lucky for you, our neighbor has a real one and loves to give you a ride
October 2011
Always finding a walking stick when we hike
November 2011
being brave with your stitches (because you split your eyebrow open at the playground)
December 2011
Saying goodbye to Velvet
Making cupcakes
Christmas at Sue's
Hangin' with Jasmin, your other cuz from Switzerland, who taught you to ice skate at Millenium Park
Fun in the tub — another playground for you
Bearing the cold
January 2012
Shoveling with you daddy
February 2012
Still loving your cars and trucks
and more bubbles
March 2012
Still enjoying your personality.... and PROOF that you ate lentil soup (so don't give me a hard time anymore when I serve it!) ;)
I love you my boy! You are so fun to be with. The two of us made your third year so much fun! You make me laugh, I love you up, I get to teach you (Look Momma, that garden is so bea-uuutiff-full.) to appreciate what I appreciate, and I get to be a boy, all boy, all the time. I want you to be a kid — be free, run around, get dirty, make our house a mess, just play play play and enjoy your young little life.
Happy Birthday Baby!
x o x o
Momma
*Some photos courtesy of Kelly Fisher Photography.
Happy Birthday little guy!
ReplyDeleteSee, Andrea, this is what Oliver will remember later, all the fun you had together, the things you explored with him. I think it is fantastic that you, in spite of the heartache and difficult situation, have the energy and motivation to give him a happy and normal childhood. Well done!
Best, Jana
What a beautiful and happy boy Andrea - he's blessed to be loved so much by his mama! Happy Birthday, Mr. Oliver!
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you Jana ... and Lisa.... Looking back I can see we had sooo much fun!!! I had to hold myself back not to add more pix!
ReplyDeletex o x o x
Happy Birthday to Oliver! From the mommy of another boy-boy (Alexander) ... Keep trucking, Andrea!
ReplyDelete- SD
LOVE IT!!
ReplyDelete