As they grow older, I find myself forgetting to get this or that on video or in a photo. It’s one part good parenting because I’m involved and one part selfish parenting because I don’t want to step behind a camera and miss out on the fun even though I know I’ll love the evidence.
Tonight, I took the best of both worlds and asked Rob to record a particularly giggly Toby. We were rewarded with a bonus Eleanor giggle at the end.
Man, I love these kids!
In lieu of using duct tape to secure triplet hineys in place, I’m embracing the fleeing-subject look 99.9999999 percent of my photos embody.
Merry Everything, and look out! Toby’s gonna get you!
Callista, Eleanor, Tobias
Like Buddy the Elf says, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
Because I’m on the nice list, I’m not sharing a single sour note from my repertoire.
You can thank me later. You’ll first want to thank me for sharing with you Wedding Day Rain‘s “Rapt in Bows,” the EP my friend Kelsey and her husband, Daron, just released.
Wedding Day Rain is currently offering free downloads of four gorgeous Christmas tunes (“Joy to the Silent Night,” “O Holy Night,” “The First Noel,” and “What Child Is This”), and for a short time before the contest closes, you can enter to win the CD.
Hurry! Enter the contest! Download their music! And make sure to follow them on Facebook, because I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more amazing things from Kelsey and Daron.
We’ve been calling predictions for weeks now as Toby, Eleanor and Callista have been standing on their own, bravely taking one or two wobbly steps before falling. Eleanor had the best balance, but she’s been hesitant about trying. Toby has had the shakiest balance, but homeboy lunges toward people and toys, ending in a semi-cartwheel and an often-bonked head. Callista prefers to step once or twice then fall into a lap.
This weekend, though, Eleanor got distracted with a toy and had no clue she was up on her feet, moving across the floor. She covered about 5 feet before she realized her mistake.
Since then, there’s no stopping her.
She’ll be 13 months old in three days. Her corrected age is an amazing 10 months old.
These babies of mine. I just love them to pieces.
Now, who’s next?
I had my camera nearby and even grabbed for it once, but I decided to keep my hands and eyes free and present, ready to enjoy my babies’ first birthday party and not worrying about the right angle, light, focus, expression – you know the photo-shooting drill.
I’m still waffling between satisfaction and regret in my decision, but what’s important is that I enjoyed myself, and I was there. You know?
I’m also lucky to have friends who snapped some detail shots from the day, and I wanted to share some of those.
The cake:
The cake was perfect. P-E-R-F-E-C-T. From the fun design (three elephants, two with pink hair bows and one with a blue bow tie – each carrying a balloon reading E, T or C) to the OMG-delicious-can-I-please-have-more cake (red velvet and pumpkin spice, both with cream cheese frosting), I couldn’t have asked for more from Lori at The Sweet Life. Local folks, Lori is who you want to hire for your next cake. Her prices are reasonable, and the quality can’t be beat. Plus, Lori’s one of our favorite NICU nurses from that past life, so you know she comes with a personal recommendation as well!
The cake, part 2:
Toby’s egg allergy seriously limits what baked goods he can eat, and to avoid poor T having a different treat than his sisters (or vice versa), I found an egg- (also dairy-) free banana bread recipe that I dropped into cupcake liners instead of loaf pans. It was more dense and less easy to rip into than traditional cupcakes, but no one had allergic reactions, and everyone dug in, so I’ll call it a win.
(The little elephant felties I stuck in the babies’ cupcakes are what decorated the cake at my baby (babies?) shower last year. Awww!)
The decor:
Rob patiently filled 100 brightly colored balloons with helium the morning of the party. We had no real plan of attack and ended up dispersing them through the house with the help of a special, 4-year-old assistant named Ben. We left a ton floating above the food spread with ribbon tails dangling down to entice the toddlers running amok.
One gift, from Emilee herself of Emilee Beth Photography, served as a surprise welcome piece as guests entered the front door. The print is one she shot, and the frame is a gorgeous Organic Bloom frame. It looks pretty rad here, but I swear it’s even cooler in person. It’s a perfect piece that will grow with us over the years!
