Aurelia's 1st Birthday

 I still have Malakai's birthday to post about, but since it's most fresh on my mind and in my camera card, I'll share how we celebrated Aurelia's very first birthday.

{the coral dress in these photos is the same newborn sized dress}

Aurelia turned one year old on September 5th and I mourned the fact that her baby days are slipping away. I'm still wondering where the last 12 months disappeared to. We celebrated her growing and learning and the joy she brings to our little family. Sadly, she had been very sick the entire week prior with 3 visits to the pediatrician, 2 trips to the pharmacy, and numerous called to the triage nurse. It started the week before when she had been acting fussy and spiked a fever for just a day. It broke on it's own and she didn't really have any other symptoms beside being extremely irritable. On Friday I decided to take her in just to be sure before the weekend hit and we had to resort to urgent care if things got worse. We saw one of the new providers at our pediatricians office and she checked Aurelia's ears, which were my suspicion because of her behavior, and despite no other symptoms she did in fact have an ear infection. 

She was limited in what antibiotics she could take due to previous side effects, so we decided to try the same one she had with her last ear infection in early June. After 2 days and no real improvement in her mood, she woke with a mild case of hives on her belly. That night she vomited shortly after taking another dose of her medicine. The next day we went in to the doctor to chat about her reactions and changing medicine. Then Aurelia started refusing the medicine, she'd spit it no matter how we tried to give it to her. By the Friday, a full week from when we previously took her in we were back for the 3rd visit to see if her meds were doing any good since she was spitting them out. Thankfully her ear was improving, so we kept attempting to get to to swallow as much as possible and prayed for healing. We were able to celebrate Grandma Debbie's birthday that day without too much of a fuss. 

On her birthday she was in great spirits. We went out to one of our favorite places, Johnson Brothers Greenhouses out in Coburg, Oregon. They do a really sweet little kids' event the first Saturday of every month. Then we actually celebrated her little friend who happens to be 8 days younger at her birthday party and ended the day playing at home together.

Sunday after church we threw her a simple little garden party at our dear friend's home and she was just a peach the entire day. It was so nice to have her finally feeling better.

{Mima outdid herself again with a beautiful cake}

We had some light snacks and drinks for our guests and played lawn games and had a good old fashioned visit.

We watched her daintily eat her very first bites of cake and frosting, and play with tissue and wrapping paper as she opened up gifts.

{banana applesauce smash cake}

She watched the big kids play and got passed around from grandparents, to aunts + uncles, to friends and crawled around in the grass with here cousin, brothers and little friends. 

It was a perfect little afternoon celebration for our sweet and sassy little girl. 

a shower for our baby girl...

Weekend before last a dear friend of mine threw a baby shower in honor of little sister's approaching arrival. I've been looking forward to Liz coordinating a shower for me since she offered back when Desmond was still a baby! She is incredibly talented in myriad ways, and throwing a party is surely one of them!

She also happens to be an artist {you may remember her from the Big Dandy Designs feature} and designed these gorgeous invites- the photo does not do them justice!

{I'm obsessed with this watercolored peony she did!}

Another wonderful friend, Amy (who has also been featured here!), offered to take care of the food for the day. Amy is also one talented lady, and she happens to be a chef so I knew I would be in good hands. She was so sweet to ask what I would want and asked again closer to the shower to cater to my current cravings. She even drove me to the shower, since she happens to be my neighbor. When we pulled up to Bramblefield and saw all the girly coral decorations in the garden she said "you're having a girl, I'm going to cry!" and I found myself feeling the same way. 

Everything was gorgeous and perfect. The weather was a bit hot but the wind helped with that and we made sure there was shade for those who really needed it. There was a ton of great food (thanks again Amy!), a gorgeous and delicious cake thanks to my mom, yummy drinks and pretty decor by Liz. Liz also put together games and a craft. Thanks also to Elly, Liz's daughter, for helping with preparations!

{Liz made the the wooden arrow art for our nursery!}

I can't get over how perfect this ruffled cake is, my mom is amazing! To the right are some family pictures. My sister Amanda + mom Tami at the top, my mother in law and my mom in the middle, and my sister in law Kristi, mother in law Debbie , and soon to be sister in law Vanessa at the bottom. Thanks to my mom and my sister in law, Kristi for taking photos!

I helped a bit with food before guests arrived and then went out to greet once they started to trickle in. After visiting some we started in on the wonderful food and I was able to catch up with friends and family who came from near and far. I was just so blessed to have so many women I love in the same place to celebrate baby girl with me!

