happy 1st birthday calla!

it's hard to think a year ago today we welcomed calla elizabeth johnson into the world.

brand new

5 lbs, 2 oz - 17.5 inches long

calla decided she likes sunbathing at an early age

she was so little...and we went two weeks without her being home with us. it's now hard to imagine going a day. it's been interesting over the year the times we have mourned those weeks we lost. even just going through pictures to post flooded me with emotions & put me right back in evanston northwestern a year ago. being a premie isn't something that defines calla, but it will always be a part of who she is. as many new parents know when you have children, you start talking with other parents about when your children were born (early/late), labor, parenting tips, etc. with calla's story, there is always the fact that she was over 6 weeks early. it's just a part of her story. but as her parents it was painful to visit her every day & not take her home. i can remember just sitting at the hospital, holding her & crying because i knew at the end of my visit i was going to put her back into a box...and when would she be held again? who was going to just love and cuddle her? all i thought about was that if she was home we could just hold her all day long if we wanted to. i remember people saying, "just be thankful you are sleeping"...let me tell you, i would rather have been up all night long and have her home. but i also knew that the longer she stayed in the hospital, the healthier she got & the less likely she would need to return to the hospital. and she is healthy...and happy. so while the two weeks were what she needed, it will always be remembered as a tender time.


and calla today, on her 1st birthday:

taking her first sips of real, whole milk

she likes it!

the birthday bib (greta wore this one too...what will we do if we ever have a boy?)

getting her birthday cupcake


diving in! i think babies eating messy cake and frosting is one of my favorite things. i love watching them discover the texture, mashing it around in their fingers, spreading it all over their faces. it's too fun.

happy birthday calla...we love you!

sometimes i can't help myself

i just think these girls are so stinking cute. it's not so much that they are cute outwardly. it's greta making train tickets to new hampshire out of toilet paper and asking me if i'm the conductor (which doesn't sound much at all like conductor, but we know what she means). and calla learning how to blow kisses (which really she is slapping her hand on her open mouth, but i know what she is doing) and waving hello anytime she hears someone say the word hello. these girls kill me. and watching them start to play together more, i love it. sometimes i can't help but just start to smile & giggle because they are who they are. different from each other, yet each so great. i know i already posted similar versions of these pictures, but they are too cute not to share...and if for no one else, then for me to enjoy looking at them & getting a good smile.

greta- age 3


calla- almost 1

life around these parts

i think probably the best thing so far about living out west is the weather we have had these past few weeks. we have heard (what we now consider) horror stories of the snow and COLD in the midwest & east coast. not to rub it in (though i am), but we have had an amazing early spring. think clear blue skies (and lots of stars at night), sunshine, high 50s-low 60s, windows down, going for hikes, not needing a coat (common words from greta these days when i ask her to put her coat on- "no thanks mom, i'm fine, i don't need one" and she's right!) kind of weather- it's fabulous! what is also fabulous is a little girl turning 3, a trip to seattle & a baby girl who is SO close to walking we could spend all day just watching her. although life is crazy a lot of the time, we do have it good.

greta in all her birthday glory

calla enjoying herself at greta's party

greta sporting her new birthday outfit (she has the matching outfit for bitty baby- kinda sickening!)

if you love seattle, you will love this picture...it's glorious!

calla loved the swings...even with her arms tucked in!

the older girls!

the younger girls (nice nose picking greta)

it's hard to get a good picture of 4 kids, ages 5 and under, so i decided to throw in the worst one! :)