Happy Birthday Babies!!!

Exactly one year ago our lives were triply blessed with the birth of our amazing miracles! The past year has flown by – and now that we are at this point in time (happy and healthy) I would love to go back and slow time down! I feel like I tried to take it all in, but find myself looking at pictures trying to place myself there. Thank goodness for photos and video! It seems like a lifetime ago!
I truly think I am one of the luckiest people in the world!

We started here:
Ellery
Gianna

Easton

Just looking at those frail bodies, makes me tear up! What strength they have shown over the past year! We have been blessed by God!

Here is a little snapshot of where we are now:

Gianna
Gianna is so sweet! She is very serious, and a hard nut to crack. Gianna has the most stranger anxiety. She watches people and takes a very long time to warm up, but once she does she is all smiles and very lovely dovey. She is good at self-entertaining, often playing with a pile of toys all on her. She is usually pretty at ease watching Ellery and Easton, but… when she does have an opinion about something, watch out! She will let you know! Gianna loves to watch Quin. When Quin sings and dances, Gianna tenses up with excitement and is all smiles.

Ellery

Intense, persistent and determined are the best three words to describe Ellery! She is the most interactive of the three babies. I am guessing that she will be the most outgoing of the three. She is a little busy body. She has figured out how to crawl using her arms, and one leg – she can get around pretty well. It is only a matter of time before she figures out how to coordinate both legs. She hates the fact that Easton can get places before her. Until very recently, she has been known as the toy bully. Gianna and Easton are slowly getting better at sticking up for themselves, but Ellery still has the alpha baby thing going on. Ellery is super smiley and gorgeous! She draws people in immediately!

Easton

(Side note: Easton hated the birthday hat - I tried many times. Then, within a few minutes he would crawl away and play. Stinker!)

Easton definitely has fallen into the youngest/baby boy category! Could he get any cuter?!?! He is very laid back and goes with the flow. He is usually very patient, but does know how to get his way when he wants. He is super fast at crawling and starting to pull himself up to his knees to see things and to play. Easton seems to get along equally well with all three girls. They all like to smile at him, because undoubtedly he will give them a huge smile back!

Overall, it has been neat to see how they each are developing differently. I have to remind myself often to take them for who they are, as individuals, and not to compare them. The girls both have much better fine motor skills, and Easton has much more precise large motor skills (how stereotypical!).

Jason and I have laughed about what our lives are going to be like in 15 years! When we think ahead to what cars all four children are going to want (want, not get, because they will all be carpooling together in a beater!). Quin is going to be our rugged Jeep Wrangler type of girl. We can so see Ellery in a cute little sleek VW Bug with a large fresh flower on the dash. Gianna is going to want to hang out at home with us, so she won’t need a car, and Easton is going to be happy to either hitch a ride or to drive whatever it is that he can have. It will be fun to see what they really end up driving :)

I look forward to many more birthdays!!! To find out how they each change and grow into little people, how they grow as siblings and individuals, and how we can grow even closer as a family.

Thank you again to all of you for helping support us over the past year!!!