My Baby is SEVEN!



It seems like I was changing her diapers just yesterday - and now Miss Madison is seven years old.  I find myself calling our actual baby by Madison's name all the time!  Just this morning I was trying to get Audrey's attention for a picture and called out "Maddy!"  It didn't work.  But then again, calling her Audrey doesn't work most of the time either...

To celebrate her birthday, Madison decided to have a kid party down here in Vancouver and a family party up north at the Rainforest Cafe in Southcenter.  Her kid party was AWESOME.  Up the road from our house is a place called Big Al's.  It's a bowling alley/restaurant/arcade/sports

pub...and everything is new, nice, high tech and...well, awesome.  The biggest bonus for Jim and I was that the staff takes care of every aspect of the party - entertainment, food, cake, decorations, invitations - the whole nine yards.  I am glad we were able to do it that way this year, because I doubt I would have been able to host to the fullest with a baby in tow. 



Maddy and some of her party guests





In fact, the Big Al's party was not without incident.  I double booked myself that day - both the party and Audrey's 2 month checkup.  What I didn't realize was that Audrey would be getting a battery of shots that morning.  Naturally, the one and only meltdown she has ever had occurred smack dab in the middle of Madison's party.  Thankfully, Madison and her guests ignored the baby, and Jim was there to devote his attention to our big girl while I tried my best to take care of the little one.  We survived, and now I know to give myself a completely clean slate on all other immunization days.  





The Rainforest Cafe party ended up doubling as a birthday celebration and meet-and-greet between several family members and Audrey.  Since this was our first trip north with Audrey, we were able to show her off to Grandmas Dona and Dorothy, Uncle Brian, Cousins Hannah, Kenny and Tyler, and friends Wendy, Kaylee, Matt, Kristin, Carter and Evan for the first time.  It was a very busy dinner party, with lots of baby-hot-potato, but fortunately for us, she was extremely well behaved.  Madison was spoiled rotten with birthday girfts and I think the highlight of her evening was getting the Rainforest Cafe's signature dessert....The Volcano.  It was a massive ice cream/brownie/whipped cream concoction that came topped with a lit sparkler.  A fun and delicious spectacle.

The Volcano!

 

I was thrilled to be able to celebrate Madison's birthday with our north-end crew but also very excited to meet someone new myself.  Our good friends Matt and Kristin had a baby just a few weeks after Audrey was born, and this was our first time getting together with our respective new additions.  Their son Evan and our daughter Audrey are officially friends from birth.  I tried my hand at holding both babies and it was not easy!  I could only handle all 24 pounds of them for a few short minutes.