skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Henry's birthday party was last Saturday so I am a tad late getting this post cranked out. We decided to have a small party at home with just family and close friends. It was the perfect size and not overwhelming to plan for at all.
Henry had so much fun which is the most important thing. He loved playing in the water table, being passed around to his guests and of course eating some yummy birthday cake.
We served a light dinner of cucumber sandwiches, dips, macaroni and cheese bites and chicken nuggets for the kiddos. Every birthday party seems to have a tray of Chick fil A these days. Glass bottled coke, plenty of cold beer and my new favorite punch. Try it, for a refreshing beverage on a hot summer day. It's easy too: 1 can of frozen limeade, pineapple juice, club soda!
Henry's cake was beautiful and delicious! He really went to town on it unlike his sister who barely even tasted her cake.
Sweet Birdie's Nest designed our precious invitations and paper products including the cute banner that I did not take a picture of during the party. I chose red and light blue as the colors so that some of the items could be reused in the coming years and for other events. Themes never seem to work out too well for me but it was easy to use two colors. I might have gone a tad overboard with my colors. Carl may have even suggested that I was a bit OCD. Let's look on the bright side, I am prepared for Valentine's and Christmas plus blue is always a good choice for entertaining.
Sweet Lu Lu was my source for candles, straws, ribbon and decorations. I love that website!
Henry was exhausted after the party and went straight to bed. Although, not for long because he had an upset tummy and did not sleep at all. Poor little guy!
Henry's party was a success! Still cannot believe that my sweet little boy is 1.
I always enjoy reading the real story . . .
Behind the Scenes:
I spent weeks scouring stores for blue and red decorations finally settling on gumballs, red hots and red shredded paper. Then, got real friendly with the glue gun, attaching ribbon to all my glass containers.
Carl bought a blue shirt and forgot to check the size. It was a small! We thought this was hysterical! Funny part, was that it actually fit!
Henry was walking around our room after his shower and made a little deposit on the floor just a few minutes before our guests arrived. Maybe Daddy will put the diaper on a little faster next time!
The handle on the fondant wagon that decorated the top of the cake fell off but I just re-attached it with some pink frosting that I had in the pantry.
My mom was extremely helpful and I could not have done it without her help. She ironed, chopped, and put together food all.day.long!
My Dad and brother even matched my color scheme!
Carl and his parents ran errands all over town picking up nuggets, balloons and ice. All those last minute things that have to wait until the very end.
It was literally the hottest day imaginable. Our balloons kept popping and we were all drenched in sweat!
Evie loved all the presents especially the pink watch given to her by Christian and Campbell's grandmother. That watch was a hit!
Take more pictures than you think you'll need because you will always want more than you have! My FIL took lots of pictures and I snapped a few during cake time. I might try to recreate a few scenes this weekend in my spare time.
Next year, we will definitely go somewhere to have the party besides our house!
Evie was long overdue for her first visit to the dentist so I decided this week would be the perfect week since my mom is in town to take care of Henry. I had to wake Evie up from her nap to go to the dentist which is never a good way to start off an activity especially the dentist. Evie chose to take Raffi along for comfort. She cried off and on all the way to the dentist telling me that her teeth were clean because she brushes them at home and that she does not need to go to the dentist. I talked it up BIG time naming all of her friends that have been to the dentist lately and telling her about the cool chair and the new toothbrush.
I braced myself for the worst but Evie was a total rock star! She had a ball once her initial apprehension vanished.
I took Evie to our regular dentist, Dr. Myers. He is wonderful and his office staff is so sweet. Dr. Myers had told me on my last visit that he was happy to see Evie and that dentists are like pizza. You can order pizza from Papa John's and it's good or you can go to Chuckie Cheese and the pizza is good plus the kids are entertained. I'm not a Chuckie Cheese kind of Mama so this worked out just fine.
They worked hard to make Evie's first dental visit a success from playing a kid show on the television, to princess bracelets and even allowing her to try on some surgical gloves. Evie was very impressed with the whole experience and did so much better than I had anticipated.
Evie was such a big girl and did exactly what they told her and used her manners. I am so proud of my big girl and thrilled to report that she received an excellent report from the dentist. Evie has a mouthful of sparkling, white teeth and a new toothbrush with stars and planets to motivate more brushing!
We could not have asked for a better first visit to the dentist.
Dear Henry,
You have been part of our family for an entire year! That just seems unbelievable. You are the sweetest, happiest baby and have made our family complete.
