Birthday Celebrations

We were thrilled to have my family come visit over their Spring Break. My mom, my sister and her three kids spent Tuesday, March 15 through Sunday with us (via the nearby Comfort Inn) and my dad also popped in for the weekend on Friday. We celebrated big time for Jacob's birthday at, where else? Disneyland! It's all we do around here.

Note: My dear mother was here every step, doing my dishes, helping with the kids, she was like a Cinderella/Godmother all in one. And I don't have a picture!! My blogging skills are clearly off-game. We love you so much, mom. In absence of a glamorous photo showcasing all your wonderful qualities, please accept this contrite, but very honorable mention.

Sweet little Evie had her 5th birthday March 4th, so first thing we had to open her present!

I debated a long time over which of the very few yellow dresses I could find might be just right for Miss Eve. This one has ruffles, sparkles, and a decorative flower. Can't get much more girly frill than that! It can use a bit more growing into . . .

but she doesn't appear to mind playing "Belle" in the meantime. I mean, what else do you do at the happiest place on earth if not act like a princess?

Iris got her big wish right when we stepped through the gate: seeing "Ickey Mouse!!"

Happy birthday babe! It was so awesome to get to celebrate the special day with my sweetheart, and he was so sweet to celebrate with all of us. I had the day off work and ended up with a bonus day off work the next day, too. It was so great to spend so much time with my favorite people.

Everybody loved the Dumbo ride. No height or expectant-mother restrictions--just pure fun!

We "bounced back" on Saturday to California Adventure, where my sister had NEVER BEEN! I couldn't believe it for all the times the rest of us have. We had a lot of fun watching her reaction on "Soaring over California." She was leaning over the bar to further give herself the sensation of flying and I'm pretty sure there was one or several "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"s along the way as well. She is so fun-loving, it's always fun to be around her.


Evie got her face painted as an adorable feline. We all decided her finicky ways are very much like a kitty cat princess, which became her affectionate nickname on the trip.

Papa took Iris on the carousel while the big kids rode California Screamin'. He is such a good grandpa. He just loves on those kids so much, always commenting on all the adorable things they do. My dad often talks about how his father (who passed away before my sister and I were born) used to LOVE to spoil his grandkids. I think my dad must take after him.

We took advantage of some of the rides we've never been on. This ride doesn't even leave the ground, and it's still too rough for the preggos! But I loved having the best seat in the house to watch everyone's faces. Jacob usually makes a face much like this one whenever I take a picture, so there are usually at least two--one where he makes a some variation of a goofy face and one that follows my scolding for not giving me a smile, in which, like a good husband, he lovingly obliges.

And eventhough we were so sad to see them go, they left happy little traces for our enjoyment.

So many beautiful works of art to adorn our fridge, some for us and some for Baby Moffat. What sweet cousins!!

A collection of leaves from nearly each and every one of our exciting destinations, courtesy of Eve. I think it's so sweet that even very young children want to give to those they love, and of course they give what they can afford: leaves!!

More chic and sophisticated sketchings . . .


or perhaps I should call it a mural.

Isn't it awesome?! This killed me! I can just picture little Eve using this room for the usual business and thinking, I want to draw a picture, and then doing it . . . on the wall. I know she's learning that we "only draw on paper," but this was in harmless pencil and it makes me smile every time I see it. That's right, folks, it's still there in all its lead-laced glory.


Library books from story time. Iris' little name is Olivia and so of course she loves the Olivia books. The other two books were featured in the story time. By the way, I love libraries. They are the best idea ever. I love that people can educate themselves on any subject they desire and it's all FREE!

Each one of the kids got a button like this because we were all celebrating with Uncle Jake for his birthday. And speaking more about his birthday . . .

At any given moment I have a long list of items on my life's wishlist. But Jacob is my little contented hero: all he wanted for his birthday was to be sung to and to have some carrot cake. (But OF COURSE we also did the traditional green pancake breakfast with our guests before the trip to Disneyland, that doesn't even need requesting.)

Well, come Saturday night I had all the ingredients to make the cake from scratch (because by golly if that's all he wanted, I was gonna get him the best darn carrot cake there was, and to me, the ultimate is homemade because there's extra love in it,) I had all the ingredients, except the carrots! It was 10 PM, we had just spent a 10-hour day at California Adventure, and the family was coming over for breakfast early the next morning before leaving town. Jacob was so sweet and told me not to worry about it, but I tell you I wasn't gonna have it! There was no guarantee this to-be-made cake was gonna be worth the effort (seeing as this was only my second-ever cake from scratch, and certainly the first carrot cake,) but my baby asked for one thing and one thing only for his birthday and I was gonna make it happen or die trying! And amazingly, I still got to bed at 1 AM or so and the cake turned out beautifully!


I used the same frosting as for the red velvet cake (minus the coconut, plus crushed walnuts, per my honey's request) and I have to say it was a pretty fantastic cake. I am by no means endeavoring to toot my own horn here because all I ever do is follow a recipe--but that frosting was to die for and the cake was so moist and delicious, I don't know if I'll ever do store bought again.

But that's beside the point, what really matters is what the birthday boy thought . . .
(Picture 1: goofy face)

(And picture 2: Mr. Handsome)

He gave it two thumbs up! He told me he wants me to make the exact same cake for him next year and I'm thrilled! I love to have special things to do for him that he really loves because like I say, he's very low maintenance even though he's always bending over backward for me. I am oh-so happy to add this carrot cake to the list. I'd give him the world if I could.

We celebrated that Sunday at his Aunt Merry Ann's, where we go for dinner almost every Sunday night. We love going up to visit them. We have so much fun with their family and friends.


Ah, does that finally take us to the present? Whew!

Well, can't have such an extensive post without a few more belly pictures, then! This one is from last week when it was winter outside. (It was in the high 90s today.)

And this one is from Monday, March 28th, three months exactly from my due date. I can't believe it's so soon and so far!

I know that things can change in a moment during pregnancy, and post-partum can be rough, so while I'm feeling this way, I really feel I have to express my thanks and document how much I have loved being pregnant these last few months. I have felt great, really happy and healthy, and I love each little movement I feel from this sweet one. At my appointment on Friday I could hear him hiccupping on the doppler thing and I have since learned and felt the sensation several times. Jacob has held his ear up to my belly and actually heard the heartbeat and hiccups a few times, which we read he could be able to do as of this week. It's still so surreal to me that I'm actually having a child, that he's Jacob's and mine. It's such a miracle.

It's been nice to reflect on all the fun we've had with birthdays and my family and such over the last few weeks. This nesting thing has really hit me hard and I've been so anxious to get things ready for our little guy before we're actually able. I LOVE our little apartment, but it's not ideal for housing a permanent third member, HOWEVER, it's also not time for us to move yet and won't be for a couple of months if we do. It's been nice to spend some time writing tonight and just appreciate where we are RIGHT NOW and know that everything will work out. We have a place of our own and so many beautiful things in it. I have lived without those luxuries and I certainly don't mean to take them for granted. I have so very much to be thankful for in addition to anticipating the arrival of our bundle, not to mention all the wonderful, welcoming family on either side who are constantly expressing their excitement and even throwing parties to celebrate his coming. We are very, very blessed indeed.