Happy 6th Birthday to Andlee Kay

God knew exactly what he was doing when he brought Andlee into this world on Independence Day because she couldn’t be more fitting for the holiday. She’s independent and a fire cracker. Beginning with my pregnancy and birth, this kid was like a firework. She would move so strongly and quickly that it’d freak us out at times. Brian called her a catfish because he said that her violent thumping around inside of me was like a catfish thrashing him when he noodles. She was to this day my most active and strong moving baby in the womb. Her birth day was no different. Fast and furious. Out in 4 minutes of pushing/literally 2 pushes like a bottle rocket. We got checked into to the hospital at around 10 pm and she was born 3 hours later. It was a fast, easy, and non medicated birth of a 7 1/2 lb perfectly healthy 35 weeker. She is strong willed and bold. She’s witty and wild yet has the biggest heart. From the time that she was an small toddler she was always giving others her things. She’d hand out cookies to her siblings first and be the last to get one. She’d share her toys well and would play ‘mama’ constantly. She was my honest definition of advanced (not just over exaggerated mom talk). She talked very well by the time that she was a year old and could full blow run around 9 months old. She copied everything that we did so much so that we’d get a little freaked out watching a baby say/do so many things. She has kept me on my toes every day of her life. She has loved babies since she became a big sister at 10 months old and she’s always desperately wanted to be everyone’s friend. She is kind but tough at the same time. She talks super loud (from being hard of hearing) and has a laugh that makes me laugh. She has a raw, gentle soul but she bursts into a room like a bullet. She is a mixture of completely opposite qualities which makes no sense at all but that’s just her. Perfect little her. She pushes me to my limits and it can be like talking to a wall to get through to her. She does things her way and her way only. She is absolutely hilarious and such a joy She has a million little quirks that make her our Annie Kay and i love her soooo much. I can’t believe that she is SIX YEARS OLD. Happy birthday, sweet girl. 

**I wrote this yesterday on her birthday. We spent the day shopping, getting ice cream at Dairy Queen, grilling and swimming at my in laws, surprising my dad at the hospital with a mini party, then having dinner at Andlee (and i’s) favorite restaurant. It was a great day. We had a big joint pool party planned for July 7th to celebrate Eilee and Andlee’s birthdays but i postponed it until my dad is home from the hospital. Insert tears here every time that i go there but this will be the first birthday party since my papa passed away. Papa never missed a party. He lived for them and was faithful to always be there. If you know anything at all about me you know that i throw a lot of parties. It will be hard enough to have that party without papa. I simply could not and would not do it without both of my favorite men there. My heart couldn’t bare it. So we will gladly wait until dad is better to have it. If that’s awhile/close to Charlee’s birthday, i may do a 3 for 1 bash and let it be all of the girls party. We make their actual birthday special no matter what the big party plans are. We have a tradition with our kids. For their birthdays we take them and just them to the store. We let them have free range to pick out whatever gifts and cake that they want. They absolutely love it. Every year i ask them if they’d rather be just get them gifts and wrap them. Every year they said ‘no way’. They say that they love going alone with me to shop for it. We do either an ice cream or lunch date after we shop. It’s a wonderful outing and to be honest, i always look super forward to those memories and time together. When you have multiple kids it’s so important to show them one on one attention. Life is busy and it’s not their fault that you wanted a big family. They each deserve regular one on one time. We do it consistently at home during naps or when the others are outside but it’s nice to get out to do it too. The day before Andlee’s birthday Brian surprised her with a daddy/daughter date. It was the sweetest thing ever. All day he had told me that he had plans that evening. I didn’t ask for details and just assumed it was fishing plans with his buddies so i was shocked when he showed up at the house that evening. He walked in and told Annie to put a pretty dress on because he was taking her out on a date. She was thrilled. He just melts my soul. Yesterday he surprised me with plans to see my dad. I had been telling him that it bothered me to spend my first 4th of July ever away from my dad but i didn’t want to spend Andlee’s birthday away from her and i wasn’t sure that the hospital was a good idea with children. I had just planned on visiting dad alone on the 5th and spending Andlee’s birthday at my in laws with her. After lunch however, Brian told the kids to get their dry clothes on because we were going on a trip. I was shocked when he said it was to see my dad. I got choked up ha. We grabbed cupcakes and didn’t tell him that we were coming. I could tell the second that we walked in that he was pumped to see us. He jumped out of the bed and sat in the chair. He was happy to have the company.