Double Digit Birthday

My first baby is 10!  Our first child in double digits.  I'm going to blink and she's going to be in high school.  We love this grown up girl of ours.

Chloe's birthday celebrating started early this year with a small party and a gift from my parents over Thanksgiving in Idaho, and then more early presents when we stopped overnight in Pasco with Ben's parents.

Nana picked out some Greek mythology books for Chloe.  Chloe has been in a reading slump.  She is a great reader but has suddenly lost the desire to want to read this year.  Part of her nightly homework for 4th grade is to read at least 20 minutes and being assigned to have to read is what is getting to her.  We have tried all we can to get her passion back for reading and both of her grandmothers are trying to help by getting her fun books (my mom gave her two books as well).

Wearing her new scarf from Grandma Blakeslee a day before her birthday.

On Chloe's birthday (Tuesday, December 2nd), I dropped off treats at her classroom.  Chloe and I made cupcakes together the night before and she was so excited to help decorate them.  I was really hoping to be able to be there to help her pass them out in class, but her birthday was the day of our 20 week ultrasound and I knew it would be very hard for me to be done in time to get back to her school in time.  I didn't end up making it and I felt really bad, but the kids still got treats and Chloe seemed ok.  I got this picture of her with the treats when I dropped the cupcakes off before my appointment.

We started off the family party with the gender reveal.  I had Chloe open a file folder with the news.  IT'S A GIRL!  This picture depicts everyone's reactions to the news perfectly- Chloe and Lexi were thrilled and so excited.  Mitch is stunned and disappointed, all at the same time.  Leah doesn't really care one way or the other.

The folder held red lips (for It's a Girl) for the 4 girls (Livy tried to eat hers) and a sign for Mitch to hold (knowing he'd be certainly crushed) that read "I'd rather have a brother."  We didn't even have to tell him to looked completely bummed out- that came naturally. :)  

We are so thrilled with another girl.  You really can't complain when you've been told you have a healthy baby coming into your family.  It would have been so, so fun to tell Mitch he was getting a brother and we haven't had a baby boy in 7 years now, so having another boy would have been fantastic.  But luckily, the decision isn't ours to make and we know that gender is essential to our identity and that Heavenly Father knows exactly what our family needs.  April can't come fast enough and we can't wait to see how our family changes and grows with another sweet spirit in our home.

Livy got a quick picture with her BFF before heading off to bed.  I am completely smitten with how head over heels Olivia is with Chloe.  She adores her and prefers her over any of us.  If Chloe walks into a room after not having seen Olivia for a few hours and she doesn't pick Livy up for give her a hug, Olivia melts down and is so sad.  Chloe is so good with her, it amazes me everyday.  She acts well beyond her 10 years of age when it comes to caring for this little baby.  I love their sweet relationship and look forward to watching it grow in the future.

Chloe was thrilled to open a jean jacket from Ben and I.  She has been wanting one for quite awhile.

She was equally excited about a new pair of boots.  I want Chloe's sense of style and wish everything looked as good on me as it does on her.

A gift card to go shopping- wahoo!

After watching the rest of her siblings get one for their birthdays earlier this Fall, Chloe got her own headlamp from Cynde too.  Oh, and a giant bag of candy too.  We love Cynde!

Chloe's requested birthday cake- a chocolate cake from Costco.

I had the cake decorated put the pink baby booties on there too, to commemorate finding out the gender of the new baby on Chloe's birthday.  We told the kids we were pregnant on Mitch's birthday and the gender on Chloe's. 

Team Andros, minus sleeping Livy.

With all her new loot!

The new jacket and boots HAD to be worn to school the next day!

Oh, we love this big girl of ours.  She is our responsible, helpful girl.  She does so much for us and for all her siblings.  She can and is willing to do almost everything asked of her, and more.  She knows how to take care of Livy's every need.  She is fantastic to just come in the room and pick up a crying Livy and distract her while I make dinner or am busy.  She can put her to bed, get her up and feed her and do everything.  No wonder Livy loves her!

She is a fantastic student and is thriving at school.  She still loves to create and do anything with paper.  I find papers with stories, drawings or made up school papers for her siblings all over the house.  She loves to cook by herself or with someone and loves trying new recipes.  Her favorite thing to bake is muffins and she is always getting on Pinterest to look up new, fun muffin recipes.  She is a great entertainer for her younger siblings.  She loves making up new games (with lots of rules) and playing school with them (she being the teacher, of course). 

She enjoys sports, but decided to only play Fall soccer this year.  We were bummed to hear this, but after a lengthy discussion to make sure she had some valid reasons, we accepted her decision.  

She is really getting into wanting to be fashionable and is getting more and more opinionated about her clothing styles.  For the most part she has great taste, but can be very particular about certain styles that bother her or that she doesn't like.  While loving the latest styles, she is also my child as she loves a good pair of sweat pants to wear around the house (just like he mama). 

She does not take after her mom in the fact that she is a messy girl!  Her room is always a disaster area and it doesn't bother her one bit.  She told me that if we got her a bigger room that she could keep it clean, but that it's currently too small to keep neat.  She is also our child famous for leaving a "Trail of Chloe" around the house: her backpack in one corner, a pair of shoes here, a jacket there, her book on the couch, a pair of socks strewn on the kitchen floor, school papers on the table, and this and that all over.  For her 11th birthday, her mom wishes for a clean room for her and the "Trail of Chloe" to become a distant memory. :)

She loves music and always wants to be up on the latest songs.  She loves listening to music on her iPod by herself.  She is a good singer and I love to hear her sweet singing voice. 

Happy Birthday to our lovely Chloe girl!