Living Joyfully

Amelia's Second Sesame Street Birthday Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:00:00 +0000

Yeah, it's been awhile since I blogged. Sorry about that. I make no promises I will blog any more consistently (2 kids on me at all times)

BUT I thought I needed to blog about Amelia's Second Birthday Party (that was in November!) We had lots of fun and had some little friends from church come over for our little extravaganza!

Planning:
I pinned and pinned to my little heart to get ideas for her party. I should be a professional pinner! (You can check my Pinterest board for ideas)Now I just needed the time to actually do it!

I designed her invitation on Photoshop and I loved it! I thought it was a great way to set off the party. I listed it on My Etsy Shop and have actually received a few orders on it!

One of my favorite projects where the Letter Characters! I bought the paper mache letters from Hobby Lobby and painted them with craft paint and went to town with construction paper and glue. Amelia loved them! I tested her with each one to see if she could name the character and she could so I figured I didn't half bad!

Here is her Balloon Wreath (it's now hanging on her bedroom door).

I didn't get a good picture but I painted Elmo and Cookie Monster on cardboard and they were hanging out at the party to greet the guests!

I made character Pom Poms (because what is a party without pom poms!) I made Elmo, Oscar, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Grove, Abby, and Big Bird! It's hard to get a good picture of them because they were constantly twirling.

One of my favorite projects was the Sesame Street Lamp Post because what is Sesame Street light? I used this tutorial. It hangs out in our bonus room now.

We found this lamp posts in storage at church and thought they set off the scene perfectly.

Our happy little family before we sang Happy Birthday!

Amelia loved the party!!

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Pumpkin Patch

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0000

We all went to the Pumpkin Patch last week. We went on the coldest day so far. It was 57 degrees but it felt much colder! This little farm is only like 15 minutes from our house.

When we first pulled up Amelia was very excited. We had to take a hay ride out to the field. At first she didn't know what to think!

Last year we went and we didn't realize there were things to do but this year we spent $2 to buy some goat food. Amelia thought it was the best thing ever! I knew she would like it but considering we have zoo passes and feed the goats there I didn't think she would react so strongly!

Of course we had to take a photo op of the cutest pumpkin in the patch! Any time you shoot the phone at her she says CHEESE!

Then it was off to the field to find our pumpkins. Amelia helped us pick them out and really wanted to carry all of them. We picked out 2 pumpkins and of course Amelia had to carry the smaller one.

Look how proud she was carrying her pumpkin back!

We had a lot of fun for a quick trip. Although we had to pass by a bouncy house and Amelia really wanted to go up this huge slide. Too bad we didn't buy any tickets!

PS I use Google Plus and it made these motion graphic for me. Too funny

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Five on Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 13:28:00 +0000

I am linking up to The Good Life's Blog Five On Friday link up.

[ONE]
We went to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday. A whole post to come. We had lots of fun on a chilly afternoon. Officially felt like fall!

[TWO]
I have to work on Halloween again. Bummer! I hope I can get off early. I got Amelia a little Sofia the First dress yesterday because she loves Sofia and pretty much wore it all day. If she can't wear it for Halloween, we can start a dress up bin! Joe said we should find a bunny costume for Liam and he can be Clover!

[THREE]
I really want to get some nice boots this winter. My wardrobe has seriously lacked the last few years. I have been trying to decorate a house then clothe either my pregnant belly or my babies that I haven't bought anything for myself. I think these boots are super cute. But spending $100 on shoes probably not happening soon!

[FOUR]

I am really starting to get more done for the birthday party in a couple of weeks. Last year I said I wasn't going to do this again and here I am! Kids parties are fun to plan but I know I get more stressed out than I should! I'm just excited for Amelia to see the finished product. She knows all the characters so I hope its fun for her!

[FIVE]
I need to do something with toy storage. They are kind of crazy. I never put up a lot of baby toys because I knew Liam would like them soon. I need to come with a system that Amelia only has access to some toys at a time and rotate. Anyone have any thoughts?

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The Blessing Box

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 01:47:00 +0000

I am linking up to The Blessing Box. I know I always need to be thoughtful and grateful for the blessings God has given to me. There is a quote I hear on the radio. "What if you woke up this morning with only what you thanked God for yesterday?

So today I am thankful for my little family.

There were moments when I was not sure we would get here let alone have 2 beautiful babies our in laps. Sure my days are filled with little sleep, lots of diapers, and more tears than I can count. But we are filled with lots of love, snuggles, giggles, and I love yous!

