First Birthday

On Friday morning, Eva flew back to her hometown to go to the bachelorette party of her close childhood friend, Babsi. I got to stay at home and play full time dad for a few days.

Unfortunately, it rained most of the time, so I had to get creative...activities included carving a pumpkin...
Going grocery shopping (Quinn loves to weigh the fruits and veggies)...and baking cookies...and going to the Fireman Festival. But, at the end of Saturday, Quinn was bouncing around like a caged lion...so I made him go outside in the rain and run until he was tired. Which he did for a few minutes.

Quinn posing with 'his' pumpkin. I let him pick out a design from the internet, and he, of course, picked one that was relatively difficult to carve. All in all things turned out well, but I was glad to see Eva come home last night.

Quinn also hit another milestone last week: he can start and stop all by himself on his bike now...

We also celebrated Emily's birthday today. Number 1. Hard to believe that our little baby is already one year old.

Emily totally loved her walker/doll carriage. She giggled like crazy using the thing.

Quinn really liked helping Emily unwrap the gifts...he'll probably get to help Emily at Christmas, and them I'm pretty sure she'll have it figured out.

Grandmom and Grandpop also sent Quinn a few more DVD's of his favorite Disney character: Handy Manny (Meister Manny).

Quinn reading Emily her new book (Thanks Grandmom and Grandpop!)

Emily getting her first sugar rush. I baked the 7-Up cake (my mom's recipe) that I loved as a child. Now I know why it tastes so good: you put a pound of butter in anything and it tastes good! Lots of nostalgia for me.

Emily absolutely loved her musical birthday card...Happy Birthday, Emily!

As with such milestones, things are bittersweet. Our little baby is a bit older now, and it is crazy to see how time flies. Both kids are getting their own personalities, and are becoming more independent in their own ways (Quinn wants to play more with the neighbor kids and Emily wants to feed herself). During those times when you are with them, they sometimes drive you crazy ... but you try to stop yourself from hoping the day to end soon, because you also know full well, that you will blink and they will be teenagers.

I'm not too sure if I'm the only one that has this struggle, but I know that I should spend more time cherishing the moments when Quinn is bouncing around like a molecule in excitement when I come home and less time stressing out when he is being too loud or when he doesn't listen.