Callie's Minnie Birthday Party

Birthday parties have become one of my favorite things to plan for!  Callie's first birthday party was so much fun and perfect for our little 1 year old and her friends.  This year we wanted to do something that would keep all of the kids entertained so that we adults could dive into actual conversations and enjoy the beautiful day!  Planning began while I was on bed rest with Kellan so I had plenty of time to browse Pinterest for fun ideas.  You can check out my party board here to see some of the inspirations for her big day.  

This girl seriously adores her some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  We try to limit her to 1 episode a day, but when she bats those long eyelashes at me and says, "more Mickey, pleeeeeaaassseeee?!" this momma melts into putty and caves... We decided to take it a little more specific and focus mostly on 1 character, Minnie Mouse "Mimmie."  Once that decision was made the planning became super easy!  

I wanted to go with the more modern Minnie Mouse, she wears pink instead of red.  This allowed me to use some decorations from her first party instead of having to completely start from scratch!  Her outfit was a great find on Zulily, perfect for being dressy but still allowing her to bounce to her hearts content!  I also had to try my hand at a Minnie inspired headband and have to say, I love how it turned out!  Super easy, friends... Simply take a black t-shirt and cut 1 inch strips, use your glue gun and roll/twist until you have a rosette.  Add two smaller ones to the top and finish with a ribbon bow!  To make it a little more party ready I added some feathers and a pink shabby flower and then attached it to a headband.  She LOVED her special bow!   This picture was right after I made it so there are still some pesky glue strings on it, but you get the idea!

Dress // here
Leggings // here
Headband // here 

Next came the decorations!  

{I used styrafoam balls and circles, painted them black and then added a pink polka dot bow to make these adorable Minnie Mouse centerpieces.  Add some flowers to pink confetti in a jar, wrap with ribbon and finish off with a chalkboard sticker!}

 

{The photo booth was one of our favorite parts!  Super easy with these awesome props from Etsy! Found here}

 

 {Then I made some pennant banners with construction paper, scrapbook paper and ribbon!  Again, so easy and incredibly affordable!}

{Always a great hit at kid parties; a blow up pool filled with balls, we topped it off with adding the slide!}

 {A view of the entire backyard pre-party}

 {I loved how her sign turned out!  We had the party in the backyard and didn't want guests to have to walk through the house so we made this fun sign to point them in the right direction.  I just used black foam core board, metallic markers, card stock, wooden dowels and foam letter stickers!  It took about 20 minutes to make and worked perfectly!}

 {This was our main attraction... A Mickey Mouse Clubhouse bounce house made specifically for toddlers!  There was a slide, characters and lots of room to bounce!  Even the adults had some fun jumping around inside!}

{I took black paper lanterns and tissue paper to make these adorable Minnie Mouse decorations.  Then I hung them with fishing line over the gift table.}

 {And of course, I had to make her a birthday "chalkboard" again this year.  This was before I added her weight, but you get the idea!  You can find my tutorial for a DIY birthday chalkboard here.}

 {We served hot dogs and "Minnie" caprese burgers for lunch along with some fruit and chips.}

 {Cupcakes made to look like Minnie Mouse made for the perfect dessert!  Thank you, Joanna!}

 {And more random pictures from her big, special day.  She was so tuckered out from jumping all morning that she could hardly muster a smile for her birthday song...}

I'd say the party was a HUGE success.  Everyone took a much needed, long nap that afternoon.  And the best part was not having to clean the house because everything took place outside!  We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful, Texas day!  A little windy, but we ARE in Texas after all. :) Happy 2nd birthday, Callie-Girl!

Remembering His Memory with Shutterfly

Father's Day is fast approaching.  It's a day full of love, family, friends and making the men in our lives feel as special as they really are.  It's the day everyone stops to make that long overdue phone call home or hug their daddy's neck just a little tighter and letting it linger just a moment longer.  It's a truly beautiful day.

Growing up I made my fair share of paper neckties, desk paperweights, and coupons for "Daddy-daughter dates;" all of which my dad graciously and lovingly accepted as tokens of my love and appreciation for him.  Looking back I wish I had done so much more...

It has been over 3 years since losing my dad to suicide and the pain has yet to subside.  I've had babies, changed careers and watched my family transform in ways I never could have imagined and for each event there has been an emptiness that ached in the back of my heart.  Father's day is one of those events that brings bittersweet emotions for me.  Josh has added phenomenal daddy to his list of incredible attributes and I love thinking of new ways to celebrate him on this day, but Father's day will always make me think of and miss my dad as well.  And with those thoughts brings a painful realization that he is not here for me to give a bear hug or say "I love you."

