It's My Birthday Too, Yeah

Have I mentioned that Chris and I have birthdays exactly a week apart?

And that Chris totally won the who-can-make-the-other-person's-birthday-cooler contest this year?

In celebration of my having survived 30 years, Chris threw me a Survivor birthday party. (Side Note: If you don't watch Survivor and look down your nose at those who do, I pity you. You are missing some fabulous television. Go watch it. And while you are at it, watch Community and Friday Night Lights, too.)

It was awesome. AWESOME. Chris, aka Jeff Probst, planned it. Frank and Kara did the decorations. Erin did the food. I was surrounded by people I love.

Pictures below. The ones that actually look good were taken by my awesome friend, Marne.







(Yes, that is Kara in the bottom picture.)








And the wonderful people that made it happen:

They Say it's Your Birthday

Last year on Chris's birthday, I woke up, couldn't breathe, and wound up in the hospital with pneumonia. This year Harper gamely kept the streak going and came down with RSV.

So this was Chris's birthday cake:



That picture was taken before we'd even eaten a bite. After a day of doctors, nebulizers, and one sad baby, I ran over to Magnolias and got whatever they had left at about 7 p.m. That was what they had left. After a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday, Chris blew out a match. Sad, huh?

Fortunately, the day before, Kara and Frank babysat our boy and sick girl and Chris and I went on a tour of the city's independent bookstores. Our favorite was this one:


It was our favorite because notes like these were all over the shelves:


Chris got a couple of great books, we got some sushi at Nobu Nextdoor, and we got a break from our children. So, all in all, the birthday wasn't a total loss.


Here's to a better one next year, babe.

Harper Kate - 7 Months

This has been an eventful month for Harper. She learned to sit. She swallowed her first few bites of solid food (more on that in a later post). And she survived RSV + Ear Infection + Diarrhea + Horrible Diaper Rash (well, we are still working on the diarrhea -- but she has survived it thus far.)

And she is still a ridiculously happy baby.

Her favorite activities include sitting, smiling, and pulling on people's hair. Her favorite person is, of course, Elliot.

Her least favorite activity these days: diaper changes. Might be related to the diarrhea/diaper rash.

(Note: Between Elliot's two years of troubles and Harper's recent foray into the area, I feel like the world expert on diarrhea. I can describe consistency and color succinctly and accurately. I can gauge the water content. And I can clean it up faster than anyone around. Maybe I'll use this at the next Relief Society activity that requires me to share a "unique fact about myself.")

St. Patrick's Day Parade

New York welcomed us back with beautiful weather and a parade. That's right. All those bag pipes and marching police officers were totally for us.

We watched the parade for about an hour and then asked someone standing near us if it was almost over. She laughed. We learned later that the parade was still going at 4:30 p.m. We left a little before noon.