Lauren is 2!!!

Lauren turned two years old on May 4th! It was a weekday, so she went to school like any other day, and wore her birthday crown of course. There was some extra excitement since I was due just two days later, and the possibility that she would share her birthday with who we now know as Baby Jack. So we weren't sure if we'd actually celebrate her birthday on her actual birthday, because I didn't want her birthday celebration to be cut short because I was in the hospital.

But the morning of May 4th came, and I just knew that there was no chance that the baby was coming, so on we went with the celebration. Lauren's BFF Ada had recently celebrated her 2nd birthday, so Lauren was very confused when we kept telling her that it was her birthday and asking "Happy Day Ada?" I'm still not sure if she understood that it was her own "happy day."

Below, Lauren on her way to school dressed in her birthday crown, wearing her yellow rain boots (no, it wasn't raining, and no, she hasn't worn any other shoes in over a month) and carrying "turtle" (for those of you who are wondering, turtle is a sprinkler head that we bought because we thought Lauren would enjoy it this summer. Instead, Lauren refuses to put it down and even sleeps with the hard piece of plastic).



Around 3 o'clock, their snack time at school, Sean and I headed to school with a couple dozen cupcakes (Lauren calls them "happy day cakes"). Lauren seemed a little confused as to why everyone was singing to her and looking at her, and was actually pretty shy about it, which surprised us.

She was pretty happy to shove that cupcake down her throat, though.

We had planned to celebrate Lauren's birthday with our families the weekend before my due date, the last weekend in April, but we were kind of behind in getting everything together at our house, so we postponed and planned on having the party three weeks later, when, we assumed, the baby would be a couple of weeks old. However, Baby Jack's late arrival meant that the day we planned for the party was the day that we came home from the hospital. But all of our family was here anyway, and so Sean went out and picked up another round of cupcakes, and we held a somewhat impromptu ("somewhat" impromptu because we had planned to have it that day, but I hadn't considered that I might have arrived home from the hospital just hours before the party) birthday party for Lauren. She loved it.

Above, opening presents.

More Happy Day cake!

We had a great birthday celebration, and Sean and I were just as shocked at her second birthday that we'd kept her alive this long as we were at her first. I have to say, two is the absolute best age so far. We're huge fans. Lauren is talking up a storm and is so much fun to be around. We love our Laur Laur.

Lauren is One!

We had Lauren's First Birthday Party on Sunday, May 2nd. Aunt Arie, Great Grandma Erma, Grandpa Auxter, Terry, Aunt Ragan, Grandma and Grandpa Power, Aunt Shannon and Lauren's cousin Holly were all in attendance. It was a whirlwind getting ready for it, but totally worth it and we all had such a great time. The weather was GORGEOUS. Here's to May birthdays.

Lauren eats outside with Dad under her Happy Birthday banner.

Everyone digs in: crudites, salad, Happy Gillis soup, pasta salad and curried chicken, egg salad and turkey sandwiches.

Aunt Arie and Great Grandma Erma take in some food on the back deck.

The group cake; Lauren had her own. This was my first foray into baking cakes and making frosting from scratch.

The cake progression. She is curious, excited, and frightened all at once.

Please notice that half of the cake is gone in the photo above.

The inside of the cake, in Lauren's nursery colors.

A very happy Mom after a piece of cake and several mimosas.

All of the excitement wore Lauren out, so she took a nap break with Grandma Power before opening presents.

This was the first time Lauren was really pumped about opening presents.

Golf clubs from Grandpa Auxter? Shocking.

Lauren and Terry take in a mellow moment after all of the festivities.

Sean and I still can't believe that Lauren is a year old. I know everyone says it, but it's so true, the first year flies by. As will the rest of the years, I'm sure. Lauren was an absolute doll at her party, especially considering the fact that we partied right through her normal nap time. It was great to have everyone around celebrating this huge first milestone. The older Lauren gets, the more of a "real" person she becomes, and we are having so much fun getting to know her and introducing her to the world. We had high expectations for parenthood, and it is so much better than we ever thought it could be.

We love you, Lauren Rebecca Power. And we always will. You are the most special gift, and we are so lucky that we get to show you this big crazy world. You are everything we thought you would be, and so so much more.