I am thankful for my little princess who lights up my world with her big hugs, how she screams when Sofia comes on TV, and her stubborn instance that she needs a CRACKER!! I love picking her up from her Sunday school class and her running and yelling MAMA!! She has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger.

I am also thankful for this sweet unexpected blessing. He looks just likes his Daddy. Who loves his mama and gives the sweetest smiles that light up his whole face. How he has peed on many people in his short little life, even his Pediatrician who said that hasn't happened in years. And how he fits perfectly in our little family.

So I am immeasurably blessed!

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Having 2 Under 2

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 23:57:00 +0000

Since Amelia is going to be 2 in a couple of weeks I decided to bookmark the time in our lives when we had 2 under 2. I remember when I found out I was pregnant with Liam thinking how am I going to do it? Even that first hour after he was born I said to Joe we must be crazy! And maybe we are!

I have learned a few things since having my second child. You quickly learn to prioritize and multitask, especially when they are both crying.

I was also scared going in public with them at first by myself. But I decided it doesn't get easier until you try. So I went to Target. I put Amelia in the front of the cart and Liam in his car seat in the cart and we survived, but maybe not quietly!

Amelia really does do well with the baby. Probably every day we have to let her hold him for all of 30 seconds before she is ready for something else. She is also really good at getting his pacifier in while he is upset and I am cooking dinner. He thinks she is pretty funny and loves to smile at her. We have our moments of jealousy especially if we are at church and Amelia is unsure and wants me to hold her. I try to give lots of hugs and reasurrances.

What I have Learned
-I really have to go out of my way to get some special time with Amelia. Whether that is just snuggling on the couch, reading books together, or having a dance party in the kitchen.

-I really try to let Amelia help with the baby. She loves to help him get a bath and get me things.

-We talked about the baby before he came but she was young so probably didn't understand much. At least she knew the word baby.

-Again I love my carriers. I used the moby wrap when he was small and starting to transition more the ergo which gives me better support on my shoulders.

-Amelia takes afternoon nap so I really try to get him down at the same time so I don't go too crazy during the day.

Does anyone have any tips for having 2 little ones?

Liam's Alligator Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 06:25:00 +0000

When we found out Liam was a boy I set out to make a sweet little nursery for him. I originally wanted a circus themed nursery but Joe nixed that idea pretty quickly. After searching for ideas, I decided on the Pottery Barn Madras bedding and based my design off of it. I liked the primary colors used, especially the green and navy. Then the alligators were very cute and you know I am always up for a good theme!

The room was originally our office which is code word for junk room and painted green. Once we cleaned it out we decided to keep a green strip to make it more interesting. It took probably an hour to tape it off and Joe painted the room for me.

Because it was a boy's room I liked the dark wood tones of the crib and strong lines. I think it plays off the color scheme well. The chair was another affordable craigslist find. I would love a big upholstered chair in there for all the rocking but it wasn't what we could afford. I found the alligator prints on etsy and framed them. I think they are adorable above his crib.

The curtains were inexpensive Ikea white curtains. I used a cheap twin flat bed sheet from Walmart and used no sew hem tape to make the stripes. They were time consuming to make but they may be my favorite part of the room.

The dresser was a craigslist find. I had been searching for an affordable piece that I could make over. The weekend before Liam was born I found it and we picked it up on the way to the hospital! I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Aubusson Blue. I found the idea of the peg board on Pinterest and I love how it turned out! I showed my dad a tutorial and he made it for me when we were in Indiana. I then used stain on the frame. I also love the wall shelf to display more cute things!

I had fun decorating the bookshelf with mostly things I found around the house. I brought some old toys of Amelia and put them in a basket (which Amelia loves to raid!) I also love the Jellycat Alligator (he shows up in Liam's monthly pictures).

Source List

Davinci Crib
Pottery Barn Madras Bedding
Davinci Bookcase
Jellycat Gator
Pearhead Alligator Bank
Alligator Wall Prints
Ikea Wall Shelf

Oh and the cutest baby in the nursery!

What do you think?

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Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street? LIVE!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0000

We took Amelia and Liam to see Sesame Street Live recently. I just happened to look to see if there were any shows nearby and there was one semi close so we decided to go.

We talked about it for a few days before we went. That morning we dressed Amelia in her I LOVE ELMO shirt (that barely fit) and grabbed her Elmo stuffed animal and off we went. Melmo is what she calls Elmo!(so cute!)