The guests crafted hair accessories for little sister that I later voted on for a prize, they played bingo while I opened their numerous, adorable, and generous gifts, and a few other games after that. Liz had put together fantastic potted plants as decor + prizes. I even got to take one home!

Here I am with my amazing hostess friends, Liz + Amy...

{also, opening a darling dress my mom made and other gifts, and my great aunt Gladys measuring my belly as part of a game...you know, every pregnant gal's favorite part!}

{Ben's mom made this beautiful bear quilt to match the nursery colors}

I'm glad that I had two people taking pictures and they helped me remember to take the time out to get photos with as many guests as possible. I wish I got a picture with everyone! There were 5 pregnant ladies in attendance including myself, so I had to get a picture with all the mama's and their baby bumps...as well as with other gals of course.

{Left: friends from church, Asha and Monica; my sister in law, Kristi; my high school bestie, Lindsey + I. Right: My college roommate, Carina; my cousin Angela + her girls, and Lindsey + I again}

{Ben's grandma Helen + his mom Debbie, his aunt Lori, cousin Heather + her baby boy Otis}

{my mom + I with the cake, my aunt Deedee, and with my Grandma Rhea + mom}

I wished I could have visited more with everyone, things like this always go by in a blur like that. I'm extremely thankful to everyone who came and the wonderful gifts for our new addition. As things were wrapping up Ben + the boys came to say hello and pick me up of course. Once everything was cleared Liz + her husband Mark (who I also should thank for his hard work because their property is ALWAYS gorgeous!) turned on the sprinklers for the boys to run through. They had a blast and Liz + my mom even joined them. It was a delightful end to a fantastic day! 

Harvest Party 2012

Last year Des was only a few weeks old on Halloween and Malakai was sick, then they both got sick. Poor littles. So we stayed in. Thankfully this year they were well over their first colds of the season and ready to play!

That morning I tried Desmond's robot costume on him for the 2nd time. This was Kai's costume when he was 15 months old.

      Malakai enjoyed pushing the "buttons" and Desmond surprisingly tolerated it for quite some time.

On Halloween night we prefer to go to a local Harvest Party (we took Kai 2 years ago) and play the games to earn some candy. Then we don't feel like we have to check the candy afterwards, and we end up seeing a lot of people that we don't see often enough.

It was a miracle that Kai was wearing a costume. His Grandma Debbie made a "Jake and the Pirates" costume, just for play, but he refused to wear it that night- no surprise.

{trying it out a few days before Halloween}

When I brought out the fireman's hat he got at a safety event a while back he was suddenly interested in wearing a costume! I think it helped that the rest of us were dressed up at that point. I grabbed a rain coat and his fireman boots and we had a last minute costume! I showed him pictures on instagram all the way there of other kids dressed up and he got even more excited about the concept.

Mima and Aunt Nans met us at Camp Harlow, where the party was happening. We ran into friends and family while navigating our way through the activities. My cousin Angela got this cute picture of Desmond in his robot costume with her daughter Delia in her monkey outfit (upper left of collage); they don't look too sure of each other, but are so precious!

It was a bit overwhelming in the gym where they had games for older kids so we moved through that area quickly. After playing some games and visiting a bit, we headed over to the petting zoo. Both boys were really excited about the animals. Des loved watching the little pig and Kai was really interested in a bird and a hedgehog. He kept asking to hold them.

On our way to the parking lot Kai spotted a train ride about to take off  so we all piled in for a bumpy ride around the camp and then we headed home. It was such a fun little evening for our boys and we enjoyed ourselves as well!

fall festivities

This past weekend was one event after another for me and I'm still recovering. Friday night we scooped up the kiddos and went to a friend's birthday party, which happened to be just down the street. Then we woke up earlier than usual for a Saturday morning and headed out to pick up some cupcakes we had ordered from The Sassy Cupcake for their latest fundraiser.

Our next stop was the pumpkin patch, but it was raining and had been for quite some time. Unfortunately we had told Malakai about going to get a pumpkin so we didn't have much of a choice. As true Oregonians we headed out in the rain. Sadly, the horse ride out to the patch wasn't free this year, but Kai was fine checking out all the pumpkins lined up at the storefront. He and Des picked out their pumpkins and we sloshed around in the muck before piling back into the car, all cold and soggy.

Once we got home we changed out of our muddy clothes and the boys went to work coloring their pumpkins. I even gave Kai the choice of carving his if he wanted, but he preferred to draw a few faces with crayons and then try carrying it around. Desmond even colored on his a bit, but then become more interested in trying to sit on it.

