Transporation Birthday Party

I cannot believe it has been over a year since Declan was born and we brought him home from the hospital! This first year has been filled with so many wonderful memories and we were so excited for the opportunity to celebrate our little man and his first year of life.

I love parties so I could not wait for the chance to plan the first of Declan's many birthday celebrations. I had several ideas floating around, but most have been tabled for later birthdays because I decided a carnival, stache bash, and whatnot would be more fun when he and his guests were was a bit older and could be more inteactive with the event. So for his first birthday, I decided on transportation as the theme. What says little boy more than trains, planes, and automobiles?

The first thing I wanted to get nailed down was decor for the party. I wish I had the funds some of the parties on Pinterest seem to have, but alas my budget is not that large so I had to simplify some of my plans. :) For the backdrop behind one of the food tables, I decided to keep it simple and have just a birthday banner to decorate the wall. Fortunately, Keith (my cousin) and her shop, Feathered Nest Boutique, were able to make my plan come to life with an adorable 'Happy Birthday' pennant banner with appliqued lettering and different vehicles. She also made him a super cute birthday outfit to match! I also tried to pull from items we already had on hand (like Declan's wooden train he got for Christmas and the cute suitcase set I bought on Zulily) and purchased a few other wooden vehicles to serve as decorations and our gifts to the birthday boy.

   

 With decorations thought out, I had to come up with a plan for the invite and party favors. I managed to get really lucky here and won a custom invitation design from Cardtopia Company and they created the cutest birthday inviation for Declan! Once they completed the design, I was able to order cupcake toppers (I used them as stickers for sealing invite envelopes and on fruit cups at the party.) and water bottle labels that matched. I also won a $25 credit to KK's Favors and was able to use it toward custom party favors complete with a train whistle and airplane themed cup to give out to the kiddos.



It looks a little weird since I took off our contact info, but you can just imagine it. :)

Everything else just pretty much came together as needed. We lined the front walkway with balloons by using golf tees to hold them to the ground. I used Starbucks Frappucino bottles we collected as "milk bottles" for the tea and lemonade we served (the dispensers were the ones I purchased for our wedding). I made labels for the bottles using brown Kraft Paper and attached them with red, green, and blue baker's twine. Guests had access to a Sharpie so they could label their bottle. I also purchased blue striped and red striped paper straws on Amazon and they were way more affordable there than anywhere else. The cakes came from the Albertville Bakery and they were awesome, even though they did have to be frozen for two weeks when we had to reschedule the party from its original date. 

I took golf tees and tied the balloons to them before pushing them into the ground.

 Happy birthday, little man! I hope you had as much fun as your Dad and I did this first year and that you loved celebrating it with everyone (you did seem to really love the cake). I had a blast planning this for you and getting to celebrate at the party with you. Can't wait to see what the next year brings! Love, Mommy

Declan and his smash cake.

Declan's chair from Nanny and Pappy.

10 Months Old!

10 Months!

 

 

Stop growing!! Ok, don't really stop, but can you somehow slow down a bit? You are getting so big and independent now and I can't help but miss the moments where you had to be carried all the time and were too tiny to get around without my help. Don't get me wrong, I love that you are growing and I love the new ways we get to interact, but I can't believe how fast it is all going by. Everyday I celebrate each of the wonderful milestones you are reaching, but I also nearly burst into tears when I realize what you have outgrown in order to get there. 
  

You are currently 31 inches tall and are weighing in at a whopping 27.4 pounds! You can wear clothes from 18-24 months in size, but have ventured into the 2T range in many things. We have been using size 4 diapers, but their claim of going up to 37 pounds is not working with you so we are finishing out this pack and have already begun stocking up on size 5.
 

 

It amazes me constantly how fast you are changing. Gone are the days of a newborn's gummy grin. We now get a pretty full smile when you give us your "cheesy" little boy grin (you are so goofy!). Your four top teeth are pretty much completely in place and the two on bottom are still waiting for their outside buddies to come up. The high volume of drooling has returned though so I am thinking we'll get a peek at those any day now.

 

Your dad and I are having so much fun with you! You get into everything now that you are crawling and cruising so we have had to take our babyproofing to a whole new level. You really like to try to eat magazines for some reason so they are all shoved out of sight. :) You are so curious and it makes me so happy to watch you try to figure things out for yourself. And, I cannot help but crack up when you don't manage to get things to go your way because your whole foreheard wrinkles up with frustration. You keep trying though...that is until you grow bored and throw whatever down and move onto the next thing for a minute or so.

 

 Your laugh is infectious and we are able to get it out of you all the time now because you a.) seem to think we are weirdly hilarious and b.) are extremely ticklish. Laughter is by no means the only noise coming from you these days though. You also like to click your tongue at us, yell loudly, bark like a dog, and make a weird hissing noise (sounds like "cssshhh"). You are babbling up a storm and you are beginning to string multiple syllables together, going beyond the standard baba, mama, dada.