Amelia was very excited when we got there and kept saying Melmo! and Cookie! When the show started she sat in my lap in awe of what was going on. As it continued she got the wiggles and couldn't sit in her seat. It also didn't help that we were right next to the stairs and she wanted to climb them. We got her popcorn to entertain her but we did have to leave a little early because she was starting to throw a big fit because she wanted to run around. Liam was a little trooper and only got a little fussy when we had to keep switching off to make Amelia happy. I hoped we could stay the whole time and really did think Amelia would sit still better but she is my wiggly busy (almost) 2 year old.

The show was cute with lots of singing and dancing and all of the main characters. I was still confused how they got their mouths to move when they were in the costume. Especially Big Bird!

Sorry for my bad iphone pictures! Amelia is especially blurry!

She does love Sesame Street so much so that her 2nd Birthday Party is all Sesame Street. I am knee deep in planning for it. That means pinning a whole bunch of stuff and not actually doing anything yet. I have designed the invitations and a birthday banner and ordered the cake.

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Liam is 3 Months!!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 02:35:00 +0000

Can't believe that I have had my little man for 3 whole months now. He is the cutest little boy I have ever laid eyes on (I'm not biased or anything! haha)

This month I am seeing him smile more and more and even getting little laughs from him. He is quite a little talker. Of course he is still quite the momma's boy! And do you see how his hair sticks up in the back. Yep I can't control it!

Liam is still my breastfed baby! He takes bottles okay when I am gone (only because he has to!). He usually eats about every 3 hours, sometimes more and sometimes less.

He usually wakes up for the day between 7-8. He will cat nap in the morning and then take a good nap in the afternoon in his swing. He will sometimes take a little evening nap and is usually asleep around 9:39 if not sooner. He usually wakes up once or twice during the night to eat but goes right back to bed. He still sleeps in our room with us. He is the fussiest in the evenings and hopefully we are outgrowing this phase soon!

I have gone back to work this month and has spent more and more time with his daddy. That time away kills me! Look at this trio. Too much! He thinks his big sister is pretty funny and likes to watch all that she does.

Likes
Momma!
Snuggling!
Amelia
Taking his clothes off
His changing pad

Dislikes
Car rides
Not being with Momma

Liam James we love you to the moon and back a thousand times!

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Amelia

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 13:23:00 +0000

I haven't done an Amelia post in FOREVER! That could be because I totally slacked on blogging.

Amelia is 22 months now. Which means that she is almost 2...cue the tears!! Amelia likes to take life full on. She is quite a determined little girl but also one of the sweetest! She loves to give noisy kisses to everybody, even the dogs.

She weighs 31 pounds, wears 2T clothes (but outgrowing those fast), size 6 shoes, and size 5 diapers. She has 13 teeth, all four top and bottom, four molars and one incisor.

She really is a good big sister to Liam. She has her moments where she can be jealous, especially if Joe is holding the baby. But she loves to give kisses and pat his back. And she always thinks he needs his pacifier in at all times and wants to make sure he has it. She has become quite the talker, especially since I was home on maternity leave. She says about 30 words and learning new words all the time! It's much nicer that she can tell me what she wants instead of just crying. She says Milk for all drinks, Melmo for Elmo! She knows most of her body parts and lots of Animal noises.

Eating has become more of a struggle with her. She LOVES fruit. If she could only eat fruit she would be a happy clam. Our struggles come when we don't give her as much fruit as she wants to encourage her to eat other things, which that list is dwindling. My good eater is drifting away!
Her favorites are fruit, Sesame Street, Sofia the first, baby dolls, and of course Mommy Daddy and Liam! Baby girl mommy loves you to the moon and back!!
PS Here is a video of my big girl who rode a ride at Holiday World all by herself!

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A Day in the Life with 2

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:00:00 +0000

I have written a couple day in the life posts when Amelia was smaller here and here. They are mostly for me to look back on to see how my life was then and how different it is. Now I have 2 small children who are still very dependent on me for everything so my days are pretty busy usually!

3:00 AM Liam wakes up for his first feeding. Sometime he wakes up earlier for this. He eats and falls right back to sleep. It takes me a few minutes after him to fall back asleep.

7 am I hear both Amelia and Liam stirring. Joe goes and gets Amelia and brings her in bed with us. We watch Sesame Street while I feed Liam in bed.

7:45 We leave because I had left my car at church on Sunday so I drive Joe to work. On the way home I run (which is an oxymoron with two kids) into the grocery store to get some celery and chicken broth I needed for dinner. I go to the self check out lane which takes way longer because it wouldn't read my gift card!

