So Leah is now five. sigh.

I recently spent a long weekend in Michigan (not as long as scheduled, Thanks Delta) to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Leah’s arrival. It’s amazing how far she’s come from being born under crazy circumstances at 36 weeks – she was around 5.5 pounds when we took her home from the hospital a week later. We reviewed pictures from that wild time, but we also had the typical myriad birthday festivities.

First, a look at the growth of our third child

You met her back in the Christmas post, but Luvy had grown quite a bit in the three weeks I was in SC.

And then the Sunday family party

Grandma Jan and Grandpa Bill arrived first, so we took Leah up to her room to find her first present, which Aly and I had assembled and installed in Leah’s room while she was out with Rachel.

Leah spots her present when she enters her bedroom

Meaty calf sold separately

Despite it being a snowy, windy, bitterly cold day, other family members were kind enough to come over and celebrate as well, so Leah got a chance to play with cousins and open some more presents.

This cheerleader puppet from Jan & Bill was a huge hit, and I’m sure will get lots of use inside the puppet theater she got for Christmas

Coke break

Even Grandpa Bill got in on the act!

Pupcake Time!

Seriously, that’s what Leah calls them.

Watching Aly playing Goat Simulator is riveting. Apparently.

On to Monday at preschool

Leah got both parents for most of preschool, which I thought was great because being a co-op parent at our preschool is hard work, and I wanted to have time to take some pictures. When I was there in September, I had craft duty and it was a painting craft – that was some time-consuming cleanup, let me tell you.

The birthday tradition at the preschool is to put the birthday child in the birthday chair and then lift them up the number of their age. This was the only time she smiled in the chair.

Leah directed Miss Megan exactly where to place her frog

The birthday child also gets Show & Tell. Leah told her plush hedgehog around to each kid, but wouldn’t let them touch it, lol.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “What is wrong with them? She doesn’t get a proper birthday party?” Of course she did, but that will be detailed in a separate post.