FFF - Our Family of Three

I am finally letting myself get excited that we are about to become a family of four. WOW!!! For anyone wondering if it feels as amazing the 2nd time around - it does!!!

Of course, the beginning of our family of four means the end of our family of three and all endings leave me feeling a bit nostalgic. So I decided that on the eve of what is probably our last weekend together as a family of three, I would post my favorite pictures of the 3 of us.

Please Note: Most pictures of Andy taken in 2007 might lead you to believe the child never smiled. That would be false. Andy was a very happy baby, but for some reason was incapable of doing anything but stare blankly whenever the camera came out.

Andy's 2nd Day Home - July 2007

Our 1st family photo! When I look at this now, I can't believe how tiny Andy was...he couldn't crawl, roll over or even sit up by himself...now he can practically run as fast as I can (yes, I'm that bad of a runner). I also remember how excited/overwhelmed/happy/panicked I felt at the responsibility of being this little, helpless person's mother. There is definitely nothing as incredible as becoming a parent for the 1st time.
Andy's Baptism - Sept. 2007

Every time I think about Andy's Baptism, I start laughing. Here was this active, noisy 11 month old bouncing around in the pew, making faces at everyone sitting behind us and blowing spit bubbles at my Dad while all the other little babies were sleeping peacefully in their mother's arms. In his defense, the priest did give a really long homily :) On a serious note, this was a very important day to us. My sister's daughter Addy was Baptized on the same day and her parents are Andy's Godparents and we are Addy's. I remember thinking that if I never had another child, I knew Andy would grow up w/Addy and would never be lonely.
Andy's 1st Birthday - Oct. 2007

There was a time when Chris & I didn't think Andy would be home to celebrate his 1st birthday. At one point I was researching places you could order a birthday cake in Guatemala and figuring out how much time Chris & I could take off to visit him on his birthday. Having him home to celebrate w/family & friends was such a blessing. Oh, also this was my favorite outfit from Fall 2007 and its a size 12 month so my fingers are crossed that it will have a 2nd life w/Aidan.
Andy's 1st Time Sledding - Jan. 2008

When we bought our house 5 years ago, the 1st thing we noticed was that the small hill in our backyard would be perfect for sledding...and it is! We only took him once last year, mostly due to the fact that it took about a half hour to get him in snow gear and once his boots were on he would simply go limp and refuse to walk. Despite his displeasure w/the boot situation, once he got on that sled, he had the time of his life. My Dad had been dying to take Andy sledding and I honestly am not sure which one of them had the most fun that day. This year we are getting Andy & Aidan a double toddler sled and are hoping for lots of snowy weather.
Florida Vacation - Feb. 2008

We spent a long weekend in FL w/Chris's mom & her fiance and I swear Andy smiled like that the entire trip. He loved everything - the pool, the beach, having the undivided attention of 4 adults - it was a grea trip.
Moonlight Hayride - Nov 2008

I know I just posted this picture last week, so you already know how excited Andy was w/the tractor situation. Hard to believe this is our last family picture that won't have Aidan in it!

I know that was a long post - thanks for reminiscing w/me. My next post will either detail our travel plans or my growing anxiety regarding our lack of travel plans...either way, prepare yourselves for lots of exclamation marks and all caps.