Happy Birthday to Me! I'm 30!

Happy Birthday to Me! I'm 30!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

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Well that rhymes and yes it's true. I'm the big 3-0 today!

People have been asking me a lot lately how I feel about turning 30. I'm not really sure what to say, other than I guess I feel fine. I mean do I really have a choice? Can I just skip it and keep being 29 forever? I wish.

Truthfully, I think my 29th birthday was actually worse, just because it WAS my first Mom birthday (with child) and my life was put in perspective for me that I am not only going to get older, but so is she.

You mean I can't just freeze time for a little bit? It was rough.

The truth is I AM fine with turning 30. I've read a few "mom" blogs over the years that have pretty much coupled having kids + having a birthday = no good, very bad day.

I'm the opposite. I don't ever want to feel that way. EVER. My kid makes me a better person. Plain and simple. Do I get frustrated at times. Heck yes. Does she test my patience daily? Your damn right she does. But to hear her now at 21 months old say "Happy Birday Mama," is THE BEST.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that just because you have kids, doesn't mean your life is over or even that celebrating your birthday is over. You make it how big or little you want. But you can't blame it on your kids. You're a parent. It comes with the territory. This is what you signed up for.

Yes, today is a work day, just like any other day. I'm at work during the day. Wayne and Hailey came to have lunch with me, my boss and a few of my co-workers. We had cake. They sang to me. It was great.

Wayne has to work tonight, so I will be spending time with Hailey and my parents and siblings. We have plans to get a babysitter on Saturday night and go out with some friends for drinks. Nothing too big, but it all is perfect for me.

I'm so thankful of where I am right now in my life. At 30 years old:

My husband is awesome. He is. He makes me feel special all the time, not just on my birthday. He has been my best friend the last 10 years. Yes, it's crazy to think that we met when I was 19 and started dating when I was 20. 

He has known me, been with me and loved me 1/3 of my life. 

In turn, I have known him, been with him and loved him 1/3 of MY life.

I have the most amazing daughter. She is the best thing that I have ever done in this world. Hands down. I hope my 30's will give me at least one more offspring with the man I love.

I have the most supportive family and friends. They are there when I need them and each play their own particular role in my life.

For me, in my 30's: I want to get healthier. I want to be stronger. Not only in my body, but also in my mind as well. I want to smile more. I want to laugh more. I want to broaden my horizons. I want to make more friends. I want to have more Happy Hours and dinners with friends. I want to continue reproducing at some point. I want to go on a vacation. I want to challenge myself. I want to read more (or at all). I want to blog more. I want a lot in my 30's, so I guess it's time to start living.

Goodbye to my 20's. Peace out. Bring it on 30!

Hailey Jo {14 months}

Hailey Jo {14 months}

Monday, April 1, 2013

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August 26, 2012

This is you at 14 Months:

You are getting into everything.

You are always on the go.

You are constantly climbing on everything.

 

You took your first trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota for a family wedding.

You did such a great job in the car for 5+ hours.

You are eating anything and everything and feeding yourself regularly.

You are exploring with spoons and forks.

You can see not a whole lot of eating happening, but that's OK. It's about learning, too, right?

You are now 100% on cow's milk (2%).

You are still just starting to like juice.

You tried some new foods at the State Fair.

You are still wearing size three diapers, but not for much longer.

Your sleep schedule is pretty much the same. If you wake up early or in the middle of the night, Mommy will cuddle and get you back to sleep.

You always wake up happy and in a good mood.

You always are a happy girl with a big smile on your face.

You love to cuddle with your Daddy, especially in the morning.

You are so independent.

You look so grown up when we put your hair in a pony.

You always want to be outside.

You are running everywhere.

You love to play and explore the park.

You take 2 short naps a day.

You are always so interested in what the dogs are doing.

You know how to help put the dogs in the kennel when we go bye bye.

You still love bath time.

You have the longest and most beautiful eyelashes.

You are talking all the time, and constantly adding new words.

You are still getting teeth in, but I never know when or which ones because you never let them bother you.

You are now wearing all 12 month clothes and a few 18 month things.

You are learning all the different body parts..eyes, ears, etc. and it's so funny to play that game with you.

You love to sit in my closet and play with my shoes.

You love to give "smooches."

You went to your first Twins game.

You also went to your first Vikings game, too!

You were having the best time with this plastic toy bucket.

 

You are so funny and love being goofy.

You love making others laugh, just like your Daddy.

Your giggles are the best and so contagious.

You are just the best thing ever!

We love you so much, Hailey!

Hailey's 1st Birthday Puppy Party

Hailey's 1st Birthday Puppy Party

Thursday, March 28, 2013

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So apparently I completely forgot to blog about the details of Hailey's 1st birthday party... back in July 2012. Shame on me. Well, I guess better late than never, right?

And what made me think of it? Well, I'm starting to plan her 2nd birthday party.

Yes, 3 months early.

And yes we have decided on a theme and although we are excited about her party, we are NOT excited about her growing up so fast. I wish I could freeze time for awhile and enjoy her at this age a little longer.She is just so fun right now and I love to see her learn and grow everyday.

So here are the details on Hailey's 1st Birthday Party!

The theme was a "Puppy Party!" Anyone who knows us, or has snooped around this blog, knows that we have 4 dogs. Yes 4. We are big animal/dog lovers, so it seemed fitting since she wasn't into anything yet, such as Dora or Elmo. You can see the invite HERE!

This was her outfit for the day (pre birthday cake!

There were lots of family and friends that made it.

Hanging out with Godmother/Auntie Amie.

Saying Hi to Gramma Kimmy and Ben (top). Meadow (middle) also came to play, as well as the Horton Family and Kally (bottom).

These were some of the decorations I put up around the house.

I found the balloons from an online store and based the color theme off of those.

I found inspiration from websites and blogs for the decorations and food ideas. 

I decided to do a chocolate fountain.

I wanted to incorporate the theme somehow into the food, so I had a variety of snacks.

Top:

"Pup-cakes" = Cupcakes

"Bark" = Almond Bark that I made with sprinkles.

"Bow-wow-nies" = Brownies

Middle:

"Chew Sticks" = Pretzel Rods

"Scooby Snacks" = The graham crackers that are in the shape of bones.

"Pup-corn" = Popcorn

Bottom:

"Dog Food" = A bowl of cocoa puffs

"Puppy Chow" = I used the regular recipe for Puppy Chow.

And sugar cookies shaped as paw prints and bones.

Her cake was in the shape of a paw print.

She received a ton of great gifts from everyone!

One of her favorites was her shopping cart. She was obsessed.

It took her awhile to get into her cake, but as you can see she loved it.

We gave her a quick bath afterwards and she was energized and ready to go again.

I made "Doggy Bags" for all the kids as they left.

It was such a great day to see everyone and hang-out for awhile, talk, catch-up, laugh and eat some tasty treats.

Thank you to everyone that came to our house and helped us celebrate Hailey's 1st birthday!