0830 We get home and I bake some ~~homemade~~ cinnamon rolls I had in the fridge and I turn on Sofia the first to appease Amelia while we wait. I also feed Liam again because he is pretty fussy after the car ride. Amelia eats a whole big cinnamon roll.

0930 Liam is happily awake in his swing so Amelia and I do some "preschool" which really involves playing, reading, and doing crafts. I am using ABC Jesus Loves Me. It is a pretty simple things to teach that week, colors to focus on. She's not quite 2 but I thought it can't hurt to try. We sing songs, read, and I decided to let her finger paint for the first time. Amelia had lots of fun and made a mess!

10:15 Amelia has fingerpaint all over so I decide she should take a bath. She is playing happily for awhile when all of a sudden she is fussing and I noticed CODE BROWN!! I get her out quickly and clean the bathtub. Liam is catnapping still in his swing.

1045 We play with our shape sorter which means Amelia watches me sort the shapes (smart cookie).

1100 Liam is over the swing so I feed him then we all go upstairs to the playroom. Amelia has a little slide she plays with and Liam and I snuggle on the couch.

11:30 Amelia is getting more fussy so I take her downstairs and start lunch. I make her a grilled cheese and fruit but all she wants it the fruit. I put Liam in my moby wrap because he is very fussy and tired.

12:00 I put Amelia down for her nap. I come downstairs and put Liam in his sleep sack and rock him to sleep. He falls asleep and I just snuggle him for awhile and read blogs, facebook, etc.

1:00 I try to pick up the house, do a load of laundry, shower. About 2:30 I realize this is too good to be true! I really didn't know what to do with myself to have them both asleep. It really never happens this long!

3:30 Amelia finally wakes up! I am trying to transition Amelia to one nap a day so I thinks she was extra tired. We spend 30 minutes in her room reading all of her books together. Around 4 we come back downstairs to check on a sleeping Liam.

4:30 I start making dinner. I am making Pioneer Woman Perfect Potato Soup. Joe gets home soon after and takes care of Liam who finally wakes up! I am quickly trying to get it together because I know Liam is hungry now! We trade off and I put Joe to watch the soup and I feed Liam.

5:30 After an unfortunate incident with a hot soup, blender, and my hands, I finally get a bowl of soup while Joe holds Liam. Amelia is starting to fall apart a little and wouldn't eat any dinner and was screaming to eat a whole bag of oranges. After a time out she does calm down.

7:00 We all hang out downstairs together and play. I change a dirty diaper of Amelia's and notice she has a bad diaper rash. :( I put her pjs on. Joe takes Liam upstairs and puts him in his pjs.

0830 We brush Amelia's teeth, give our kisses, read our night time devotion and prayer and I put Amelia to bed. I then take Liam upstairs and feed him. I swaddle him up and he falls asleep by 9:15. Joe comes upstairs and we watch TV and we fall asleep by 10:30.

So there you have it. Exciting life huh?! I wouldn't trade these days with my babies home for anything and because I am going back to work next week.

2 points if you read this whole post!

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Liam is 2 Months!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 15:57:00 +0000

Liam's first 2 months flew by! It was a month full of snuggles, family, playing, and growing.

Last week he was 13 lbs 2 oz (75%) and 24" (90%). Another baby getting their height from Daddy! He grew so much this month! I am squeezing him into size 1 diapers to finish a box and wears 0-3 month clothes but can fit 3-6 months. He nurses every 2-3 hours during the day. At night he will go 3-4 hours. He has taken a bottle and did great with it!

He is starting to smile more and talk to us. Amelia still loves him but still working on being gentle with him. I really hope that they have a special relationship as they grow up.

I forgot with Amelia how hard we fight to get naps. He cat naps during the day and does better at night. Two nights ago he slept from 8 pm to 6 am! I started using the sleep sack with the swaddle and he goes much longer!

He enjoys being in his swing and of course being held. I also use the moby wrap with him. I am still his favorite but he is starting to love his Daddy! We love our little boy so much!

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Liam's First Month

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Liam's first month flew by! It was spent with lots of time with family and adjusting to being a family of four!

Liam is very sweet little boy. He is a good nurser. It took us a little bit to get him latched on but we soon figured out what we were doing. At first he wanted to nurse every 1 1/2 hours during the day and 2-3 hours at night. He gained weight pretty quickly. He weight 7 lbs 8 ounces at birth. By his 2 1/2 week appointment he was 8 lbs 5 ounces. He is slowly outgrowing his newborn outfits by the end of the month and still using newborn diapers.

He was pretty much attached to me the whole month. I was the only one who could calm him. He slept in his rock n play sleeper next to me like Amelia did.

