K's 1-month Photos

These are by no means professional shots... I just took a couple of him in his room. Special thanks to his Aunt Allie, who gave us the monthly stickers and adorable matching hat :) I can't wait to fill up a frame of his first year, month by month!

One Month... Already?!

Today, my baby boy is 1 month old. Already. Crazy talk. This past month, I have been reminded of what extreme sleep deprivation is all about, how much newborn spit up and how much money I will be saving by nursing this baby instead of using formula. I've also learned for the first time what it's like to really cuddle with a baby... A-bug was never really into that. I've learned that Gripe Water really does work for some kids, just not A. I have come to appreciate nap time on a much higher level than ever before. I have gained a whole other skill level when it comes to multi-tasking. I have eaten more leftovers than food prepared that day (and thank you VERY MUCH to everyone who was a part of bring food to my fridge.)

I have also learned that it is indeed possible to love your second child as much as your first, and that your heart doesn't run out of room. I have watched some of the most adorable moments happen between A and K, and I'll always treasure those nightly kisses she gives him. I have been reminded of how wonderful a feeling it is to watch your new baby carefully studying your face and cooing at you. And there's never so much cuteness as when a newborn yawns and stretches out that teeny-tiny neck, scrunches up his little wrinkly face and momentarily turns himself into ET :) 

Here is some of the adorable-ness that's gone on in our household in the past month :)

Getting kisses from his big sister :)

All dressed up for his first trip to Grandma and Papa's :)

4 generations! Plus Uncle Mike :) 

Chilling outside during the October Indian Summer

I'll never get over those dimples

Sacked out in his Flannel Hoody - just like daddy :)

Piled up in all the blankets :)

I just love this little face :)

Such big eyes :)

Birthday Party Recap

Well, it's now Tuesday after Aria's 2nd birthday party, which was Saturday, but I'm just not getting around to blogging about it. This is mostly because I couldn't stand my house being such a mess any longer, and I spent most of yesterday pulling everything back together.

The party was a success, for which I was glad. It's really the first party I've pulled off by myself, although I did get a LOT of help from my mom. She's definitely the party-thrower/entertainer of the family. I just wanted to give Aria a nice party, and had NO idea how much work it would be. But it was fun, and now I'm glad it's over :)

I loved the way the burlap and mason jars came out. We used a simple light aqua plastic table cloth and made burlap runner to go down the middle. We wrapped pieces of burlap around mason jars and tied them up with a pink gingham ribbon, then filled them with hot pink daisies. 

IBC Root Beer and candy sticks

I really loved the way those turned out. I had my husband tie the pink and blue candy sticks in groups of 3, and we put those all along the burlap runner at everyone's spot for their party favors. I also hung pastel pink, green and teal paper lanterns from the pavilion ceiling for some dimension, and liked how that looked.cf

The Pinterest idea I use to make
Aria's special vase. It looks great
but was WAY harder to do than I thought. 

For food, there were a few changes to the menu I had posted about earlier and wanted to do. We decided to nix the homemade cheese sticks, mostly because of time constraints, and put a veggie plate in it's place (although the day of, we actually forgot the veggies in the refrigerator, so I've been eating a lot of broccoli lol.) We still went with the homemade chicken nuggets, and I was glad we did. They ended up being pretty easy and tasty! I ended up going with a different recipe than I had posted before, because after experimenting, my mom found out those others didn't have quite enough flavor. The cinnamon sugar tortilla chips and fruit salsa were a big hit, and I will most definitely be making  those again for parties and family gatherings. And then there were the sweet potato fries. *sigh* They were tasty, although I could not for the life of me get them crispy. So they looked like limp little orange worms in the bowl. But again, they really were tasty.

Stewart's Orange soda, Cream soda and
IBC Root Beer in a big tin tub was a hit,
and I loved the way it looked.

Having the party at the park really was a great idea. The kids all had plenty of room to play and you really need that with a group of toddlers/early elementary-aged kids. And we had the perfect weather. It was sunny and warm, without being too hot - which was definitely a concern this summer. The guys brought a football and had a good time throwing that around while the moms and kids played on the playground. We also had one of our family favorite games, ladder gold, and that was a big hit as well. We had made a bunch of water balloons, but didn't actually use them until most of the younger kids had left. Aria and her friend Ellie had a great time with them, though, and all the "big kids" (my brothers, husband and dad) had a blast throwing them at each other.

