FBA (First Birthday Aftermath)

I gotta admit, we threw an ROCKIN' Winnie-the-Pooh party for Isaiah yesterday. Here are a few shots of the set up. I had a BLAST gathering ideas (thank you, Pinterest) and then creating the ones that seemed the most feasible. This party was the perfect way for me to cap off Isaiah's 1st year and it was just the creative outlet I needed for summer break.

I found this adorable Winne the Pooh onesie on clearance at the Disney store. Then my sister cut off the long sleeves and turned them into leggings. How cute is this kid?! 

We had a wonderful time with our friends and family. Lots of people came to celebrate our big boy. We had yards games like Corn Hole, Kan Jam, and Polish Horseshoes for the adults. We had a pinata, a swing, and a Winnie the Pooh reading corner for the kiddos. And of course there was the cake smash. Let's just say this was NOT Isaiah's first taste of sweet stuff. So he knew exactly what to do when that cupcake hit his highchair. Notice the cupcake is upside down in the middle picture? That would be because Isaiah started with a fistful of icing, and never really made it to the cake portion...

 The only downside to the day was Isaiah's nap schedule. He only napped for 45 minutes after church so he didn't make it long into his party before he was ready for another nap. He went down around 3:30 and slept until 5:30. Just in time for his party to be over and for the present opening to BEGIN. Now, when I created the invitations, I specifically put "Gifts are not expected" so that people would not feel obligated to bring anything, but to just enjoy the party. Well... people brought gifts. LOTS of them! Since gift giving is a love language, we know for certain Isaiah is loved. (Notice all the random lids, hangers, and plastic kitchen utensils? Some friends asked what Isaiah liked to play with and I jokingly said "Oh you know, normal baby toys like bottles, tupperware, spoons, etc." So they went along with the joke and gifted their odds and ends to us. Gee... thanks Jake & Jackie.

Now we come to today.
I woke up with a pretty nasty headache and have fought it all day. And I have zero energy to do anything. I took Isaiah for his 1 year check up and was struggling just to focus on all the doctor was saying. Blech. With an active and very curious 1 year old running crawling around, not having any energy makes for a very messy day. Here's an example. I was laying on the couch with a cold washcloth on my forehead, trying to beat my headache whilst watching Isaiah empty a box of tissues one sheet at a time. He then proceeded to tear each tissue into tiny shreds. And I just watched him. I didn't stop him. I didn't even tell him no in the hopes that he's understand me and find a new toy. Nope. Just watched him enjoy what was likely the highlight of his little day (he is forever trying to get at that tissue box.)  At least one us has the energy to do something today. So I decided to name my troubled day. Yup, I made up a syndrome. I call it First Birthday Aftermath. I imagine I will suffer from this malady every year and will have to yearly update my syndrome but I also don't plan on throwing such a slam bang party every year. I think the only cure is to start planning another party...

Notice the tissues off to the right? Yeah.

The Throes of Labor

So exactly this time 365 days ago I was in the THROES of labor with Isaiah! My water broke at 7:30pm and I labored on the floor next to our bed all night. Daniel caught snatches of sleep, waking every few hours to see if I needed anything. Finally at 6am he called Dena, our doula and she came and helped me labor for another 6 hours before we finally went to the hospital! Isaiah was born naturally at 3:30pm Saturday August 18.

It's funny how memories can dim, even just after 1 year. I have ZERO recollection of the the physical pain of labor. I remember telling Daniel how badly it hurt. I remember begging for an epidural about 12 hours in (my labor lasted 18 hours) but I simply could not describe the pain of a contraction to you... It's odd really. I DO remember the feeling of that final push that fully released Isaiah and a feeling of shock and awe washing over me as I held my newborn son.

But of course it was worth it. I so do not regret having a natural labor. Isaiah was so aware and alert after I delivered him. I truly loved laboring at home instead of hooked up in a hospital. I am so so so grateful we decided to hire a doula to help us labor more efficiently at home.

And now here we are, 1 year later with an AWESOME, happy, heart stealing, blue eyed baby boy who is the light of our lives. Oh my how we love this boy. I have planned a SLAM BANG Winnie the Pooh birthday party for him tomorrow. I am very pumped about this party. All I can say is "Thank You Pinterest!" I am very excited to celebrate Isaiah first year of life. Be on the lookout for pictures soon!

Birthday Eve

Tomorrow is my birthday. My 30th birthday. And I'm not that bothered by it. I've always wondered why people fret over their birthdays, or why people won't share their age. You can't keep yourself from aging. You certainly can't avoid the day altogether! Why avoid a day solely dedicated to celebrating a life?













My parents always did an AWESOME job celebrating my birthdays. I remember my 6th birthday, the year I got a bike. My mom made my birthday outfit. And I mean it when I said I ROCKED the early 90's fashion trends. We also did the hot/cold scavenger hunt (you know the drill... the gift giver says "you're getting warmer" when you near the hidden gift.) But the gift was a bike so when my dad wheeled it into the kitchen and my mom screamed "You're hot! You're really hot!" I jumped up and down and squealed. And of course I immediately took my new ride for a spin. Notice the curly ribbons on the handlebars? Oh yeah, baby.

When I turned 10  I got tickets to my very first concert- Paula Abdul. (I already told you I was a child of the 90's, don't judge.) It was an awesome concert too. My mom crimped my hair. We went out to Chi Chi's for dinner beforehand. We had lawn seats down at River Bend. I even got to take my best friend Katie Jostworth. Such a great night!

When I turned 18, we threw a formal dinner + dance for my friends. My parents made this really delicious dinner and we ate on my mom's good china. We strung white Christmas lights in the backyard and borrowed a portable dance floor from our church. My dad even put on a firework display at the end of the night. It was one of the best nights of my life.

29 birthday cards

Daniel's planning something great! 

This year, Daniel is planning something wonderful, I just know it. He's actually been celebrating my birthday all month. You see, tomorrow is my golden birthday. That's right, I'm turning 30 on the 30th. To commemorate Daniel's been giving me a card and/or a card + a small gift every single day this month. He's done an AWESOME job. He has only forgotten twice, which is impressive for a man who says gift giving and receiving is so low on his love language list that it doesn't even register.

So, I've decided my thirties are going to be the best decade yet. Bring on the stability, the maturity, the thrive-ability of a woman loving life and learning to center on Jesus. Hallelujah! Where's the birthday cake?!