Amelia is adjusting to not being an only child. Amelia loves Liam but sometimes struggles if we are holding him when she wants to be held. She is also still learning how to be gentle with him. There have been burst of anger with him but we are working on it. She loves to find out where he is and say Baby!

Right after we came home from the hospital, my parents came for a few days to help us. We started getting the nursery organized, and really tried to love on Amelia as she was adjusting. Then we had a 2 weeks alone, one of those weeks I was home with both kids. Liam was a pretty good sleeper during the day then.

Joe went out of town on a mission trip with the students so my parents came back in town for a week to help. Then Liam started his fussy stage, especially in the evenings! I was starting to worry that he was going to be a colicy baby. The next week Joe's parents came to stay. We were definitely getting spoiled by the grandparents!

We love you William James! I sometimes forget what our family was like before you came because it seems like you were always there! We love your baby snuggles, daddy side eyes, and constant reminder that you are God's gift to us!

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Liam's Birth Story

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 02:44:00 +0000

Here is the story of Liam's entrance in the world (if this doesn't interest you, don't read!)

My pregnancy with Liam was not bad by comparison to many others I see at the hospital. I was just very tired for a lot of it. That could have something to do with a very busy toddler that I didn't get to rest as much as I did with Amelia. When I went to my 38 week appointment, my blood pressure was high. The doctor explained that with elevated BP the goal is to get to 38 weeks which I already was. I however was not ready to go ahead and have a baby then! We decided that I would go to work the next day and check my BP there.
The next morning I didn't feel well and my BP was a little higher at work. After a quick visit to triage to monitor my blood pressure and rule our preeclampsia, I was sent home to take it easy over the weekend and to see my doctor on Monday. I did try to keep it easy but had a nagging headache all weekend. Sunday when I woke up I felt even worse so I called the doctor on call who told me to come to the hospital and we would go ahead and have a baby. Joe was at church but I was home with Amelia! I quickly got things arranged and we left Amelia with a family from church. Funny note, I had arranged to buy a dresser off Craigslist that day so we made a quick stop on the way to the hospital to pick up the dresser for Liam's room.

After I was settled in at the hospital, the doctor checked me and I was 1-2 cm but needed cervidil (a medicine they put inside) which is to prepare my body for induction. I got that around 2:30 in the afternoon. I started contracting pretty quickly and as the evening went on they started to get more intense and closer together. My nurse gave me an ambien to help me sleep but I was in too much pain to fall asleep. I remember around midnight I was moaning with contractions but I knew they would take the medicine out after 12 hours and I could get up and shower. I kept trying to make it until then! But I didn't last that long and got my epidural.
After I got my epidural placed, it took extra medicine to get me numb. Finally I was blissfully pain free and officially exhausted! But I was only 2 cm then but at least very soft. But I guess my blood pressure plummeted after with all of the epidural medicine so then I received medicine to get my BP back up (ironic isn't it?)
Around 5 am they started a small amount of pitocin to get my contractions stronger. I was sleeping off and on all morning, but I was starting to get more nauseated. Around 9 am the doctor broke my water and I was 5-6 cms. Pretty quickly after I got sick. Then I started having lots of pain on my side, and Liam was tolerating my labor either. I was moved to my side, given oxygen but soon felt better with my epidural bonus button which made my pain tolerable and my legs incredibly numb.
I soon started feeling pressure but wanted to labor down as much as possible so I didn't want to tell anyone. My nurse came in after talking with Dr Moore, decided to check my dilation, and it was time to push! Now with Amelia, they used a vacuum which gave me a horrible tear so I was pretty adamant that would be a last resort! It took a few pushes to get the hang out of what I was doing and they brought a mirror in to help me see which helped! After about 15 minutes at 10:21 am William James Mayes was born on July 1st screaming weighing 7 pounds 7.9 ounces and 20 1/2 inches!!

He is a wonderful blessing to our family and we love him so much!! I really hope to blog more and I have some catching up to do!

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Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Baby #2

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:56:00 +0000

Due in July!

Amelia's First Birthday Giraffe Party: The Decorations

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 01:51:00 +0000

We did it! I made it through her first birthday party. It was touch and go on party day getting everything done but Amelia had a great first birthday party!

We decided on a giraffe party a few months ago. Amelia loved her Sophie the Giraffe Teether, and especially the giraffes at the zoo. When starting to look for party ideas on pinterest I found you really could have a giraffe birthday party.

