Kaitlyn's 2nd Birthday

Today is Kaitlyn’s Birthday. She is two. Oh the terrible two’s. I think Kaitlyn entered this mischievous stage months ago. Kaitlyn is very smart, very loving and very sensitive. I have never seen such a young child get her feelings hurt so easily. I think it is because she wears her heart on her sleeve. If I am sitting down for over five minutes I am guaranteed a visit and lap sitting from K-Bear. She’d rather be snuggling than sitting alone and when she gives you a kiss you sense meaning behind it.

Teagan was only four months old when I found out I was pregnant with a second child. I really wanted a boy. A girl and a boy, I’d be done. Even when I was told it was a girl I still hoped they were wrong. I guess all the hoping is why Kaitlyn looks just like her Father. From her smile, to her pout, to her leave me alone glare she is her Father. Now that I have her I would never ever trade her for a boy. Kaitlyn is perfect and the girls are perfect for each other.

I was also very worried that I would not love Kaitlyn as much as Teagan. I hear this is a common thought for Mother’s expecting their second child. Teagan was such a blessing that the very thought of her would swell my heart to bursting and I had so many doubts that this feeling would not exist with Kaitlyn. I was wrong. When Kaitlyn was born they gave her to me to lay skin upon skin to warm her. In that instant she looked up at me as I cooed to her and my heart surged. It was the same breath taking love I had for Teagan with no failing. My Kaitlyn had her own place in my heart and it was just as vast.

We were blessed when we had one beautiful, smart wonderful child. We are humbled to have received two. Kaitlyn you are my heart with legs. You are my joy and I am thankful to be your Mom. I love you and hope you have a very Happy Birthday.

Birthday Cake Decorating

Tomorrow is the big party for the bears combined Birthday’s. There will be presents, games, food and of course the very special Birthday cake. This year I am once again taking on the task of baking and decorating the cakes. My experience in this area has not been stellar. When it comes to cooking and especially baking I can make decadence out of the ingredients. However when it comes to decorating I am not skilled or even competent. Yet here I am trying again.

I blame the fact that I am abysmal at decorating on not getting enough practice. Three times a year is not adequate preparation. This is why there is a niche for cake decorators. Alas I strive every year to be the Mom who makes the best Birthday cake.

Last year for Teagan’s Birthday I made a Tinker Bell cake. Or at least that is what I called it. We had Grandparents and their Great Aunt coming in so I saved the baking and decorating till the very end. The cake was lemon with just the right amount of tart in the midst of sweet. Perfect. Then came the decorating.

I thought I was being easy on myself by making a 9” round and doing a 2D image of Tinker Bell. Ha! I frosted the overall cake. Good job. Next, time for the actual figure. I started with her dress. This was surprisingly painless. When I started mixing the food coloring for the body I was having issues in achieving a pale peach. You see Tinker Bell is a fair fairy and food coloring doesn’t come in fair. Mix, mix, mix. The best I could accomplish was spray tan orange. Have you ever seen an orange fairy? Me neither. Running out of time I sucked it up and decided to proceed. Neck merging into the first arm. Not bad. Next arm... oh, stop that… no, not that wide… gorilla arm. Damn. I tried lifting the excess off with a toothpick, smudging white frosting over some more. Okay so Tink has been working out. Moving on. Legs. Now this fairy does have massive thighs as if she does squats every morning before breakfast. So I go for thin and add where I need to. Right leg… left leg… hey, not bad. Little green shoes. Yea, that just looks like blobs. Running out of time, tick, tick, tick. Time for spray tan face. Oh wow. That’s bad. The arms, the legs, but having the face with the spray tan makes her look like an oompa loompa. Tick, tick, tick. Blonde hair. Not the best tresses but you at least know it’s hair! Facial features. Eyes and mouth only, because the nose is not going to stand out in the sea of orange on this face. Left eye… right eye… dot of blue for each… outline in black. Uh, that looks odd. Maybe because they would be better suited for a larger face that was on a man. On we go. Mouth. Red puckered lips. Lips that look like they have been injected with silicon. Seriously at this point Tinker Bell has morphed into a street walker. Short skirt, spray tan, heavy eye make-up with a slathering of red lipstick. The gorilla arm just adds to the mystique. Ah yes and to finish off the look, scary blue things sprouting out of her back suppose to be light and airy fairy wings. It looks like she is holding gigantic scissors behind her back with her gorilla arm. I suppose women of the night need protection too. I can do no more. Damage that is. I write Teagan’s name and add sprinkles.

As I stand back and scrutinize the disaster in front of me I feel little arms wrap around my leg. “Hello Mommy” comes a semi-sleepy voice of my then almost two year old Teagan. She spies the counter. “Me Birfday cake?” I pick her up to show her the mess. “MOMMY! That’s Tinker Bell!” And she hugs me.

And that is why I will once again make a cake. She knew who it was and more importantly was over joyed that Mommy had made her Tinker Bell.

Happy Birthday Teagan!

This is a very special A Thousand Words Thursday for me. For eight years I was told by doctors that due to a previous illness I would not be able to conceive. At times this would bother me but I wasn’t at a place in my life that I felt children fit so the fleeting moment would pass. I’m so glad Doctors can be wrong.

When I met my future husband the things I wanted or desired changed. Within weeks we knew that our future was together so I shared with him what I had been told. Even though we both wanted kids he decided he wanted a future of “us” more. In April of 2006 our world changed. On April Fool’s day I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. I will admit that I was freaked out at first. Future Hubby was beyond cool and collected and just this side of ecstatic. He told his family the same day.

She was born early and weighed only 4 lbs 15 oz. She had two holes in her heart, sleep apnea and a small brain bleed. They kept her for five days in NICU. The last two days I was not in the hospital and leaving her at night was almost more than I could endure. However we were blessed and were able to take her home. We named her Teagan Shae which means “Beautiful Gift.”

I never knew how much I could love someone. It is the closest to unconditional love that I could possibly feel. I am amazed by her every day. And even on the hardest days she can laugh and everything wrong melts away.

My Mom use to tell me and my Brother that she was made to be our Mom. I thought that was corny. Now I know that I was made to be Teagan’s Mom. And then Kaitlyn’s.

Happy 3rd Birthday Teagan! You are and always will be my Tea-Bear.

Please enjoy other wonderful bloggers photos for A Thousand Words Thursday at Cheaper Than Therapy.

Pout Away

Teagan has never really pouted. Occasionally she will feel deprived or gypped but being older she will either claim her birth rite as oldest or whine and complain until the wrong is corrected.

Kaitlyn on the other hand pouts. Full on pouts. She realizes the injustice, stops in mid-track, and hangs her head until her little chin rests on her chest, puckers up her lips and emits a low throaty moan. It would be rather pitiful display if it wasn’t so darn cute. Kaitlyn still gets her desired response. Mommy swoops her up and makes her laugh and she forgets any injury.

One day a spin with a hug will not make her forget but until then I will fix any problem she has. I love taking care of my girls and I love them letting me do so. I’ve recently been reminded how quickly life changes and in turn I have a renewed desire to relish every moment of my life with my girls and hubby. So pout away little Kaitlyn it just gives me another excuse to hug on you.