A Hoppy Easter!

Saturday we were greeted by a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny! Mary-Claire loved it, and I think she thought it was a big puppy dog - she kept patting it. A wonderful surprise from friends that we will appreciate for years!

The Easter Bunny snuck in again and left the little one with a few Easter treats. She loved "shaking" the eggs to see if there was something inside.

We went to Easter Mass, which was followed by an egg hunt, however Dad supervised and didn't want her to mess up her outfit in the wet muck. Good call by Dad, I think. I think she had fun watching the other kids, though.

We followed that with Easter brunch. It was a beautiful display, and again, we saw the Easter bunny.

Mary-Claire had a fancy lunch, and was mostly well-behaved, but then needed to run and play, so off to the croquet court she went.

She tried to make friends with the older girls, but they can be a little "cliquey."

Then back inside to play with the bunny ears

And finally home to dump all the eggs

It was a very Hoppy, Happy Easter!

The Real Housewife of Sheboygan County

The Birthday Party

We celebrated Mary-Claire's birthday a little late.  Hey, she's only 1.  What's a few days, right?  She loved the balloons!

She was mesmerized by the candles on the cake!

She kept saying "mmmmmm" every time she had a lick of frosting or a bite of cake!

She got some new toys (guess I better pack the old ones away for a while!)

And some new clothes

And when she looks back on the photos many years from now, I think she will be able to see that she was loved!

The Real Housewife of Sheboygan County

P.S.  As I write this, I am looking out my window at a big fat robin in the snow.  Yes, I said SNOW.  It's almost the end of April for God's sake.  Please let us have temps in the 60s soon.  Please.

Happy Birthday Mary-Claire!

Amazing to think that one year ago today, I was waiting to have a C-Section at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and to welcome our little Mary-Claire.  We knew she had a tough road ahead, but both of us are very positive people and knew that everything would go our way.

She arrived at 10:13 a.m. and was shortly whisked away to the NICU to await her surgery.  She had strong vitals, so we weren't concerned.  Perhaps the grandparents were most concerned, but we had faith that she would "Play Like a Champion" through her surgery and recovery.

She was a trouper, and seemed to meet every milestone with ease.  They even let her out of the NICU after 8 days - after cautioning us it would be 3-6 weeks!

She has thrived since then, and we have had many memorable moments.  She loves her dog, Paddy, and I know they will be great friends for many years.

She is happy and goes to any one.   Father Bob says he has never met a baby like her, who is at such ease with anyone she meets.

She will continue to grow and hopefully thrive and meet all her milestones, and we will always call her our little miracle.  Amazing that her dad and I, after meeting in 1986, finally married in 2009, and welcomed her one year ago today on April 6, 2010.

Everything happens for a reason....

Happy Birthday Mary-Claire McBride Richerson,

If you would like, please click below to witness the miracle of her birth - it's graphic, but it does show you just how far this little girl has come!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PApWvefspzw

Much love from the Real Housewife of Sheboygan County and her awesome Husband