We will start with the invitation. I found invitations I liked on Etsy and took what I liked on each invitation and made my own. I liked how you could see how Amelia got older. I worked on this invitation long and hard until I got it the way that I liked it but I think it turned really cute!

I found lots of cute projects on pinterest and the internet, and I tried to accomplish as much as I could. The color scheme was pink, blue, gray, and yellow.

My favorite decorations were the fire place. I made a birthdday timeline for Amelia. It has 2 pictures for every month. The circles say Hello World, 3 Months, 6 Months, 9 Months, and One year with wooden pink giraffes. I brought down the name blocks from Amelia's room. Behind I made a ruffled garland using strips of fabric. I also loved the Ruffled One with tissue paper. And one of Joe's students painted a giraffe with the quote "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you." Dr Seuss.

We hung tissue pom-poms around the house. The cenerpeices for the tables were ribbon topiaries.

I made this wishing tree that I wanted the guests to write wishes for Amelia. It didn't happen in the hustle of the party but still cute. I made this chalkboard print for Amelia on the computer. I found a lady that actually writes them out but I know that I don't have cute handwriting.

This large giraffe greeted the guests at the door. This was actually one of Amelia's gifts. The kid loved the big giraffe. If you follow me on instagram you can find the giraffe in some interesting places.

This was an easy project to take some of pictures from the year and hand them in the shape of a one.

This was the front door as the guests came in. I made a ruffled wreath with an A in the center. That is now hanging on Amelia's door.

The giraffe was holding the welcome sign.

And of course balloons to welcome the guests. We didn't get pictures of the yard signs. They said "The Party is Here" with a giraffe that was taped to posts.

Stay tuned to the next post with info about the food (Amelia eating her cake) and opening presents.

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11 Months Update

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:27:00 +0000

Amelia is 11 months!...Well almost three weeks ago she was 11 months.

She had a great month before. She weighs about 22 pounds and we will see exactly at tall she is at her 12 month appointment. We are starting to see her silly little personality. She loves to be with mommy and daddy. And especially loves reading books.

She went on her first family vacation to Florida. She went to Disney World, the beach, Universal Studios, and a lot more. I need to make a long post on our trip to Florida.

Amelia is playing for much longer now but usually is getting into mischief. I heard her playing the piano one day all on her own!

We went to a wedding of some of our former students that was at a farm. I had to crochet Amelia some cowboy boots! I thought she looked especially cute!

This month she learned new things like clapping, pushing her walker, she is a pro at cruising, , and especially at making messes!! Amelia into everything now. She loves to pull all of her books down, and empty her basket of toys. And she loves everything that is not hers! She also LOVES stuffed animals. Especially the ET stuffed animal she picked out at Universal.

She also loves eating. Pretty much anything you give to her and she is shoveling it into her mouth. I love that she is such a good eater and much less stressful for me. She usually has either a banana or pancakes for breakast. She is also loving mac and cheese. She loves most fruit and usually all veggies.

Amelia also had her first child hood illness. She had hand foot and mouth disease. She first had a fever and then started with her yucky rash. Thankfully they weren't too bad in her mouth. The interesting part is that she gave it to Joe! He was definitely more pitiful than she was!

We had a great month. We are currently in full on planning mode for her party in less than 2 weeks! I still can't believe that my little baby girl is going one! When did that happen?!

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You Just Wait

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 01:46:00 +0000

We have been on vacation for the last week so I have lots to say and pictures to share. But I will leave you with this picture of Amelia meeting Belle. She LOVED Belle (and I think Belle loved Amelia). Melts my little heart.

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Amelia is 10 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 02:54:00 +0000

Baby girl is 10 Months! This month has been lots of fun with a baby (an almost toddler) who is crawling and into everything!! Even getting her monthly picture is starting to become a challenge because she is soo busy! She knows what No No! means and gives me a big smile but usually stops what she is doing.

She says Da da all the time now! Sometimes directed at Joe and sometimes she is just happily saying da da! My favorite was one time I asked her who should change her diaper and she announced da da!

We are in full swing planning her first birthday shin-dig! It is a giraffe themed party for her favorite zoo animal and favorite teether toy Sophie! Look out for more info to come! And maybe even a peek at the invitation I designed over at my Etsy Shop.

She weighs about 20 pounds when I weigh us on the scale. She can still fit in 6-9 month clothes because all her next size are more fall clothes. But colder weather is coming upon us so new wardrobe for Amelia! She still sleeps 10-11 hours at night and usually takes 2 1/12 hour naps a day. She sleeps best in her crib but will doze in the car. She is a big pacifier baby so we are thinking about weaning her from it soon.

