Happy Birthday...

Trenton Michael

Born: Tuesday, October 27, 2015

At: 11:00am

Weight: 7lbs 15oz

Length: 22.5 inches

Status: Our adorable little man is finally here, eight days after his due date! Mama was in pre-labor for five LONG days before his arrival. He is a precious boy with adorable little dimples and loved immensely by his parents and two adoring sisters. He spent three days in the NICU after birth due to breathing issues, but is doing well now and came home today, October 30th, 2015. We are all so in love, our family is complete.

Maternity Photo Session - Baby Boy's First Photos

Maternity photoshoot - Baby boy is due in October!

These two are going to make the best big sisters

Baby brother's big debut is just over a month away, and we are all so excited for his arrival in mid October. I was happy to get a chance to do my first maternity photoshoot, as I never did any when I was pregnant with the girls. I was so tiny with the girls, and even though we took some photos I really wish that I did a maternity session like this. I'm grateful to have a wonderful and talented best friend, Christy, who took these beautiful photos. We will cherish these memories for years to come and I especially love seeing the genuine smiles and excitement on the girls faces. They are on pins and needles waiting for the arrival of their sweet little brother and my belly has received plenty of love and kisses over these past several months. He moves like crazy now and loves when his big sisters talk to him and give hugs (well actually, that's a maybe...he usually kicks when they smother my stomach). We are so eager to meet this little man and see his sweet personality unfold. The countdown to October 19th is on!

Obligatory belly shot, he's a squirmy fella

The little man's first photo

Alina showering baby brother with love

Early Easter Fun

Cute cousins with the Easter Bunny 2015

These five are the sweetest little pals. The girls love spending time with their cousins and enjoyed getting to meet the Easter Bunny and hunt for eggs together. It's been a joy watching them grow and develop sweet little friendships over the years. When these five are together the laughter and smiles seem endless!

Little pals after their Easter egg hunt

Celebrating Rainbows

Rainbow spotting brings immeasurable joy!

After a recent February rain storm, we were rewarded with a beautiful full rainbow. The girls were jumping for joy and believed it was put there solely for their visual enjoyment, and who are we to dare argue with such cute logic, right!? They spent about 15 minutes outside dancing and raising up their arms in excitement completely shoeless on the damp pavement, not a care in the world. It's little moments like these where the two of us relish in the opportunity to sit back and take in the sweetness of their little universe. Love these two so much.

Tiny Fingers

I love this photo and had to share! Alina grasped on to daddy's finger and just didn't want to let go. Her hand is so tiny next to his. One day, we will look back on this in awe of how little she once was. These are the moments that are keeping us busy as of late, and they are oh so enjoyable.

Happy 2nd Birthday Elise!

Elise,

Two years ago today, mommy and daddy met and held you in our arms for the very first time. We stared into your eyes and cried tears of joy at seeing the tiny and perfect little life we created.  We marveled at each precious moment we spent with you; your fragile beauty, your full head of hair, your little feet and toes, your sweet disposition. In those very first moments with you, we didn't think about the weeks, months or years ahead; we just reveled in the remarkable yet fleeting newborn stage.

Over the course of your first year, time went by slowly and the build up to each new milestone had us on edge, reeling with excitement. We cheered you on for your first smile, laugh, wave and steps toward sitting up, standing, crawling and walking. We were left in awe of everything you accomplished and how much you redefined our original perception of love and happiness.  You were the happiest and most content little baby; a constant joy to be around.

In your next year of life, time suddenly began to dash right by us. You grew and matured more than we ever could have  imagined. You transformed from a baby to a full-fledged toddler. Your adorable personality began to shine through and you became quite the little chatterbox. Like most toddlers, you wore your emotions on your sleeve and strove to express yourself.

