Hallie-lujah, How Sweet Life Is

Greetings and Happy Summer to one and all! In true Carly fashion, I know that I have been slow with posting pictures, but truly I cannot believe that it has already been over three weeks since Hallie was born. It has absolutely flown by in a way that has me sitting on my couch, misty-eyed listening to Meryl Streep singing, "Slipping Through My Fingers" as my Mama Mia soundtrack plays on the stereo. Ok, maybe that has a little something to do with hormones as well, but 90% of that is really about how quickly time is passing. And these last weeks have been such an amazing time, watching Hallie grow and seeing her change every singe day. Some days I swear she changes two and three times an hour. It has been amazing to watch Adam with her and seeing him become such a big helper and brother to her already. It has been amazing to see Matt become a fantastic father of two and how much his daughter already has him wrapped around her finger. And finally it is amazing that it now only takes me 4 and a half hours to get myself and both kiddos dressed and out the door, of which I am very proud. Although inevitably, an hour after leaving I will catch a glimpse of myself in a reflection and think, "Oh. Dear. Lord. How did you leave the house looking like that?"
It has been great to spend so much time with family and friends and even introduce Hallie to her future BFFE (daughter of one of my BFFEs), Ashlyn Benik, who was born only 24 hours after she was. These three weeks have been so amazing, I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer brings. Just as in the ABBA lyrics as sung by the incomparable Ms. Streep, "...I try to capture every minute, the feeling in it..." So true ABBA, so true.

A Star Is Born

Announcing the Arrival of

Hallie Piper Kirwin!!

Born: May 12, 2009 at 11:39 a.m.

Weight: 7lbs 2 oz.

Height: 19 inches

Loved: By so many, but by her mom, dad, and big brother especially

A Womb with a View

Captain's Log: UterusDate 3/11/09. Tonight Adam, Matt and I traveled boldly into the future and got to experience one of the technological marvels of our time, the 3D ultrasound, and we are so glad that we did. It was amazing! We were able to see and get pictures of Cherry Chip moving around, sucking on her fingers, and even smiling (which my sisters have said is very cute and just a little creepy :) It was fun to see that she is doing so great, has some hair, many of her dad's features and what looks like her mom's dimple, but we'll have to wait and see on those for sure. It was such a gift to see her! Now we'll just be waiting for her to keep on growing and cracking herself up in-utero until the day she is ready to come out and meet the family who is dying to meet her.

Turning 2 and Movin' On Up to a Big Boy Bed: Jefferson Style

Greetings! This past Sunday Adam made the momentous jump into the (so-far, fingers crossed) terrific twos! And with this big-boy birthday came some big-boy events, a new big-boy bed, a big-boy party, and all around big-boy fun. Adam was of course spoiled-rotten by family and loved every minute of it. He was thrilled to see the party had his favorite theme of Cars and a wonderful time was had by all. We were so glad that my grandparents, Nonnie and Petesie, were able to come out and join in the festivities as well. Ok, to be perfectly honest Nonnie wasn't just out here on a pleasure-cruise. We put her to work... work fit for a little girl and a little-girl bed that is. This weekend we went about the business of not only helping Adam into a new bed, but also in converting his former bachelor pad, into a co-ed/brother and sister living in peaceful harmony/tranquil haven. Now you may be asking yourself how one could invite their grandmother over for a visit and then put her to work painting walls, but if you want a ceiling done right, you bring in Michelangelo, and if you want a beautiful nursery wall, you bring in Nonnie and my fabulous mother as well. You've probably heard of their early work: Lisa'a Jungle Nursery, a true creative feat. As well as my mom and sister's beautiful work on Adam's original House on Pooh Corner walls. :)
We worked during the morning adding a few flowery touches to the room, while Matt used his handy-man capabilities putting said big-boy bed together, and by party time the room looked great. It is really fun to see the room coming together and Adam growing into a little boy. The year between Adam's first and second birthday flew by and with all of the wonderful surprises and changes this year has brought our family, I can't wait to see what the next year will bring.

Gifts of All Shapes and Sizes

Happy Holidays Family and Friends! I hope this post finds you all happy and well. We spent a wonderful Christmas with family and feel so grateful for all the blessings of the past year and are looking forward to the wonderful things coming in 2009. Adam had a blast on Christmas and thanks to Santa and the spoil-etry (it's a word, try to use it today and impress those around you) of aunts, uncles, and grandparents he received many cool gifts including truckloads of toy cars, pun intended, which he adores. Adam has been in a total car-craze lately: toys, songs about cars, the movie Cars, clothing of the car persuasion, all bliss to him so he was especially happy. We have also had a great time since Christmas playing with the other toys and games he received and reading his new books and he has been in heaven.