Amelia is a big eater now. She eats almost all table food. She still loves cheerios but eats a banana almost every day. She loves tacos, spaghetti, grapes, carrots, meat, cheese. You know pretty much everything! You take her to Chipotle and she is chowing down!

Her other new favorite activity is pulling up onto everything! She is walking around furniture pretty well and will walk with me holding at least one hand. And today she climbed 6 stairs. Eek! I love our baby gates!

Amelia is still toothless! I know! She has the cutest little toothless smile but I am way surprised it has taken us this long! But I think we they are coming soon! Her gums look swollen to me and she has been way more fussy than normal. Maybe soon?

Amelia loves

*eating

*playing

*chasing the dogs around

Amelia hates

*getting her clothes changed

*getting strapped in the car seat (but loves to play with her carseat if it out)

*being tired

We love our baby girl sooo much!

PS Amelia is in a contest for the cutest baby at American Baby. You can vote for her here!

Where We've Been

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:08:00 +0000

It's pretty obvious that Amelia has become a huge focus of our lives. For someone so little, she demands a whole lot of attention. We absolutely adore Amelia. She is the smilest, silliest, cutest baby on the block and a huge blessing in our lives. She gets probably a thousand kisses a day and is now learning to give them back.

But I remember those days in the past few years that we didn't know if we were going to have children. We tried for 2 years to get pregnant with Amelia. We had two early miscarriages and many months tears. People would always tells us that we would get pregnant one day. But see, we are not promised that we would ever get pregnant. And I really tried to contain my bitterness for what seemed like everyone else was getting pregnant but me!

I remember that day we found out pretty clearly. I was a couple of days late on my period. So after my shift, I ran to Target and bought a pregnancy. I took it when I got home and I was pretty surprised that it was positive. I came out and showed it to Joe. But, our minds quickly went back to our history so we were cautiously optimistic. No big hugs, no crying.

I passed the point where I had miscarried with my other two pregnancies so I started getting more hopeful. Then we finally got to see the doctor at 9 weeks and had our ultrasound. And the technician quickly said, "I see a baby! And a heartbeat!" The best words! I quickly cried! I waas blessed to have a normal healthy pregnancy and had a beautiful baby girl!!

But those losses are still painful even with this wonderful girl. And my heart still hurts for those of you whose arms are still empty. I had to cling to the promises that God Loves us, that He has a perfect will for us, and that He is near to the brokenhearted.

So all of this to say that I do realize that being a mom is one of the best gifts. She gets extra big squeezes just because I know I can't take her for granted.

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6-9 Month Must Haves

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 21:48:00 +0000

It's time for my updated list of must haves. I did so previously for 0-3 months here and 3-6 months here. Amelia has a lot more toys this time around to keep this busy girl occupied, a lot! Now that Amelia can crawl and enjoy more things.

We love

Fisher-Price Musical Table

Amelia loves to pull up on the table and push the buttons which plays music

Toysmith Busy Zoo Activity Center

This cube we got at a garage sale. I like that it is wood and I think very durable. Amelia loves to pull up with it.

Munchkin Nursery Projector and Sound System

It plays multiple songs and sounds and projects three sets of images on the ceilings. We use this for all of Amelia's naps and bedtime.

Vtech - Sit to Stand Learning Walker

Amelia really likes to play with all the buttons and pull herself up and try to walk with it.

Jeep Walker

Amelia really loved her walker especially when she wasn't crawling yet. She only knows how to go backwards. Amelia also loves pushing the horn.

Waterproof Bibs

Amelia makes huge messes when she eats. I didn't want to already add more laundry to the load and cloth bibs were getting really dirty. I LOVE these bibs. Let me say it again. I LOVE these bibs!

Books

Amelia loves Are You My Mother?, The Jesus Storybook Bible, and Llama Llama books.

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Our Labor Day Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 03:15:00 +0000

This weekend my parents came up Friday night and left Saturday morning for Washington DC. We already had tickets for the Cubs game in DC for Monday so we planned a little weekend away.

We left Sunday after church and we stayed with the Partons. Then we met up with my parents and showed them a few things in the city.

Monday we took Amelia to her first cubs game!! I had the cutest shirt made with the cubs logo on the front and her name on the back. Amelia had a good time, especially smiling at the boys behind us. But the Cubs winning streak at the games I attended ended! They lost 2-1. boo

After we met back up with my parents and chauffeured them around to make sure they could see everything they could. We had a fun weekend!

Ps I posted this on my iPhone. Weird huh?

Living Room

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:30:00 +0000

This is our living room.

