Woolsey Family Chronicles

Grandpa Mike and Violet June

Paul, Ava and Kei resting after a big party

On Saturday February 21st Ava was playing in the playroom and out of the blue she said to me "tomorrow is a very special day mom." I stopped what I was doing and said "yes it certainly is Ava." Ava was referring to her brother and sister's first birthday and birthday party which was happening the next day.

I woke up on the 22nd feeling very emotional. I am not normally very sappy about such events like birthdays but this one felt special. It has obviously been a very big year for our family and we have been busy and sleep deprived and all sorts of emotions that changed every day. I think what made me feel so emotional was that my babies, the last babies I will ever have, were turning one marking a transition from babyhood to toddlerhood. It has been a special year and I cannot say I would want to go back and do it over again, but I do not look back on it with anything but delight. I know I can say the same for Chris as well.

The party went really well. Almost every single person invited showed up to the party which meant so much to us. Chris made a very special video chronicling from IVF through the kids first year of life. It is so special to have and I really think the kids will love it when they get older. We made a copy of the DVD for all four of the kids memory boxes.

After the birthday party was the afterparty. Our old college friends Lesley and Willie and their kids were in California visiting from Belgium where they recently moved and they showed up around 4 in the afternoon. Our other college friends Nicola and Paul and their son were at the birthday party and stayed late with all of us and it was like old times for the six of us. We ordered Thai food and marveled at how our lives have changed after so many years. By the time Chris and I went to bed we were absolutely exhauted, but it had been a great day.

The babies are doing new things literally every single day. Violet is clapping and saying "ball" and really responding to what she hears. She is very alert and still laughs her loud vivacious laugh all day long and when she cries, the house practically shakes. Preston is walking behind everything and smiles all the time. He is such a good little boy. Elsa is standing for a little bit by herself and walking behind things. She plays really well by herself. Elsa sleeps in the guest room, or as Ava calls it, the guessing bedroom, because she is a disturber. When Elsa is sleeping in the nursery with Violet and Preston, nobody seems to sleep very well. The babies interact a lot with each other. Sometimes they love each other and play well together and other times they fight. Violet is very possessive of her time with me. If I am holding her and reading her a book and her brother or sister come to listen she yells and cries and throws a little mini-tantrum and tries to hit the intrusive baby. She will get over it because ---- newsflash Violet --- you are a triplet!

Until next time, the mothership is signing off.