The end of birthday season for 2013

Nemo turns 3 years old

This spirited child thoroughly enjoyed the birthday season and turned three with plenty of cake! She is convinced that everyday is someone's birthday and that there should always be cake. 

Birthday kitchen

For Nemo's 2nd birthday MSD and I dreamed up a play kitchen. We weren't thrilled by the mostly plastic options out there. They are fine but usually pretty big for our small house and this kitchen lives in our living room so I wanted to like looking at it. Thus we turned to Ana White, the amazing builder! She has easy plans for a play kitchen and I emphasize EASY since MSD and I are totally inept when it comes to building things. We have way to many educational degrees between the two of us to be any good with wood projects! But we had fun and we both really like it. 

I was determined after I saw the plans to make a kitchen for Nemo and eventually Simba to share as well. And this is what we came up with. We are pretty happy with it, though it's far from perfect and not even close to square!

Kitchen built by MSD and myself, food from Melissa and Doug and Ikea

A real faucet and a dog bowl as a sink

We made the oven door open to the side because it seemed easier to play with.

musings on birthdays and milestones...

Nemo's first day in the world...

On November 9, 2011 I turned 30 and Nemo turned 1.

I have been amazed that in the last two weeks Nemo went from a crawler who could pull up on furniture and then maybe take a few shaky steps before falling on her bottom, to a person who can stand up on her own and RUN down the hallway. It's sort of unbelievable. And yet it is so typical, so everyday and so expected. It's only when I pause to think of her as a tiny baby, who really lets be honest was a blob, compared to this person who now stands in front of me jabbering away and indicating what she wants and needs. It's amazing to see.

Ahhhh the first birthday cake!

About two weeks ago she was still barely walking on her own, mostly stumbling around only to plummet face first into the ground. She has a few battle scars to show off from her attempts at walking. Now she will immediately get up, move to her feet and take off in whatever direction she desires. She's got an attitude as well that comes out when she is blocked by a closed door or gate. I'll walk into the kitchen closing the baby gate behind me only to hear about 30 seconds later, Yaaaaaahhhhhh! emanating from her.


She is also getting sneaky! One of her favorite things to do is come into the kitchen and open a drawer that contains Ziplock bags. She will race into the room, open the drawer and grab a gallon size bag and then turn around and begin toddling away. She seems to figure that if she moves quick she might be able to hold onto that bag. It's so cute that you have to try hard not to laugh. Instead we reprimand her and remind her that the Ziplocs aren't part of her toy collection. Then I make a mental note AGAIN to get some safety locks for the kitchen drawers. Nemo knows when there are things she is not supposed to touch and she goes right for them, sneaky baby.

"You all have been holding back!"

Turning 1 seems to be agreeing with Nemo. I think turning 30 is agreeing with me too. So far I've noticed that I have to remind myself that I am not still in my 20s. Other than that I think I've begun to feel the transition of myself moving from one stage of life into another. But I'm not completely sure if that is due to my turning 30 or becoming a mother, perhaps it's a strange combination of both happening together. Either way it has provided me with a new lens with which to view my next stage in life. I'm enjoying it so far!

1 year old and 30 years old