Pretty isn't it?

Okay that might be a little sarcastic. Our old house had only one living space so in our Virginia house, we have our Family room where we spend most of our time and our Living room. They are separated by a wall and the staircase upstairs.

When we had Joe's family visit us last summer (all 7 plus a dog) I knew we needed some extra sleeping arrangements. So we got a Full Size Sleeper sofa. Yes they aren't the most comfortable, but they are pretty functional! It is also where my piano lives and eventually the office will be moved downstairs if we have another baby so it needs to house my books and a desk. Maybe a sewing machine? And of course I'm sure Amelia will be rolling through there. All of that function in a 12x10 space. But all we have done besides get the couch is slap a few things on the walls and throw a piano in there.

I think I will stick with the yellow and go with the yellow gray scheme since that is on trend right now.

Here are a few things on pinterest that have caught my eye.

Centsational girl used Ikea Billy bookshelves to create a built book case. Cute right?

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Alison on Pinterest

I really like the layour in this room. Could work for our room but need to figure out the piano.

Source: 6thstreetdesignschool.blogspot.com via Alison on Pinterest

I love the floating desk in this office.

Source: houzz.com via Alison on Pinterest

Maybe one day we will tackle this room. What do you think?

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Citrus Lane August Box

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:30:00 +0000

I saw an ad on Facebook one day about a monthly baby subscription service and I was intrigued. It was for Citrus Lane. Citrus Lane is a surprise subscription service where you receive 4-5 items based on your child's age and gender. The idea was to introduce parent's to new products that they might never know about. The cost is $25 for box. I received a 20% discount by finding a code.

This is actually my second box. This picture was taking with my iphone before I dispersed the items to Amelia. I thought this box was actually better than the box previous.

I (I mean Amelia!) received:

Skip Hop Hug and Hide Stroller Toy

This is a fun toy that babies can play hide and seek and has a teether attached. This toy can attacher to the babies' stroller.

Keepin' Fresh Baby Food Storage
Two baby food containers. Great for sending Amelia with Food.

Counting with Wayne Thiebaud
An adorable book with charming pictures.

Plum Organics Stage 2--Apple Raisin Quinoa Baby Food Pouch
Amelia downed that at lunch yesterday.

CleanWell Disinfectant Spray
Awesome on the go disinfectant spray.

Citrus Lane valued this box at $32.17 in the insert that came with box. Amazon as the prices slightly lower. Some boxes have higher values. It's a fun surprise you receive in the mail.

If you are interested, you can use my referral code here Citrus Lane Subscription. Right now you can start your monthly subscription for less! Take 10% off the cost of your subscription with code SPRINGFUN. You'll save $7.50 on three months, $12.50 on six months, or $25 on twelve months!

Our Week in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Mayes) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:08:00 +0000

Last week was TABS week for our youth group. TABS stands for Teenage Bible Study. There is a time for worship and a Bible study, then there is a fun activity for the night. Our good friend from Indiana came to speak and his wife and 3 year old Son came also to visit.

Monday I had to work so I didn't get to do anything :( The youth went to a Richmond Squirrels Baseball game.

Tuesday, we went a church member's house on a lake and the students got to swim and go tubing. Amelia even got to go in the lake with Daddy!

Wednesday, we traveled up to DC so our friends could go to Georgetown Cupcakes. The have the show DC cupcakes on TLC. Joe and I went over a year ago and waited awhile to get in but this time we waited maybe 5 minutes. And over course came home with a dozen cupcakes!

That night the youth played Dodgeball and Underground Church. Amelia had to get home to bed before Underground Church but it brings me back to my middle school years! Joe said the youth loved it! The only picture I got was when I brought the Elmo Rocker out to entertain Amelia

Thursday we went to Ironbridge Sports Park. The youth played outdoor laser tag. They played outside in a field like a paintball field. Let's just say that I think Joe had more fun than the kids!

They had to wear black sweat bands and I couldn't resist getting a picture with Amelia with one!

Friday, the youth went to Great Wolf Lodge. Great Wolf Lodge is huge hotel with a huge waterpark in it. We had so much fun! Amelia loved the small pool and even the wave pool with Daddy. Last year we went, I was pregnant with Amelia and was unable to do any of the big water slides. Joe took me on all of them this year.

My favorite photo of this week was on Saturday. I left Amelia with one of the girls because I wanted to look around in the gift shop for a few minutes. I came back and this is what I found. Amelia is spoiled rotten!

We had so much fun this week and Amelia enjoyed playing with the big kids!