Third Thursday Thoughts: Vivian Turns 6!!!

I started writing this post Thursday - 2 days before Vivian's Birthday - so here is a belated Third Thursday Thoughts for you all. I haven't done one of this in a while. But I am ready for one lol.

- First of all how is it the Third Thursday of January already?! Almost everyone says after the holidays, January feels like a long, slow, dreary and draining month. It is usually one of the coldest months of Winter so I get it. For us Michiganders especially it is hands-down the coldest month of Winter, thus far. Especially this weekend which is Vivian's Birthday weekend. It will be super cold, we are talking under 10 Fahrenheit degrees, frozen, with lots of snow, bad winds too which will make it seem even colder, etc. Technically it is our first real snow of the season. It has snowed a few times already but nothing over 1.5 inches and the snow has melted within hours. Last year for Vivian's 5th Birthday was much warmer, the temps were in the 30s on her actual birthday. Then the following weekend on Sunday, we had her Big 5th Birthday Party and the temps were as high as 51 degrees for the high. What a difference a year makes! That's Michigan for you, you never know what kind of weather you will have. Though, this year feels more like a typical January and more like Winter with 3-6 inches of snow and temps between 5 to 15 degrees, than last year's unusual warm Wintery temps.

- Every January is special to me since on January 19th 2013 I became a mom. You guys see my beautiful girl on my blog all the time. A few of you have followed me since the first year I started blogging which is also the same year I was pregnant (in 2012) so you have already seen her baby photos, read about her Birth Story and my 1st Introduction to her. I even did a little photo shoot every month on the 19th for her first year, complete with her favorite stuffed toys, first baby doll and a cute cake each month, of course. I blogged about it, too. From then, she has been a constant part of my blog just like she has been the most important and most constant part of my life. But especially since she turned 3 years old, you have seen her more and more on my blog, you have gotten to know her not just through my photos but also through the videos and fun stuff she does on my Instagram + Insta Stories. You all seem to love her too and how can you not?! She has such a solar, beautiful, friendly and outgoing personality. In honor of her 6th birthday this upcoming Saturday - she was born on a Saturday too - I am doing a walk down memory lane (below) with some of my favorite photos from Vivian's first year: from the first few moments when she was born, her at one day old, taking her home from the hospital, the first wedding we attended together, her first trip to USA (to see my side of the family in Michigan - Vivian was born in Albania, Europe FYI), her beautiful First Christmas little shoot we had at home, her 1st Birthday Photo Shoot and snippets from January 19th 2014 when she turned one! Let me flashback through time (as I cry, smile and laugh) below...

The balloons which awaited us at our home when we got home from the hospital - courtesy of family, friends and my sister-in-law. Ever since, balloons have always been a huge part of our decor every time Vivian celebrated a birthday and that will be the case this 6th birthday, too. I even found her a rare Unicorn Balloon. I seriously had to go to 5 different stores to find a Unicorn Balloon - since her little celebration today is unicorn-themed. But it was worth it, though I had to drive in the middle of a snow storm. It is the most beautiful unicorn balloon, too.

The above photos are all taken on Jan 19th and Jan 20th, from the day she was born and the day we took her home from the hospital. She was 6.6 lbs. and 19 inches tall and had a lot of hair - beautiful, thick brunette locks. The photo above of her laying her tiny head on my shoulders and sleeping is my most favorite photo I have of us when she was an infant.

 Clearly, we always loved being matchy-matchy. This time in our Hot Pink Pajamas. I remember this day clearly, as it was the day her belly button fell off. Look at that tiny peanut.

These are Vivian's one-month old photos. Every month on the 19th we did a little shoot of her by her Pillow Girly Boppy Pillow with her pigtailed "My First Doll" doll and her Brown Teddy Bear. Each month we added another 3rd (different) stuffed toy, too. The lavender crochet outfit Vivian is wearing was gifted to her from my aunt and she mailed it to us from US.

When your pink+red dotted outfit matches your new stuffed animal...

This is my favorite Mother+Daughter Photo of us from early September 2013 - the first wedding we attended together, for my cousin in Michigan! I loved our dresses and everyone complimented us at the wedding.

Vivian's very first time at the beach enjoying the sand+sea by the Adriatic Sea in Durres, Albania.

You could say we always loved to match and pose together. Love the two above photos.

 

 

Vivian's very special First Christmas where she got so spoiled. I couldn't even tell you how many presents she got - mostly toys of course. Probably about 20. She was almost 1 so she was very little and she got tired opening them. I absolutely loved the photos from her first Christmas shoot though.

This group of photos are taken on January 19th 2014 on Vivian's very first birthday (at our home). Both her and I wore two outfits that day. During the day for an immediate family celebration she wore a Purple Ponte Bow Dress with matching Bow Headband and I matched her in my Purple+Black Sweater Dress with the Tweed Blazer over it. Then, for her very first Special Birthday Party Dinner (we had it at a fancy restaurant) Viv looked stunning in her Black+Red Velvet Dress with the Leopard Skirt part and fun Feather Rosette Hair Piece while I wore a Red+Black Lace-Sleeved Dress with Black Pumps.

This is the Summer after Vivian turned one. Look at that long hair. She has always, always wanted me to lift her. Even now when we take photos together, she loves it when I hold her in my arms or lift her. She is very tiny for her age, but still sometimes she feels heavy for mommy to hold her like this. My little baby has grown and is now 6! I will forever treasure her as a baby, a toddler, every stage of her life. I will forever hold her in my arms - both physically and figuratively. And as long as she lets me, I will always match with her or coordinate outfits with her.

 I wanted to wrap today's post with these two professional photos from her very first Birthday Photo Shoot - two of my favorites, though all the photos came out great! She loves seeing these pics too, especially the ones of her smashing the birthday cupcakes.

Stay tuned all weekend for Vivian's 6th Birthday Celebration, which I will capture it all on my Instagram. 

Happy 6th Birthday to my darling doll, my baby girl, my princess, my daughter, my sister, my best friend, the love of my life! Happy 6th Birthday to Vivian!!