She entered our lives on Friday the 13th.
1 day old
We gave her the name of Iris after the Greek Goddess of Rainbows. Her middle name, Hope, was her Great Grandma’s middle name.
I never took my eyes off of her. Her beauty captivated me.
1 month old
Her personality started to shine through and she filled us all with laughs and happiness.
2 months old
I couldn’t get enough of dressing her up and still do to this day!
3 months old
She was so darn cute and I just wanted to eat her up. She was so chubby at 5 months that I think I could have taken a few nibbles out of her!
5 months old
Iris has continued to delight and amaze us everyday. She is extremely thoughtful and generous. When she celebrated her 6th birthday in Kindergarten she was allowed to bring in 3 extra treats to hand out to favorite teachers. When she got home I asked which teachers she gave her extra cookies to. She listed about 12 different names. I asked her how this was possible and she said she just broke the cookies up into little pieces so she could give to more people.
Last year, Iris’s birthday fell on Mother’s Day for the first time. Her spirit and love has been one of the most precious Mother Day gifts I have ever received.
It’s hard to believe she is finally at the age where she can start dating. Actually, it’s just dates with her Dad.
Iris and her Dad April 2013. All ready for a Father/Daughter dance
In just a bit our house will be filled with lots of little girls to help us celebrate Iris’s 8th birthday. The party theme this year is rainbows. Iris loves them. She is after all our Goddess of Rainbows.
Friday the 13th has proven to be one of the luckiest days of my life.
It brought me this sweet little girl named Iris.
Motherhood Is An Art 
Happy Birthday to your sweet little girl Iris and a Happy Mother’s Day to you too =) All the best, Dean.
Thank you so much! I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Happy Birthday, Iris! Thanks Melissa for sharing such beautiful pics. At two months she looks like you, but seems to look like her dad now. You all enjoy what’s going to be a great story to share for years to come. Be Blessed, Mtetar
Thank you Mtetar! Yes, I think all of the kids look like their Dad! I hope you had a great Mother’s Day!
You’re welcome, Melissa! Yes I did and I hope you did as well along with the Birthday Celebration. Be Blessed, Mtetar
There should be a LOVE button for this post. She was a beautiful baby and she is a gorgeous girl! Happy Birthday, Iris Hope!!! (Ella’s middle name is Faith, so between the two of us, we’ve got a lot of hopeful faith. Faithful hope? Good taste in names? I’m leaving now…)
Thank you Stephanie! Oh, I love that we both chose wonderful virtues as middle names for our girls….I’m sure we will need these when they become teenagers!!
Aw, happy birthday to Iris! What a little butterball she was! And growing into such a pretty young lady.
Thank you Joyce! I definitely wasn’t starving that girl!!
Happy Birthday to a special girl! 🙂
Thank you Sarah!
Friday the 13th will forever be valued as a very lucky day for our entire family ! To have the Rainbow Goddess in our family has brought such happiness, joy, laughs, amazement and pride in sweet Iris who has shown us all layers and layers of a truly remarkable soul that makes the world a better place just by being !!
So true!! Thanks Mom!
what a wonderful piece )
Thank you so much!
I too think Friday the thirteen was a good day. We got married on the thirteenth even though everyone tried to tell us it was bad luck.So boool ya to them. Happy birthday beautiful Iris. You certianly look the goddess part in that pink bikini up there.
Thank you Liz! I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Happy birthday, Iris! She is a beautiful girl and I love her baby pics. Iris is one of my favorite names and is still on my short list. Great choice!
Thank you! You don’t hear the name Iris too often!
SHE IS GORGEOUS! And chubby times 10!!!! How could you have taken your eyes off of her? I remember just staring at my kids while they slept. If their picture catches my eye now I find my self just staring. I so love the picture with her and her daddy!!!
Thank you Colleen! I thought of you when I put that picture of her and her Dad in since I told you they were going on a Father/Daughter dance a while back when you posted about your granddaughter going! I hope you had a great Mother’s Day!
I had a wonderful day!
Yes, that picture is PERFECT. I love pictures like that. I have one of me and my 2 daughters, from the back, just our shoulders and heads, and I love it. Don’t know why.
I hope your day was wonderful as well. I bet it was full of crafty colors!!!!
Happy birthday Iris! I love her name… it conjures up beautiful images of rainbow coloured field of flowers and joy. And a happy Mother’s Day to you 🙂
Oh, thank you so much! I love that image! I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day as well!
What a precious baby and happy birthday occasion! Special blessings to Iris!
Thank you so much Liz!!
Totally a lucky day for you! Happy Birthday Iris!
Thanks Kerry!
Happy birthday to your daughter.
I especially like the 3 month old picture – cute!
Thank you Larry! You wouldn’t believe the amount of staged photo shoots I put that girl through!! Thank goodness she was a good sport!
Well, she learned how to smile on call. That’s a good skill for someone to have. My lips start to quiver – it ain’t pretty.
Iris entered this world
Friday the thirteenth
with darkened hair
and eyes to match
Greek Goddess of Rainbows and Hope
was her name
the love and the laughter she has brought
shall remain
Happy 8th Birthday Iris.
xx
Oh Jen!!! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to show Iris this! You are too amazing! I will be putting this in her memory box! I’m so grateful for this!!! Thank you, Thank you!!
Oh sweety it was nothing, I am glad you liked it and very honoured that it will go into her memory box – THANK YOU ! 🙂 xx
What a beauty!
Thank you!! I hope you had a great Mother’s Day!
Happy birthday, Iris! And happy Mom’s Day to you! I especially love the pic of Iris and her daddy ready for the father-daughter dance. Such great memories there!
Thank you Joan! My mom adored your Mother’s Day piece! I hope you had a great Mother’s Day too!
This made my heart happy. I’m so thankful God made you a Mom. …one of the best! ♥
Thank you Aunt Wendy! I really appreciate that! I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Reblogged this on Mindbender Tales and commented:
Happy Birthday my Lil Princess
Those photos are precious!! Happy Birthday Iris!! You are one lucky gal to have the mom and dad that you do! Great post Melissa!!
Thank you so much Lidia!
I read this post earlier during the weekend, and it brought tears to my eyes! What a journey you take with children as they grow! So sweet & a beautiful tribute to celebrate her birthday!
Thank you so much Cathy! It definitely is a journey!
I’m a bit behind, but many happy birthday wishes go out your daughter, it’s just amazing how fast they grow up!
Thank you so much Kate!
aww Melissa, the cutest snaps EVER! xxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you so much Teresa!
Meep, I am tearing up just reading this! Happy birthday to Iris! She certainly is a bundle of beauty, and those snaps with her dad near well did me in. I love that she loves rainbows! They were totally my favourite when I was her age. 🙂
I think those photos of her and her Dad are just precious too! There is just something so cute about a girl and her Dad all dressed up and going out on a date!!
sorry to be so behind all my e-mails but I hope Iris had a beautiful birthday! oh! yes! you are so lucky to have her; she is so precious in her baby pictures 🙂 & the ones with her father ready for the dance; precious too, hope you will keep these pictures for her in the future; they are all lovely! 🙂 btw, my mom was born Friday 13 too but in March! & my grand mother says it was the best and luckiest day of her life! 🙂
Oh wow! That’s cool that your mom was born on Friday the 13th too…I have not run across anyone else who was born on this day! I love the pictures of her and her dad too. They went to a dance last year also and I have a picture hanging up in the house from it!
I think you are great and love reading your blog. I nominated you for an award. I posted your link off my blog and a list of rules in order to accept it.