Here is my last post for Naomi's birthday. For her actual birthday she really wanted chocolate cupcakes. We had so much fun making cupcakes and frosting together.

The girls were really excited to decorate their own cupcakes.  Since the recipe I found made 30 cupcakes, we brought some over to our neighbors, and somehow didn't have a problem gobbling the rest up!

I love how bashful Naomi was when we sang, "Happy Birthday."  It was just our family, which made it so sweet and intimate.

Thank you to everyone that sent gifts.  It really made Naomi feel so special and loved. It's really hard being away from loved ones on special days and Naomi really appreciated all of the extra attention she got.  I loved seeing her eyes light up every time a package was on our doorstep and she found out if was for her.

 Naomi Kate

Height: 3' 2'' (74%)

Weight: 31lbs 3.2oz (57%)

Clothing: 4t

My sweet Naomi turned 3 on the 26th.  She is an absolute joy.  Naomi LOVES her sister and brother and will do anything to make them happy even if it means sharing something this is really special to her or giving them something that was hers.

Naomi has been in gymnastics for several months and does such a great job listening and following directions.  Her coach always comes and tells me what a great job she does. 

Even though she is thriving in gymnastics, she is my little ballerina.  Since you have to be 3 to be in ballet (at the studio by our house) she wasn't able to join this spring but we will definitely sign her up in the fall. Naomi puts on several performances a day. She always has pointed toes and beautiful spins.  

Naomi likes to be fancy. It doesn't matter if we're going to church, the park, or Costco, her outfit of choice is a fancy dress. 

Naomi still loves her blanket and sleeps with it every night. Zebras are still her favorite animal and her favorite color seems to change frequently. Naomi still loves to read books and will sit on the couch and read stack and stacks of books multiple times a day.  

She is a picky eater who would live off of yogurt, strawberries, and mac & cheese if we let her.  She does great sharing with her siblings but has a hard time sharing in public.  

I love this little lady so much. 

Happy 3rd Birthday Miss Kate!!! 

Maxwell Theodore

Weight: 18lbs 3.5oz (63%)

Height: 2' 2.75'' (52.3%)

Head circumference: 17.32" (69%)

Diapers: size 3 (but will be in size 4 soon)

Clothes: 9-12 months

Food: breast milk, sweet potatoes, peas, and banana

Maxwell is such a sweet, easy going, happy little guy.  He really loves life and especially loves attention from his sisters, mommy, and daddy.

He's quite social too.  Max makes eye contact with people as they walk in the room and waits for them to acknowledge him.  Once they do, he flashes the biggest grin.

Maxwell is still quite wobbly when sitting up and prefers to be on his stomach or back so we can roll around.  He can get almost anywhere he wants by doing barrel rolls around the house.  Even though he can't crawl, he's pretty mobile.

He is a curious little guy and will grab at anything that's within his reach.

When taking these pictures he was fascinated with the grass and kept pulling it out and trying to eat it.

Maxwell is good at taking naps but is waking up several times a night.  I've been quite tired lately but trying to enjoy all of the snuggles because I know they won't happen forever.

 It makes me sad that my family and friends in MN (besides the grandmas) haven't met him yet.  And, that my friends in CO haven't got to see him since he was first born.  I just want everyone to experience his cuteness.

Maxwell is such a joyful little guy, I am so proud to be his mommy.

I am so thankful that God trusted Joe and I to raise another baby.  He is truly a gift, which is why we chose his middle name, Theodore: gift from God.

Happy 6 months sweet boy!! We all love you so much and have thoroughly enjoyed having you around the past 6 months.  

Just for fun, here are Mia and Naomi's 6 month posts:

Mia

Naomi

On Sunday we went on a mini getaway to Great Wolf Lodge.  We wanted to do something special for Naomi's birthday so we thought having some family time would be perfect.  Her birthday isn't until the 26th but it was a lot cheaper to go the weekend before Memorial Weekend and I'm all about getting the best deal.

We had a fun time but were glad we only stayed one night.  The girls were a little young/not quite ready to fully utilize the water park but still enjoyed just splashing around.

The arcade was a big hit.  For $10 the girls and daddy played several games and got quite a bit of tickets.  While they were playing, I decorated our hotel room with streamers and balloons to surprise Naomi after dinner.

All the kids got wolf ears when checking into the hotel.  Naomi also go her face painted to look like a wolf...so cute!

We were planning on just bringing the present from us but since we received packages from Great Grandma and Grandpa Esteb and the Goetze family early, we brought those too!  It was fun for Naomi to have some presents to open and really feel special.  

This whole move has been really hard on Naomi.  Plus, this has been a hard year since Mia is involved in things that she's not quite old enough for.  Turning 3 will open up a lot of doors so she can be included in the same activities.

The hotel had a story time before bed that was really cute and the girls really enjoyed.

Our friends from Colorado sent a package with a bunch of art work for the girls.  We brought it with to open at the hotel and Naomi wanted to put their picture on the refrigerator.  : )

Max's first time swimming!

Being that we don't currently have tv at home, the girls were so excited to watch PBS after swimming!

Traveling with kiddos is exhausting but so fun to make special memories as a family.