The Kleins: December 4, 2013 - Happy 2nd Birthday, babies!

Sorry about getting this post up late. The kiddos turned 2 last week on December 4th. Wow, amazing that two years has already gone by! I can still remember seeing the babies for the first time in the hospital and thinking about how small they were. Now, two years later, they are vibrant, exuberant and so full of energy! Seth and I remind ourselves all the time about how truly blessed we are. Even on our busiest, craziest, most chaotic days, we try to remind ourselves about how lucky we are to have three healthy kids.

This year I didn't plan a big birthday extravaganza like last year. I really wanted to do something simple and intimate to celebrate the 2 year milestone, which is exactly what we did. Unfortunately, Seth was in San Francisco for work since their birthday landed on a Wednesday this year. We got our first snow fall in Reno on their birthday so we weren't able to go outside, but I still tried to make the day special for the kids by giving them each a small present (light up animal pillows to sleep with) and I made them their favorite dinner (macaroni & cheese with turkey). Seth and I still want to have a belated mini celebration at some point this month and have the kids blow out candles and have official birthday cake and ice cream when G.G., big brother Isaac and the rest of the SF family come out later this month. :)

This year I want to write a few lines for each child so that one day when they look back at this blog, I hope they know how truly special they are and how much they mean to us.
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Dearest Madeline,

Mama and Dada can't believe how big you've gotten! You are still the tallest and biggest of your siblings. What a good girl you are, too! You are still the best eater and you sure can sleep with the best of them (must be from the Collier side of the family). One of your cutest recent habits is how you respond to most things with a simple, matter-of-fact "no" - you don't get upset or scream. You just simply tell us "no" when you don't want something done (diaper change, teeth brushed, put pj's on, etc). You are such a daddy's girl, too. In fact, if dad leaves your side for a second to use the restroom, you follow after him and say, "dada, dada." One of your latest obsessions is balloons. You prefer to go to sleep with them and dad and I have to sneak in and take them out of your hands when you're asleep. Your purple blanket is sure to be near you at all times and mom has to sneak it away just so it can be washed occasionally. We'll never forget the time you cried and didn't want to part with your blanket before a bath, so Dad, not knowing what to do, let you take your blanket into the bath tub. The smile you had then could light up this world! You sure are the sweetest, most easy going, and mellow child of all and we love you so very much! We can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with you, big girl! We love you!

Love,

Mom & Dad

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Dearest Caleb,

Oh, Caleb, you are such a silly little guy! You crack up laughing at least once a day and your smile is the most infectious thing ever! You love to be tickled and you get the biggest thrill out of being chased around the house when we pretend we're going to "get you." Your latest obsession is "ccaaarrrs," trains, and trucks. It's the sweetest thing ever to see you laying on the floor rolling your cars along side of you. Right now, you make a "choo choo" sound regardless of if you're playing with a train, car, bus or truck and it sure does melt our hearts! You love to look at pictures and point out the sun, stars, butterflies, and you're starting to get the hang of colors. Every morning you get your turquoise colored cup off the counter and point to the top shelf of the pantry and say, "cceerreeal." Dad and I always smile at how wonderful you are when we go on trips. You adjust so well to being in new locations and you're not the least bit shy when it comes to strangers. You make us crack up when you don't want something and you shake your right arm back and forth in opposition to whatever it is your don't want. It's the funniest thing ever! Caleb, thank you for making our lives about a thousand times more enjoyable. You bring so much delight into our lives and we cherish you so much because of this. We can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with you. We love you!

Love,

Mom & Dad

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Dearest Mischa,

Our sweet, sweet, Mischa. Where do we start? You have amazed us so much! Mama and Dada remember every day how concerned the doctors were about you when you were still in mom's stomach. You didn't grow as big as your brother and sister and you didn't move as much as them either. Wow, and look at you now! You are such a special, bright and lovable child! We are truly amazed at how much you have learned this past year. You know how to count to 10 on most days and you know your colors and shapes like no one's business! You're able to repeat almost anything we say to you and your pronunciation of certain words amazes us beyond belief! Although you don't like for your toys to be taken away, you are so kindhearted and often share your toys and snacks with others. Right now you're obsessed with watching educational shows on the iPad and you like to repeat the words you hear on the shows. You're just like mom in the fact that you love to eat snacks. We often find you feeding your brother and sister and it's so adorable to see you sharing with them. Sometimes when you are extra excited, you walk on your tippy toes and Dad and I know you're happy. We find you doing that quite often and nothing brings us more joy than knowing you're are happy. Thank you for teaching us to have faith and hope and to keep believing when things aren't always going well. We can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with you. We love you, baby girl!

Love,

Mom & Dad