You have almost tripled your birth weight from 8 pounds to weighing in now at 22 pounds. Eating is something that you take quite seriously. You'd sit in your highchair eating all day if you could. Anything from raspberries to tacos can be found on your tray. Although, nothing stays on your tray long. It either goes in your belly or lands on the floor.
You are wearing mostly 12 month clothes along with some 18 month clothes. It's harder to get clothes to fit you than it was for your sister. Dresses are a lot more forgiving than jon-jons.
Bedtime is between 6:30 and 7:30. You are quite flexible about sleeping. Nap time is around 9 and then again around 1:30 or 2. Both naps are about 1.5 hours now although the morning one is sometimes extended when you are really exhausted. You are sleeping through the night most nights but teething causes lots of sleep issues for you my friend. Your mouth is full of teeth. It seems like a new one pops through your gum weekly. Your clothes are covered in drool and you gnaw on everything from fingers to watermelon rinds.
You are walking a lot. Every day, you crawl a little less and walk a little more. We took you for your first haircut this morning so maybe all the comments about what a beautiful girl you are will stop. Cutting of those precious curls took away some of your baby look. Trust me, you were overdue for a haircut.
Busy is your middle name especially if you spot a tasty snack. Before I know it, you are all the way across the room, trying to mumch on your latest treasure. You climb the furniture, the hearth and even the bathtub. You play independently and can spend a lot of time trying to figure things out. Everything is fair game including strollers, grocery carts and lawnmowers. You push those toys all over the house with a huge grin spread across your face.
I always knew that I wanted a daughter but never imagined that having a son would be so incredible. It really is true that little boys love their Mama. You rest your little head on my shoulder, clap with joy when you see me and kiss me all day long. You love your Daddy and sister too although Evie is starting to give more hugs than you might prefer.
I made a quick trip to the grocery store tonight and it seemed so strange to be shopping on your birthday when last year I was holding you and memorizing the features of your beautiful face. So much has changed in this last year, from the color of your hair to the size of your hands but you are still my baby. Part of me, will always think of you as that tiny little bundle of joy in the hospital even when you are 6 feet tall and have your own family.
Henry, you are our beloved son and we are so incredibly grateful for your life. It is our honor and privilege to be your parents and to love you for all the days of our life. You are the perfect son for us and we love you more than you will ever know until you have a baby of your own one day. Happy Birthday, Henry!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
We had a fun holiday! It was laid-back without too many plans which is always a nice way to spend a holiday. We headed to the pool for the morning with our two little fish. Evie and Henry both LOVE the water and would spend the entire day there. It's pretty exhausting to keep up with Henry since he is all over the place but it sure makes for a great nap time. Our pool had a 4th of July party with pizza, sno-cones, and watermelon that were free for everyone. Now, that's something to celebrate!
Evie rested in her bed but did not sleep which made me a basket case because I knew that'd she be up late for the fireworks. Carl and I made it clear that crying and whining would result in not going to see the fireworks. I think the excitement of the 4th plus being with her boys kept her in high spirits.
We enjoyed a delicious meal of skirt steak, an awesome corn salad and bread with our favorite neighbors. It was all so yummy! I had four helpings of the corn salad. Brownies and watermelon were served for dessert. Henry LOVES watermelon and was covered from head to toe but that's okay because I never leave the house without an extra shirt for my messy boy.
Courtney and I took a few shots of our adorable children.
Then loaded the kids in the wagons for a walk over to the park to view the fireworks. There was some type of delay and it felt like the fireworks were NEVER going to start. Our kids were entertained with glow-in-the dark necklaces and running around the field. We were all relieved when they fireworks finally began. Evie liked them and then said they were too "soundy" but then decided again that she liked them. Henry stood next to me with his sweet little hand on my shoulder in awe of the bright colors lighting up the night sky. They were beautiful! We finally got everyone tucked into bed by about 11. It was a long day! Our kids had a ball and we did too. Hope you had a fun July the 4th too!
Of course, I kept reminsicing about last July the 4th, when I was as big as a house and Henry was scheduled to be born the next day. It seems like just yesterday in so many ways but I sure would not want to repeat the sleepless nights again. I snuggled my Henry a little longer last night and could not resist snapping a few pictures of my sleeping baby which caused him to wake up. That did not bother me though because it gave me more chances for snuggles and to plaster kisses on his soft cheek.
It seemed like just yesterday that Henry's feet looked like this.
