Another Birthday...Another Family Photo

Normally I don't put up too much about our family on my blog, but in this case...just can't help it. ;-) Ella recently had her 5th birthday and although I don't do too much for birthdays, this year I decided to go allllll out for the little one (photos coming soon!). She's been on the earth for 5 years now and there are a lot of milestones to be celebrated, and mourned, in honor of these years. Five years. Wow. WOW! It seems like yesterday that we realized I was pregnant, jumping up and down with the surprising news (we went to Italy for a vacation and brought back a souvenir we weren't expecting....must have been something in the wine ;-)) And now that she is 5 she is no longer our little baby. :( She is no longer an energetic toddler. :( Any damage we do to her from this point forward will be remembered by her. Bummer. "They" say the first 5 years is when you have the most amount of influence on absolutely everything in her world. Now the influences will start to come from friends, foes, teachers and well...everything and everyone. Scary. As much as I will miss the feel of the teeny baby in my arms and the toddler that I could swear someone fed chocolate and a Red Bull behind my back, I'm really looking forward to the girl that will "ohhh" and "awww" with me over a pair of Italian pumps, watch old movies and cry along side me, look forward to school shopping as much as I do and beg me to take her to get her nails done. ;-) Oh we'll still dive into chocolate ice cream cones together and play with baby dolls, play a great round of Chutes and Ladders, and I will still get all misty and sloppy when I see her give her daddy a mugga mugga (that's what you call it when you rub your noses together). I guess the point is no matter what comes next I welcome it with eyes wide open. She'll always be my little girl. Next up: kindergarten, best friends, sleepovers and maybe even an addiction to the Jonas Brothers (good Lord I hope not).

A special Thank You to our good friend Annie O'Neill for taking the time to document us for another year. :)

That's my girl. :)