Overall, we had a blast, and I hope our guests did too. I'll post a couple recipes below, as well as some pictures from the day.

Panko-Crusted Baked Chicken Nuggets

 (special thanks to my friend Margee for this alternative recipe. It turned out very tasty!)

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Chips

(warning: it is not this pretty, but it really is DELICIOUS!)

A group of the adults chilling

My mom made this great sign for us to
take pictures with. This is a shot of all
the kids who came for the party.

Family Photo <3

Happy birthday, Aria-Bug!

Two years ago today at this point, I was holding my baby girl who was less than 5 hours old. I couldn't stop staring at this little bundle of sweetness, and I couldn't believe how much I loved her. I mean, I loved her to death when I was pregnant with her, but I couldn't believe how much you just absolutely fall in love with your child when they're born.

Although from the day that she was born, she's been a daddy's girl, she'll always be my little girl. I still can't believe when I look at her that it's been 2 years. I remember the day (rather, very early morning) she was born like it was yesterday. I was so relieved to have that awful pregnancy done, and to by honest, labor and delivery with her really wasn't that bad - I truly got lucky.

In the past 2 years since that day, she has changed our lives in so many ways and taught me so much about love and myself, and I'm sure Josh would say the same thing. I have begun (but not by any means finished) leaning the endless patience required to raise a child. I have learned to make even the most insignificant moments memorable. I have learned that sleep is the most precious commodity that one cannot buy.... besides time. Time is so precious.

So even though we're not celebrating Aria's birthday this year until Saturday, today is always the day that brings back all those memories of first diapers changes, first snuggles and all the joy that went along with being a mommy.

Aria's first picture just a few seconds after being born.

Aria today - exactly 2 years later :)

Time for another birthday!

I can't believe it's been yet another year in the life of Aria! 2 years, really?! Wow. In fact, just yesterday I was watching some video of just 6 months ago and I couldn't believe how much she's grown up! Her legs have thinned out and lost that "baby fat" look, her hair is so long and her face has really changed from baby-cute to adorable little girl. At least, I think she's adorable :)

This year, we're doing an outside birthday with an old-fashioned theme. Classic games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Ladder Golf , Badminton and water balloons will keep things fun and simple. I'm currently working on some vintage decor for a special touch, and everyone will go home with old-fashioned cotton candy-flavored candy sticks as a party favor. Also, since it'll be held at a park with a playground, all the kids can be easily entertained no matter what age-group they fall into.

This is the recipe that I'm
planning on using for the
homemade chicken nuggets.
I'll let you all know how
it works out... or doesn't.

I originally had planned for a rather complex, albeit delicious, menu, but after reviewing it, decided it was a tad more than I could handle even with extra help, so I pared it down to homemade chicken nuggets and grilled chicken, sweet potato fries, a veggie try and a fruit salsa with cinnamon sugar tortilla chips.
I'm hoping the menu will also appease all age groups. I'll also let you know which recipes (from Pinterest, of course) worked, and which did not :D

Mason jars and burlap.
I'll be using pink daisies
for Aria's party.

For decor, I'm planning on using some burlap and mason jars to get the vintage-type feel I want, with pastel pinks, greens and blues to keep it girly. I'd love to do a "prop" or "dress-up" area with boas, necklaces, top hats and cane for the little kids, but haven't ever been to a party with that kind of area - I've only read about it in blogs. Have any of you ever seen or done this successfully? I don't want mad chaos lol.

I'm also still deciding about what to do for a cake. If you're in the US, you probably know that we've been experiencing some of the hottest weather since the Dust Bowl days, and the last thing I need is mountains of melting buttercream. I'm thinking cupcakes may be the way to go.

So anyways, those are just some thoughts and my inspiration for Aria's party. 

The overall look I'm going for
with the jars and burlap, only with
more "girly" colors. 

I already have my wheels turning for next year after seeing some Sesame Street veggies trays, but one party at a time :) 

What have been your most successful parties and their inspiration? Do you always do a theme or operate on favorite foods? Which Pinterest ideas and recipes have worked for you for a large group and which not so much? Having thrown a total of 2 parties in my lifetime, I could use all the help you can give me!

Birthday Pictures

Looking back, I hadn't realized that there were no pictures of Aria's birthday on the blog, so, although it's almost 3 months late, here they are!