This year I wanted to do something a little different for Father's day.  Most of you know that I use Shutterfly for almost everything.  Each year I've made Callie a book that is displayed at her birthday party and plan to do the same thing for Kellan.  Here are some of my favorite books we've made over the years...

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to view this photo book larger

I am a very crafty person and LOVE scrapbooking, but lets be honest... having a husband, two kids, a career and spending time with friends and family often leaves little to no time to spend crafting, not to mention -- have you seen the prices of stickers and paper these days?  EEESH!  So I've turned to channeling my creativity with Shutterfly.  There are SO many options for every holiday, event and person in your life and I love that you can create your own custom book or have them put your pictures in a book for you.  We even used Shutterfly to create a book that we gave to our parents as our pregnancy announcement for Kellan (see above)! 

I have an older brother and a younger sister that I adore with all of my heart.  Each one of us had a different but incredibly special bond with our dad and we've each handled the loss differently.  I know how difficult Father's day can be for me and can only imagine the depth of pain they feel as well, so this year I wanted to do something for them to make their day a little brighter and maybe help fill the void of our father's absence.  This is where Shutterfly comes into play... I put together a book for each of my siblings with pictures of our dad and us throughout the years in hopes that placing these cherished memories into a permanent book will make this Father's Day a little more special and a little less painful for all of us. 

To start, all you have to do is upload your pictures, choose a book size and then decide either to go through the custom route or to have your book created for you.  Once your book is started you can add stickers and text wherever you'd like to make it more personal.  I could get lost for hours making new layouts and playing with all of the fabulous stickers and captions there are. 

One of the best features is the ability to save your projects in your account (totally free, I might add!) over time.  I love this because we've had family members see our books and say, "I really wish we had one just like this!"  I love being able to say, you can!  You and any loved one can order current and past projects with just the click of a button... It doesn't get easier than that!

Here is the finished Father's Day book...

Click here to view this photo book larger

So this year, as we take the time to celebrate all of the dads in our lives, my family will be embracing the memory of my dad.  He may not be here in person, but his spirit lives on through us - through the precious memories that are forever etched in our hearts and minds.  My hope is that this timeless keepsake can be a bright spot in an otherwise difficult day for my siblings and me.

Daddy - the pain of missing you will never get easier.  Your bright smile and infectious laugh are something I think of everyday and I long to see and hear them more than words have the capacity to express.  This Father's Day I promise to smile and embrace your life, your memory and the incredible father that you were.  Thank you for always being there for me, pushing me to become a Godly woman and believing in me no matter how silly the dream.  Tony, Athena and I will always have a hole in our hearts that cannot be filled in your absence, but we promise to continue holding onto the life we were blessed to share together.  I love you, Daddy. 

Callie Marie - 2 YEARS!!!

Two years... Seriously?  I can't believe I'm old enough to be a mommy, let alone a mommy to a little girl! Callie, you are no longer mommy's little baby... You're officially a toddler and sometimes I have to pinch myself to be reminded that you're actually mine!  

Weight: 23 pounds 6 ounces

Height: 33.5 inches

Head circumference: 47.5 cm

Percentile: 43 % in height, 11% in weight and 51% for head circumference.  You are just like mommy was growing up.  Tall and thin! 

Eating schedule:  You have become the pickiest little eater.  Long gone are the days when you ate everything we put in front of you... Now we are lucky if we can get you to eat three balanced meals.  Mostly you're a fan of crackers and cheese.  We actually have to limit the amount of cheese you get in your diet to keep you from getting backed up.  You LOVE breakfast and are asking to eat before you even get out of your room in the mornings.  "EATY?!"  "Bars" (nutragrain bars) are your preferred breakfast.  You eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Rarely do we give you snacks as an attempt to get you to eat more during meal time. :)

Sleep:  We couldn't ask for a better sleeper.  Bath time starts at 7:00 and by 7:30 you're in bed.  No matter what time you go to bed you'll always wake up around 7 or 7:30 in the morning.  You still sleep in a crib because you've never tried busting out!  Once your brother is sleeping through the night you'll be upgraded to a toddler bed. 