 

We find it really funny that you like to shake your head back and forth as if you are saying "no." I keep trying to nod "yes" and teach you that, but you just laugh and shake your head at me. You give great kisses and high fives though! Another fun habit you picked up this month is biting. We are getting along pretty well by saying "no biting" every time you do it, but every once in a while you nearly take a chunk out of my shoulder. This is one milestone I won't miss. :)

We keep thinking you may start walking any day now. You pull yourself up effortlessly and like to walk behind your push cart...or I should say run behind your push cart. You also like to scoot behind it on your knees just to break things up. :) You have stood on your own without holding onto anything several times now, but only for a few seconds so we may have just a bit more time before you are fully mobile.

We love you so much and cannot wait to see what the next month brings!

Bunny Patch Treats

I love Easter and I know I am completely skipping anything St. Patty's Day related (and I do love St. Patrick's Day!), but I needed an excuse to buy some yummy Easter candy for myself and felt a little crafty so I decided a project was in order.

Plus, I really just liked all of the cute pails in the dollar section at Target today. So, here is what I came up with using my dollar section finds and goodies from the candy aisle. Hope you enjoy!

A great centerpiece for Easter parties or as little goodies for your children and their friends!

Supplies Needed:

• Small Pail/Basket
• Package of Bunny Peeps
• Bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs
• Package of Green Gift Bag Filler
• Package of Bamboo Skewers
• Package of Gummy Carrots
• Craft Foam

Making your Bunny Patch:

• First you need to trim the craft foam to fit the bottom of the pail or basket you have selected. This is what you will place the bamboo skewers in to hold your Bunny Peeps upright. Place the foam in the bottom of the pail once it is the appropriate size.
• Once your foam is in place, trim the bamboo skewers to the appropriate height for the Bunny Peeps to show over the top of the pail.
• After trimming the skewers, place a Bunny Peep on the end of each one. I used two smaller pails and decided two in each pail would be plenty, but the number of bunnies will vary based on your container size and your vision. :)
• The skewers should then be placed in the foam at the bottom of your pail/basket.
• Once the Bunny Peeps are in place, you should fill your pail/basket the rest of the way with the green gift bag filler. (You could also use Easter basket grass, but I like the look of the gift bag filler better.)
• After the "grass" is in place, sprinkle the chocolate eggs and gummy carrots across the top of the pail. I tried to poke a few of the carrots down so it would look like they were in the ground.

Hope you have fun making yours! They are cute and take no time at all. :D

5 Months!

Originally written on 10/25/2012, but being a mom has meant a lot of things don't happen on my planned schedule so I am finally getting it off the scrap piece of paper I wrote it on initially and on here for you.
 

 

Wow! I cannot believe you are five months old already, but, at the same time, it is so easy to see because you are growing so well! Right now you are teething because you drool like mad and act like you are a bit uncomfortable, but nothing too bad. Your teeth have yet to make an appearance, but the crazy way you attack your teethers and chew on cloths makes it quite clear that your gums need some soothing.

 

 

Today (rather 10/25 when I originally wrote this) you are home from daycare because you weren't feeling well yesterday and you are hoarse this morning. It is so sad to have you sound like that and I wish there was more I could do to make you feel better. However, you were very happy when I left for work this morning and I know CeeCee is taking great care of you.

 

 

Your newest interest is blowing raspberries. We have always done this at you to get you to crack a smile or laugh and now you have really picked up on it. You will do it back at us and whenever else you feel like it. It is so cute! You get spit everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Your face will be covered, I'll be covered and any surfaces nearby get a splattering. Yuck (but still sweet)!

 

You are also loving your Jumperoo. I think you would even sleep in it if we let you. :) It is so fun to watch how excited you get and just how much you make that thing bounce. We joke that it looks like you are trying to riverdance because of the way you kick your feet.

I have recently had to start buying clothes for you because you have quickly outgrown the 0-6 month items we were given as gifts for you. A few people gave us things for you in larger sizes, but you only have one thing in 6-12 months that is going to be weather appropriate for the colder months. It's probably a good thing though that people didn't give us much in these sizes since they would have thought you'd be wearing 12 months next spring, not in November. The Christmas jammies I ordered are 12 months and I am hoping they still fit on Christmas day since you will be exactly 7 months old. Who knows though because you are just an adorable little giant!

 

I love you so much and so does your daddy.

Love,

Your Mommy

Baby in a Pumpkin

I saw this idea on Pinterest with this pictures used as example:

     

 

After seeing it I knew I wanted to try this with Declan, but decided it would look cuter if he were outside in the pumpkin (plus, the idea of having my son in a potentially wobbly pumpkin atop a table was slightly terrifying). I began the search for pumpkins, but quickly realized none of the pumpkins I saw were going to be big enough. I mean, seriously, don't Wal-Mart and Aldi realize there are parents out there searching for a pumpkin to plop their 27.5 inch baby/18 pound baby into?

