Wordless Wednesday | Christmas and Birthday Photos

December 27th

One year ago today, December 27th 2009 at 4:19pm, I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl I've ever seen.

Roweyn Ashley Renee Leppek

Born at: 4:19pm

5lbs 4oz

19.5in

She has grown so much! One year later, December 27th 2010.

On her 1 year Birthday:
15lbs 4oz
27in

Happy First Birthday Roweyn!

Roweyn,


I can't believe this day has finally come! Today my darling girl, you turn One! One! I'm still trying to process this!

I have watched you grow from a teeny tiny, itsy bitsy baby into a little toddler. Turbo crawling everywhere and taking steps every time I turn around. Climbing up stairs and even dancing! With four teeth, two molars and two more on their way! You grab a pen you already know to put it to paper and draw! You are talking so well already, repeating words and sentences I didn't imagine you saying for quite a while. Growing bigger and bigger every single day! Amazing me every time you do something new!


Not only have you grown, I have also grown. Becoming a Mom I have only envisioned until this past year. Every day you teach me something new, and even when I think I can't love you anymore than I already do, every day my love for you grows stronger. You are my life, and I can't imagine anything differently. I don't want  to imagine anything differently. I'm so incredibly lucky to have you as my daughter and so proud to be your Mama! I can't go anywhere without being stopped by someone who wants to tell me how darling you are. And I can't help but smile and say "She sure is"!

Every night I treasure the time we sit and rock together till you fall asleep. Watching your eyes slowly close while you wrap your hand around my finger. I sit back and think about how small you used to be in my arms, how big you've gotten and how someday you'll no longer fit here.


It has been a year like no other but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world! I'm so excited for our next year together! Watching you grow as a toddler, walking and talking, and seeing your personality shine even brighter than it already does! You are an amazing little girl!


I love you so much!


Love,
Your Mama

Santa Baby | Take Two

Saturday the 11th we got to go see Santa again. This time it was at our friends boutiques and my work. P.Pants Cloth Diapers and Penny Lane. My Mom was able to come and we brought my sister in hopes that we could get a picture of Roweyn and her since we had missed it last time.. Sadly for us it did not go well at all. Way worse than the first time. :(


Check out the sad yet hilarious photos.

What are you lookin at old man?

The Dreaded Christmas Birthday Combo Gift

Roweyn turns One two days after Christmas. So not only is it her First Christmas, it's her First Birthday as well. Which means a wishlist for both! (Wishlist to come in another post)


While pregnant I dreaded the thought of my baby being born anywhere near Christmas. I hoped so badly that she would be born sometime after New Years. But it didn't happen. I've accepted the fact Roweyn's Birthday is two days after Christmas, as much as I didn't want it to be, I know that I need to be okay with it so that she will be too. But....


I think it's horrible when people do a combo gift when a birthday is so close to Christmas. I tell people, "Well even though your birthday is in June I'm just going to give you a Christmas/Birthday Combo gift since that's what you did for my child and we can see how much you like it." I think it's extremely unfair to anyone that gets the dreaded combo gift. Christmas and Birthday are two completely different celebrations and should not be treated as the same thing. And if anyone tries to do that to Roweyn, I will tell them that their gift will be accepted for one or the other but not both. The only exception that I find is okay is when someone spends a great amount of money on the gift that would equal to two gifts or even more if that's what they choose. But that is the ONLY way I would accept a combo gift for Roweyn.


I also don't think it's okay for a Birthday gift to be wrapped in Christmas paper. Her birthday is not Christmas! If you don't want your present wrapped in Christmas paper then don't do it to anyone else! Don't be lazy, find some Birthday wrapping paper and wrap the gift properly!


Some people might not think it's an issue and that's their choice. And I certainly am not doing this to be greedy and get more gifts. Obviously, I'm saying this because everyone gets a Birthday and a Christmas so just because Roweyn's are close together and you may have to spend more money doesn't mean she should get the shaft. And I'm not pointing the finger at anyone, I just want people to know how I feel about this. 


I do not expect Roweyn to get both Christmas and Birthday presents from everyone. If you want to get her a gift for one or the other I am totally cool with that, I just feel like when you say its a Combo Gift it makes it sound like A) You didn't want to get her two gifts so you just combined one and say its for both, B) You're cheap and don't want to pay for two gifts, or C) You forgot that she has a Birthday right after Christmas and you only got her one gift, so you thought it sounded better to say its a Combo Gift to make it look like you didn't forget. I do not think it sounds better, so please for both our sakes don't say it!


As someone who personally has a birthday close to Christmas as well as two siblings who have birthdays close to Christmas, I know from experience what it's like to receive a Christmas/Birthday Combo gift. AND IT SUCKS!! My brother Trevor actually just had his birthday yesterday, the 15th, 10 days before Christmas. And my brother Kadin's birthday is the 27th, two days after Christmas. Yes, Roweyn was born on my brother's 32nd Birthday!


So because of my experience and my brothers throughout our childhood, I have made this decision as a parent for my child and children to come. I don't want them getting jipped. 

Santa Baby | Take One

This is Roweyn's first Christmas! She missed it by two days last year! ha Our town was having Santa at a few different places this year so we made a couple attempts at going in case it didn't go too well.


First stop is the railroad museum. Super cute place, totally decorated and what made it even more fun was that my sister/Roweyn's aunt was an elf! We were so excited to be able to get pictures with the two of them cause we thought it would be really cute. Sadly for us, Tayelor had to be at a choir performance and Roweyn decided to sleep in, so by the time we got there Tayelor was already in the car to leave. :( So we did the photos without her and decided that at the next Santa she could dress up and we would get some pictures.


Anyways here are the photos! 

Not too bad for Roweyn's first time meeting Santa!