Along with the joy we have had with Adam this Christmas, has come a new joy. As you know we received quite the unexpected and fabulous news that there is a new Kirwin on the way and last week we learned that that Kirwin's name is Cherry Chip. Ha! Really what I am saying, in my own silly way, is that we are having a girl!!!!!!!! You may have guessed given the new girly look of the blog but I thought this occasion called for a little celebration of pink. I don't know how we got so lucky as to have such an amazing son like Adam and now a little girl who so far (knock on wood) has been one low-maintenance lady (although what am I saying? She's a Kirwin, she'll be born and watch out!) So far things have been very smooth and wonderful and it was awesome to have the ultrasound and see her healthy and happy and kicking around in there. It was fantastic because Matt's folks, Adam, and my mom were able to be there as well. We have not decided on her real name yet, but for now she has been lovingly dubbed Cherry Chip by Adam and Christian, although whether they were naming her or simply asking for a snack is still up for debate. Whichever they were doing, the nickname has stuck...unless it really grows on us in which case who knows. As my friend Susan said, "Dr. Cherry Chip, please report to OR 2"....I don't know...kind of has a nice ring to it. :)

Happy New Year to All!

The Lady Herself

Waiting to see Her Cherriness...

Adam's impression of the baby from A Series of Unfortunate Events

"Nervous? No I'm not nervous...not at all". Check out that gut though.

Making Ornaments with Nene (and perhaps one of my favorite pictures ever)

Christmas Fun

Adam knows to never underestimate the power of accessorizing and a good bow....

blame her..........

...........and her.

Cars, glorious cars!

I Got You Babe!

Isn't time the most amazing thing? I am sitting here tonight marveling at the wonder of all that can occur in a year, how quickly the time can seem to fly and yet how long the events of those months seem to span. It seems like only a few weeks ago that my mom and I were leaving on a flight to Korea and yet at the same time I can't really think of a time when Adam wasn't my son. It's almost like how Adam is now a year older and yet I (in the words of Carrie Bradshaw ) haven't aged a day. Time is a mystery.

This year with Adam we have been witness to so many firsts: first steps, first birthdays, first scary illnesses, first hugs, first laughs. But today is the anniversary of perhaps one of the biggest firsts of all: the anniversary of the day I met Adam and got to hold him for the first time, our Gotcha Day! It was a day filled with so many emotions, even now I can't find the right words to describe it and I think probably that I never will. I just know it was one of those rare, momentous days that changes life as you know it and then turns right around and changes the you that is you to boot. What an amazing day and an amazing blessing to bring Adam home to his dad and the rest of the his family anxiously waiting to meet him as well.

I am so thankful to everyone who made that moment possible, our agency and social worker, all of the wonderful people at Eastern Social Welfare and especially to the mothers. To Adam's birth mother and foster mother for giving all that they did. And to my own mother, for traveling around the world with me on the trip of a lifetime. I couldn't have done it without her and I hope to be even a shred of the mother she is. And to Adam I say, baby, how glad I am we gotcha!

Happy Anniversary Adam!

Journey back to that day with me won't you?

Adam's Press Conference

Good evening family, friends, fellow Americans, and Wiggles-aficionados everywhere. My name is Adam Kirwin and it is with excitement and a faint peanut butter aroma that I come to your computers today. As you can see I have briefly taken over the blog to bring you some crucial blogging-related, and more importantly, Kirwin-related business. And as I stand before you today I can honestly say that the state of the blog is....well...behind as usual. However the state of things in the Kirwin household is fantastic and feelings of excitement, joy, and happiness are booming, even more than usual. What has brought about this emotional upswing? Well allow me to show you and please refer to the adorable yet user-friendly visual aids I have created to aid you in this presentation.



Recently members of our household have been privy to a great Shock and Awe Campaign (see visuals:)










Shock














Awe




What brought about this campaign you ask? Well it was the amazing news that sometime in the middle of May, 2009 I, Adam J.M. Kirwin will become a:
(direct your attention to convenient visual C)

Convenient Visual C

Yay!!! That's right, my mom is going to have a baby and I am going to be a big brother. Well, let's be honest, not just any big brother, but just about the best big brother in the entire world.

At this point many of you may be scratching your head and thinking, "How can this be? I was told that such an event was a medical improbability." Well let me be the first to say, Ummm ya. That's what we thought, too. And then let me offer these words of wisdom I recently shared with my mother: Science comes so far and then comes God. And if we have learned anything in the last few years about the ways our family would grow, it's that God's in control. He has a plan and we are certainly blessed for it.

Obviously we are very excited about this news and some of us chose to express our joy in different ways:



So in light of this news, many preparations are being made and prayers are being said. Additions and changes will be made to our lives and home as well as to the blog as we continue to grow as a family. Thanks as always, for being a part of it.

Thank you also for allowing me to bring you this news. As we all know it would probably be years before my mom posted it. Stay tuned for my future postings including: Nap Time: I Know This is A Trick and I'm on to You.

In the meantime, love to you and yours!

AJMK: over and out