Now you are two-years-old, and we see a little girl in front of us. A beautiful, thoughtful, loving, opinionated, independent and extremely intelligent little girl. A little girl who smiles and laughs all the time, who cuddles and will always tell us she wants a hug, who comforts mommy and daddy when they seem down, who is passionately curious about the entire world around her and wants to emulate everything we do - just so long as she is able to do it herself ;). A little girl that is so incredibly special and makes her parents proud everyday.

Happy 2nd Birthday Elise!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Four Generations



Four generations: great-grandma, grandma, mommy and Elise



Elise is the fifth generation first-born girl on her mom's side of the family. This is the first and only photo of all of us first born girls together. I love the photo and will cherish this memory for years to come. Great-grandma absolutely loved getting the opportunity to meet her first great-granddaughter! She was all smiles and laughs in the company of little Elise. She commented on how she is, "a precious little doll" and "adorable, just like her mommy". Great-grandma passed on just a few weeks after this photo was taken. She will be missed tremendously, but her memories will always live on. I sing Elise the same nighttime lullaby she used to sing to me as a little girl. Every time I sing it, I think of her and smile.

Great-grandma and grandpa on their wedding day

The happy pair vacationing in Hawaii

Proud grandparents with their first granddaughter; chubby momma!



Elise will grow up hearing plenty of stories about her amazing great-grandparents. They were undoubtedly two of the most special people in my life and I shared so many incredible childhood memories with them. Elise will hear all about mommy's summer visits to the farm in South Dakota, her myriad of animals, ice cream nights at Lake Norden, feeding the baby calves, nightly sunset watching, swimming at Starlight, pocket gopher and woodchuck detail, mommy driving the tractor mower, hunting for arrowheads at Lake Albert, mommy forcing uncle Colin to catch mice for her to keep as pets, the playground in Watertown, grandpa's motorcycle rides, library days at SDSU in Brookings, putting on outdoor plays for the grandparents, hide-and-seek in the old barn, riding on the tractor and combine with grandpa during the harvest season, grandma's mosquito net, horseback riding, grandpa - "the sea monster", deer watching at sunrise, grandpa's nightly story-telling  and grandma's comforting lullabies, the tide pools at Laguna beach, duck-feeding at the creek, trips to Knott's Berry Farm, Pismo beach outings, and the list goes on and on. We have so many great memories together and I miss them dearly, but I find happiness in knowing that Elise will someday share similar ones with her own grandparents.

Great-grandma with mommy as a toddler

Great-grandpa took mommy for her first horse back lesson!

  

Young mommy and uncle Colin at the farm

Driving the John Deere

  

Riding grandpa's motorcycle



Great-grandparents with mommy and daddy in 2003



Current verdict on Elise's features: Daddy vs. Mommy

Does Elise look more like Daddy...

Daddy at 4 months old

Elise at 4 months old

...or mommy? You decide!

 

Mommy at 4 months

 

Elise again at 4 months

So far, almost all our friends and family think Elise looks like her daddy. I can definitely see the resemblance especially when I compare their baby photos. However, I did recently discover something funny; Elise looks just like mommy when she cries. I compared a photo of Elise and I as babies, both crying, and we look exactly the same. It's practically uncanny. I’m sure as she gets older, I will see more of me in her. But as of now I will have to settle for her looking like me when she cries haha.

Elise Crying

Baby photo of mommy crying

Honestly though, I really think she is the perfect combination of the two of us. She is growing to be such an adorable little girl. She has daddy’s hair, eyes, eyebrows, ears and head shape and mommy’s nose, lips/mouth and a bit of her chubby cheeks (though mine were twice as chubby as hers). She is still very petite, which she must get from Clint as mommy was a very chubby baby! Her hair keeps getting lighter and lighter. The roots are a light blonde and the ends are darker. I can tell that eventually it will turn all blonde. Her eyes are a dark blue color. Everyone always comments on how pretty and blue her eyes are. I think it is hard to say if they will stay blue, but they are definitely much lighter than when she was born so you never know.

Daddy with baby girl

Mommy with baby girl