He went shoe shopping for the first time this morning. Well, maybe not the first time, but the first time for shoes for himself! Of course, we went to Stride Rite because they know the most about baby feet. I am probably in the minority on this one but I just love baby feet without shoes. Now, that Henry is walking so much, it's time to cover those little feet to keep them clean and protected.
Sweet Henry, wears a 4 - 4.5 and his foot is exceptionally wide. He's not so sure about this wearing shoes business. However, Evie is over the moon with excitement for her brother. She's spent most of the day trying to put shoes on Henry and telling him to sit still just one more minute as she tries to cram his foot inside every shoe in his closet. Campbell and Christian have been so kind to let Henry borrow their shoes so we have a wide assortment to choose from.Henry has every type of shoe on his foot today from saddle shoes to water shoes. I am still not sure about the ones that we bought today because they are already tight and you know baby feet grow faster than watermelons.
We had such a relaxing, laid-back weekend which is just what we needed after our busy week. Henry is finally feeling better and Evie kept us entertained with all of her antics.
Friday: Carl arrived home from Chatanooga just after Evie woke up from her extended nap. She crashed after her busy days at camp without a nap. I finally woke her up about 5 so that'd she still go to bed that night. Of course, I had to snap a quick picture since it's rare to catch Evie sleeping on camera. Carl was determined to grill even though it was the hottest day of the year. He grilled chicken and we had fresh veggies from our sitter's garden. Delicious! Henry received a few presents and thought it was so fun opening them. He really got into it which made us all laugh. Aunt Libby and Mamaw sent him some cookie monster stuff and two blue shirts. Henry thinks cookie monster is so funny! Carl grew up only opening presents on his birthday but we think it's fun to spread the fun out with our kids. It's important to me that my children learn to appreciate everything that they are given and they enjoy everything more if they open just a few things at a time. Kids get way more presents now than they did when we were growing up so it seems especially important to spread the gluttony out. Evie happily offered her assistance with opening the presents.
Saturday: Henry and Evie woke up about 7:30 which was a nice start to a Saturday morning. It was Carl's turn to sleep late so I tried to entertain the children quietly. After Carl woke up, we decided to go swimming to cool off a bit. We picked up lunch at the pool and it was nothing to even write about. At least, we will not have to repeat that meal since we know to just stick with a smoothie or our own snacks. Nap time was a breeze after the morning at the pool. We did a few things around the house after the kids woke up from their nap. I went to run a few errands and to get some Thai food for dinner. I was bound and determined to make my grocery budget work so our cupboards were pretty bare since it was the end of the month. Mission accomplished, I was able to stay under budget on groceries with only $2 to spare! Food prices are soaring and Henry eats so much that I may need to raise my budget a little. It helps me to have a baseline number that I try to stay under although we surpassed our eating out budget this month. Oh well, you win some and you lose some.
Sunday: Henry woke up bright and early around 5. It was Carl's day to get up with him and I was able to sleep in until Evie woke up about 7. We barely made it out the door for church since it takes a Sunday miracle to get us all ready and out the door for church. It's really impressive that our parents were able to get us out the door to church every Sunday while we were growing up. Evie and Henry were in the same nursery this morning and had a ball as they were complimented to the ends of the Earth by the little old lady in the nursery. We decided to brave lunch out since I had not made it out to the grocery store yet. City Cafe is always a good choice as long as we time our arrival before the Methodist church across the street gets out of services. Everyone in town seems to love this place so we were fortunate to arrive just in time. Henry and Evie did really well but we always have buyers remorse after eating out since it's so expensive but it's fun to get a reprieve from kitchen duty. Dessert was well-worth our visit - Hershey's Chocolate cake. YUMMY! We made it back home just in time for naps. Publix was my nap time destination along with all the other Sunday shoppers. It was time for the pool when I got back home. Evie and Henry really love the water and it's amazing to see them make so much progress as the summer progresses. Evie loves the water slide and bravely goes down without a flotation device. It was one of those afternoons that I want to always remember seeing Evie's face light up as she ate her ice-cream cone and vanilla ice cream was spread from her nose to her chin, seeing Henry snuggle with Carl both with big grins on their faces and the respite from everyday life that is filled with a never-ending to do list because this what I want to remember about my family and what I want them to remember about us: FUN. That to-do list will always be there, my children will not always be young and soon they will do anything to escape Sunday afternoons at the pool with their parents. It was so much fun that we stayed until the pool closed then had a quick snack supper at home , showers for everyone and then it was bedtime. It was a fantastic weekend! Hope y'all had a fantastic weekend too.