Next I headed out to meet my friend Carina and her sister-in-law, Michelle, for Carina's 1st bridal fitting. She lives in Portland but had found her wedding dress down her a few months ago. It was lovely to see her in it again. Then the three of us headed out to lunch at an old favorite, Sweet Basil Thai. 

{my lovely friend, Carina and some amazing pumpkin curry}

We made a stop at the mall to look for bridal party accessories and chat about what we'll each wear and what style she's going for. I also grabbed a last minute detail for my Halloween costume. 

I got home late that afternoon and spent some time snuggling my boys before getting ready to head out again. Ben and I were going to a costume party, on our way out the door we realized it was the first time we've ever dressed up together. 

{We went as Where's Waldo + Carmen Sandiego. The lovely bird is my friend Liz, and the hostess of the most fabulous parties}

We had such a good time hanging out with adults late into the night without our children. We haven't stayed out that late since before we had Malakai! It surely made me feel young again...until the next morning that is. 

Sunday was work/church and then I had a movie date during the boys' nap time with my mom and sister to finally see The Help. I went straight there to my in-laws where Ben had brought Des and Kai for us to have dinner. 

Then this morning was flu shots, groceries, errands and gymastics. Can you see how I'm a bit exhausted? Still, we had so much fun!

Desmond's 1st Birthday, a Barnyard Bash!

 The last few weeks I have been overwhelmed with blessings. Ttere have been hardships, as usual, but even through them- blessings have flowed. A couple weeks ago the boys came down with a virus and we had the worst night sleep (aka no sleep). We were showered with offers to bring meals, dessert, and coffee. I was shocked at the outpouring of kindness.

Yesterday we threw Desmond his 1st birthday party. We were once again, so blessed by the entire event. So many friends and family came to wish Des well and they really showered him with gifts. The party was at our friends' home, in their barn...an actual barn, complete with authentic sheep poo! Truly, Mark + Liz have a gorgeous place and it was so generous of them to not only let us have the party there but to help us decorate, set up, and clean up. We are so blessed.

 Des was all smiles just about the entire time. You know how most kiddos have a tantrum at their 1st birthday party, well he only whined a bit when his little boots started to hurt his feet. That was all, what a champ! Sadly, Kai made a grand entrance, complete with melt-down. Which is what happens when he doesn't get his nap and then we put him into a social situation. He warmed up once we brought out the Stomp-Rocket, something I got with his birthday money and waited to pull out at the party.

While I was putting up decorations it began to rain, but it let up and stayed clear the rest of the day. It was so humid though, that even paper things under cover felt a bit soggy. I had a few activities planned that we could do under cover because of the rain; pin the tail on Bulls-Eye and bean bag toss. With no rain, kids were content to run in the field and climb on the tractor, so we never needed the games.

{aunt Kristi played solo}

{our little family, Des with G'Pa, and sweet cousin Delia on the tractor}

Kids and adults alike were entertained by the cider-press. Mark built it himself in college and it was really fun to watch, and the cider was delicious! 

We got the party rolling pretty quickly and started with gifts for a few people who had to leave early. Des received so many gifts, all of them so nice! The boys will be entertained all winter long and then some! 

Shortly after we brought out Desmond's birthday cake and sang to him. My talented mother, who the boys know as Mima, baked a cow cake per my request. Growing up she has made a lot of cakes like this one, and not only are they delicious, but incredibly adorable!

I made Des a banana cake for him to dig into. While we were singing the wind blew out his candle. I nearly attempted to relight it, but knew it was too windy and he wasn't going to be blowing it out anyway. Then he dug in...

Friends and family alike showed up dressed to theme, it made for an even more authentic feel for the whole event. Although, technically, I don't consider my dad as being in costume since this is pretty much his regular attire...

Once our guests were gone and we cleaned our stuff out of the barn, we moved over to the BBQ area and had a little after-party with the immediate family. I had BBQ chicken in the crockpot and Liz provided us with some corn straight from the garden. We had dinner, then moved again to the fire pit to relax and have a few s'mores.

 We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day or a happier birthday boy! Thanks to all who came, and Happy 1st Birthday Des!

Malakai is 3- a photo explosion...Part 1

On July 16th our 1st born turned three. I have no idea how that much time has passed since my sweet baby boy was born...but there you have it.

The Saturday before, we threw a construction themed party at my parents' place. There was swimming,  sand, toys, and treats. I had tirelessly prepared all the decor by hand the week before, but ordered a cake at Costco with just writing on it and just as the party started I decorated it with toys. I think it turned out rather well- the cake, and the party!