Favorite things:You have these little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse figures that you're simply obsessed with.  Anything little that you can fit into cups, buckets, baskets or Daddy's hands is your favorite thing.  You love reading books, especially Brown Bear and your Bible (you always try to find the picture of Moses in the basket and say "baby!").  You are our little dancer girl, seriously any time you hear music your little knees start bouncing and your elbows wave around in the air.  It's simply adorable watching you dance!  Playing baby with your many baby dolls is also a favorite pass time - you're a great little momma (and big sister!).  Other favorites are the "wee" (slide), playing outside, baths, craisins, your kitchen and anything that has to do with spending time with your family. 

Milestones: Praise the Lord almighty, you are potty trained!  At 23 months you decided it was time.  We did the 3 day potty training technique and by day two you had it down!  We couldn't be more proud of you.  You still have accidents now and then (and I swear each time I'm gonna lose my mind) but for the most part you've got it completely down!  Your vocabulary is through the roof and you talk NONSTOP... unless we try to get you to show off in front of other people - then you get uber shy and don't say a single word.  Thanks a lot for that, kid. :)  Here are a few of our favorite things you say:

• You call going potty "Shoo-Shoo"
• When you ask to eat you still sign "eat" and say "EATY!"
• You call Riley "Kiki" and love yelling at Charlie "CHAR-CHAR!"
• You call the slide and swings a "wee"
• "I got-chew!"  Something Mommy says to brother when he's crying that you now say when we hold you over the potty or when you're playing with babies. 
• "Hold you?"  or "I carry you!" is how you ask to be held or carried.  
• You call daddy's boots "boops"  
• Boobies are "Boo-Boos" and you enjoy pointing them out any time you can... 
• You call your crib a "ni-night"
• Jesus Loves Me is your favorite bed time song, but if we try to sing it at any other time you throw your hand up and say, "NO NO NO!"  
• Family names that you've changed are "Kinsey" (Kinsley), "Hime" (Aunt Jamie), "Melame" (Aunt Melanie)
• Watermelon - "Water-melame" - see above for Melanie :)
• When we gave you new sheets for your bed I asked if you liked them and now every time you see them you say, "I LIKE IT!"

 Clothing/Diaper size: You wear 18 month pants/skirts/shorts and a 2T for shirts and dresses.  Thank goodness you're no longer in diapers, but you finished in size 3.  Now you wear big girl panties in size 2T.  

Callie-Girl we are so proud to call you daughter and love you more as each day passes.  Though we have moments of frustrations - terrible twos are on their way - just a simple hug or "I love you" from you makes it all disappear.  You've really grown into an incredible big sister and had no issues when Kellan joined our family.  Your heart for others and ability to show empathy is incredible for your age, you always give hugs when someone is hurt and try to make them feel better with lots of kisses and hugs.  It has been our absolute pleasure watching you turn into a little girl and we cannot wait to see what this next year has in store!  Thank you for being such a wonderful daughter and sister, we love you to pieces - more than you'll ever know!!  

Kellan 2 Months

This is a little late... But better late than never, right? :)

Sweet boy, you have changed our lives in a way I never could have expected!  Two months have flown by right before our eyes and it's almost unbelievable how much you've grown.  God has truly blessed us with so many answered prayers and we couldn't be more thankful.  

Weight: 9 lbs 8 oz I think all of your weight gain was in your cheeks, little man!

Height: 20.5 inches

Head circumference: 36.5 cm

Percentile: 1st in all 3 categories 

Eating schedule:  This month you slowed down on your feedings and we've been struggling with some pretty severe reflux.  You eat every 3 hours (sometimes less than that) for 10-15 minutes.  The biggest challenge has been getting you to keep your milk in your tummy and not all over Mommy and the couch! 

Sleep:  You still sleep most of the day, but are starting to have some really alert moments, even a few smiles!  Night time is no fun yet, you wake up twice to eat and sometimes getting you back to sleep is quite a chore!

Favorite things: Your smiles absolutely melt my heart!  I absolutely adore your baby blue eyes and snuggles.  You love hearing mommy's voice and try to find it no matter who's holding you.  So far you're different from sister, she loved the swing and bath time and you don't really care for either.  You're a serious little dude and snore when you're trying to fall asleep or are waking up. :)

Milestones: You are growing like a champ!  You also had your first medical issue when your tear duct got clogged giving you pink eye.  Poor baby, but it went away really quickly and didn't seem to bother you too much!

Clothing/Diaper size: Newborn and 0-3 months.  Size 1 diapers.