 

Finally, on my third trip to the store, and what I decided would be my final dive into the pumpkin bins, I was able to find not one, but two pumpkins that met my criteria: huge, minimal dirt, no ugly marks, and a flat bottom (no, I'm not picky at all). When I got home I unloaded the two big pumpkins along with the bags of baby pumpkins and squash and washed everything with soap and hot water. It was a safe assumption that Declan would find a way to get everything in his mouth.

First, we wanted to get some pictures of Declan outside of the pumpkin:

 

 

He wasn't very amused with us and needed a diaper change so we took a break and then took these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterward, Jake gave Declan a bottle and let him take a nap while I got to work gutting the pumpkin and setting everything up in a sunny part of the yard. During this time I decided not to cut leg holes because I had also seen a few pictures where the baby was all curled up down in the pumpkin or standing in it so obviously we should try that, too.

 

We went outside and went to work placing Declan in the pumpkin and realized there was absolutely no way he would be fitting down in that pumpkin without leg holes. The boys went back inside while I proceeded to figure out how to cut decent holes without cutting the hand I had down inside the pumpkin. (Did I mention I have never carved a pumpkin before?) Finally, I made it work and we finally got to take some pictures.

 

As you can see, Declan wasn't much for smiling because he was too busy nibbling on the inside of the pumpkin, but we think he looks pretty adorable no matter what. We even got several shots of Fia checking out all of the fun. :)
 

 



After Mommy taking a million pictures in about 10 minutes, Declan was done with being in the pumpkin so we all went inside and turned his little pumpkin into an upside down jack-o-lantern for the front porch. Now, I just have to figure out what in the world to do with him for Thanksgiving. Happy Halloween!

 

20 Weeks...Time is Flying By



Declan, today you are 20 weeks old and I am in awe of how much you have accomplished in just 4 and a half months. When we brought you home from the hospital you were so tiny and now you are an arm full! When we went to the pediatrician on Sept. 25th you weighed 16 lbs 6 oz and were 27 inches and an 1/8 long, thus placing you in the 75th and 95th percentiles respectively. You are growing out of all of your clothes way too fast! Since you are so tall, we already have to dress you in 9 month pajamas so your feet and legs have room, but you can still wear a few 6 month onesies...probably not for much longer though because some are starting to look like v-neck shirts. You are moving into size 3 diapers, but they are a bit too big and the size 2 are a bit too small so we are doing our best to make things work until your weight catches up with your long, little body. I honestly cannot believe how tiny you make other babies look who are the same age or older than you!

Look how much your feet stick out!

 

You have always been a happy baby, but over the past few weeks your personality has really begun to shine through and we love to hear your laughter, and we are glad you do it so often! You laugh and gurgle during your bath, each time we talk to you, while you lay in your crib watching your mobile, and whenever you hear Wade and Fia playing. Luckily, you never really fuss, but you do let us know as soon as you are hungry. Sometimes you will wait 2.5 to 3 hours for a bottle, but then sometimes you throw us off and decide you want a bottle after only 2 hours. Leaving your daddy and me to scramble to get it ready and keep you entertained while it heats up.
 

As far as milestones, you are on track with rolling over and act like you really want to be able to sit up on your own. You are a pro at rolling from your back to stomach and getting up on your side when you want to, but you still don't quite have the hang of going from your stomach to back, which is supposedly easier and what most babies do first. Apparently, you want to tackle the bigger challenges first. :) You have been sleeping through the night with the occasional 4am feeding for well over 2 months now, but we can't get Wade and Fia to stop wanting to go outside at the times you used to wake up. Maybe one day your mommy and daddy will be able to sleep through the night as well.
 

You have recently begun to want to put everything you can get your hands on in your mouth and you drool all over us, which is why Ms. Kia keeps telling us you must be teething, but no teeth have made an appearance yet and I think we have a bit more time. I know they are coming soon though and I am excited because it means you are growing well, but I know I will miss seeing your adorable gummy grin that melts my heart. I am sure your toothy grin will be equally awesome though!
 

Yes, each day you grow and change more and more. Your blue eyes have changed just enough to where they look just like your dad's, your hair is coming in thicker, and your interest in the world around you increases day by day. Your daddy and I are so thankful God gave us such an incredible little boy. We love you so much!

Your Mommy

Finally Getting Started

For a long while now I have wanted to start my own blog. I kept putting it off because I wasn't sure I could make the time to do posts frequently enough or write stuff other people found interesting, but I have decided to go ahead and get started because I want to be able to document the life I live with my incredible family. I may not post every week (or even every month) and others may not find some of my ramblings all that interesting, but these thoughts and memories are mine and I want to share, remember, and cherish each of them... so here goes.