I love first birthday photoshoots. The babies are so sweet and…baby-like to me at one, I just eat them up 
While it wasn’t easy to coordinate our schedules (seriously, Kim, do you ever stop going!?!), we finally were able to get together to shoot these fun pictures.
Kimberly is an insanely talented chef at Hungry Bee, and comes with a crazy work ethic and drive to succeed. I’m so happy I get to watch it all happen!
(that is one bad ass chef photo!)
(my favorite of the day!)
My thoughts about birthdays totally change when it comes to Finn. For me, I could not even do one single thing to celebrate my own birthday – same for Mike (ah. Sorry Mike!) It just feels like….another day. For Finn, I get this weird excitement + anticipation that I can’t even understand. I’m learning that we need to harness that energy into planning super special EVENTS to do instead of toys, cakes, etc. So this year his birthday was on a Friday – so we were lucky enough to call it a whole birthday weekend celebration. We spent time with family on Friday, had his CHOO CHOO party on Saturday, then Sunday took the day to do a few things we thought he’d really enjoy – the Easton Trolley + the Scioto Mile fountains.
Easton Trolley = mostly a bust! Could’ve been the anticipation of seeing it drive by, having to wait a while to get on, then a hot + sunny ride….or maybe it just wasn’t a train, so it wasn’t good enough.
The fountains = THE BEST!
He has a new found affinity for SPLISH SPLASH SPLOSHING in any sort of water he can find. And boy, did he here! I thought he might be a bit apprehensive with the other (bigger) kids running around + water getting in his face. But, he did great, and it was AWESOME! These pictures are the type of memories I want to remember him on special days.
He might as well be a teenager. All grown up. No more little baby!
…..
but really I can’t complain too much about it. We’re doing nothing but enjoying every second we have together – and our two years have definitely been filled with more sweetness than anything else.
Since I didn’t take my own advice and hire a photographer for his actual party, here’s how we celebrated on Finn’s actual birthday morning, then cake that evening.
Everyday I wonder how I got so lucky to be given such a sweet, loving little boy.
(we showed him the cake earlier in the day, before it was time to eat it, because I couldn’t wait!)
oh, our sweet little Finn is TWO!!!
I started my busy weekend taking this sweet little girl’s two year pictures. She did GREAT, we had lots of fun running around Innis Woods Metro Gardens, and her spunky little personality just came right through in the pictures!!
We were LOOOOONG overdue for a trip to a place that we used to live, and a place where we still have lots of friends and family: BOSTON! We just kept putting it off, and putting it off (those plane tickets! They’re so expensive, huh!?!). But, finally, we made it. We survived the waiting in the airport (actually, Finn was beyond thrilled to be in the airport – everything about it was exciting to him…particularly watching the planes, the moving walkways, and any sort of ramp he could find), survived the plane ride (Finn fell asleep as we taxied away from the gate going to Boston, then was a super-excited-goofy-boy for coming home. No issues with his ears, yay!), and did ok dealing with LOTSA driving, sometimes only car naps, and generally being off his routine. All the while getting some bottom molars in (AH! That explains why he didn’t eat much all week!). Overall, I’d call it a big huge success, and while he won’t remember this trip, hopefully he’ll enjoy the pictures we have from it, and we can at least talk about all the fun things we did! They included:
a new choo choo! (HANK, for those not in the know 
It He was Finn’s big souvenir, and Mike justified it by pointing out he was, in fact, Red Sox colors)
A duck boat tour! (which Finn fell asleep for, but Mike hadn’t ever done, so it was worth it!)
One not-so-successful trip to the beach:
Followed the next day by a happier one!
DATE NIGHT!
FRIENDS! and their sweet Teddy Bear:
And, finally, being “those parents” who bought him things he wanted while he was cranky to try to cheer him up. Lesson learned. He didn’t care one bit about the Balloon or treat we bought him once it was his.
But, he did make this pose for me. And this pose? I’ll take all day everyday!
We hope you have wonderful weekends, we know we will! We’re excited to celebrate a great birthday with our favorite Jagee-man!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!