{crushed cocoa puffs make for great "dirt"}

{lots of construction gear}

{he was a pro at opening his gifts, a big change from last year!}

He played in sand, refused to swim, sprayed everyone with his new sprinkler toy, and finally decided to wear his hat after the party was over and it was time for bed. It was such a fun party, surrounded by friends and family. Big thanks to my parents for hosting, and everyone else for blessing us with gifts and love!

Part 2 of this post will be how we spent his actual birthday.

Robot Birthday Party

Ben + I decided that as long as Malakai is young enough not to ask for a specific theme for his birthday parties that we'd choose ones we liked. (EDIT: I should say he thoroughly enjoyed the robot theme now that he's old enough to notice). Last year was pirates and this year was between dinosaurs and robots, we went with robots. Of course we always choose a theme that is hard to find premade decorations for, but that means our party ends up one of a kind! Last year's pirates stuff was homemade and a collection of things found and purchased at quite a few different places. This year  pirates stuff is EVERYWHERE, oh well. With robots I found even less store bought things which posed a challenge for favors, but I think I pulled it together pretty well.

I started out with a set of free printables from this website. The original plan was to use these little guys all over everything. When it came time to print just days before the party it turned out that not everything was going to work the way I wanted. I couldn't find a 1" or 2" round craft punch for the cupcake toppers and the water bottle wraps wouldn't work on the cups like I had hoped. I went to picnik and created my own toppers and cup labels as well as a few other items.

I made this little sign to greet guests. This way everyone could just let themselves in and nobody had to stand watch at the door.

I went for an eclectic look using lots of white and primary colors. This also made my shopping a bit easier. I got these adorable party hats at Target and simply printed some robots onto sticker paper and we had instant robot party hats!

I did the same thing with some plain blue cups from the Dollar Tree and served cupcakes on the matching blue plates (but without the robot stickers).

For the cupcakes I just printed the toppers I made with picnik onto cardstock and then cut them with an oval cutter my mother-in-law had. I taped toothpicks to the back and they were ready to go!

I wasn't planning on adding any colored frosting to the cream cheese frosting I made for the funfetti cupcakes, but I had a bunch of blue left over from writing on Kai's cake that I decided to embellish some with 2's and confetti like squiggles.

The little robot guys among the cupcakes are actually bubbles! I found them on amazon.com and used my free 2 day shipping to get them here quick. I had enough to decorate with as well as include one in each favor bag.

For the favor bags I had a little too much fun. I started out looking in stores and online for cute little toys but didn't have much luck. So I went back to my printable robots and stuck them to various things to go with the theme. In addition to the robot bubbles I had made some playdough and simple sealed it up in babyfood jars I had been hanging on to for far too long. I painted the lids with chalkboard paint and then wrote on the tops with chalk ink. I had all of these things at my house already.

The inspiration for make a "dough-bot" came to me as I was putting them together. I was so proud of my cheesy play on words that I had to announce it to Ben as soon as I thought of it. He's so sweet for putting up with me sometimes. The best part is that at first Malakai pronounced the word robot as "dobot" so it was a sweet little touch from him as well.

I grabbed fruit snacks at Target to include at the last minute instead of candy and as I was stuffing the bag I got another random urge to play on words. When I realized that the bags said "Mott's for tots" I had to change it to fit our theme...intro more sticker paper...

I obviously didn't strive for perfection here. It was late at night and I just went to work at getting things DONE. I threw in a couple of robot stickers, topped it with the "thanks for coming" label and that was that.

Ben was tasked with making the robot centerpiece. I bought him a package of foam sheets at the Dollar Tree, borrowed googly eyes and pipe cleaners from his mom, and let him go to work with items we had around the house (and a origami box I made for the head). He did GOOD!

I made some zigzag streamers by cutting opposite sides down regular crepe paper streamers, alternating all the way down. Ben grabbed some balloons at the last minute (local people, Rite Aid is the cheapest to fill balloons at .25cent a piece!)

Ben's mom made this cut out robot and surprised us with it when we came over. 

I also used picnik to make the robot coloring sheets which were quite a hit with Malakai's guests.

Lastly, I embellished a cardboard box with some corrugated craft paper for the favor bags that each little guest got to take on their way out. The favor bags came in handy when Kai's little friends didn't want to leave the birthday presents behind. 

All in all I'm happy with the way it all turned out and am looking forward to decorating for next year already!