Yee Haw...Isaac Turns 1...

I can hardly believe that my baby is 1. Everyone says that the time flies by and it actually does. I wanted to celebrate Isaac's first birthday for him but more for me and Steve actually surviving the first year. It was a birthday with a huge sigh of relief behind it. :o) PHEW!!!

It was a wonderful week all together. And the cowboy party last Saturday topped it all off. It was a wonderful day and we were surrounded by people who have been amazing throughout the past year. Those whom I don't think I would be functioning without.

I really focused on doing the party on my own and being the domestic mommy that I have seen online and on pinterest. O, Pinterest...what would I do without you!! Most of my things were pinterest inspired!!

I'm just going to post the pictures starting from the Wed - my boy's first birthday. His birthday was all about bikes and more bikes!

 

The day starts with a healthy breakfast...it's going to be an exciting day!! 

One of Isaac's gifts was his first real bike ride equipped with his very own seat and helmet!! The tears soon dry up!

And we are ready to go. Steve looks like he is in a bit of pain..it was a short bike ride! 

One of Isaac's gifts was his first bike. It is so cool and he loves it. We have been out twice a day since Wednesday! 

Our Wednesday was a packed day and Isaac was exhausted. He loved the day and had several new experiences. It was such a cool day. And next was the party and on the Friday, my girlfriend, Claire came over and we baked and baked and baked. Claire does amazing cupcakes and cakes and turns her baking treats in to true works of art. She is sooo talented! She made all of the cupcake toppings by hand the night before...here are some close-ups! 

The boots even have spurs on them...love the detail! 

Cowboy hat! 

Cactus.

Claire working her magic!! 

Cake pops in making. They are yummy - messy, but yummy. I got my recipe off www.lovefromtheoven.com and of course, Pinterest! 

Our first completed cake pops!

Isaac and his bezzie, Jenson testing out the party area. They have so much fun together!!! 

We are getting excited and had our pre-hoedown hoedown! 

Claire's beautiful cupcakes. 

Cake Pops! 

Already tearing up the decorations! They didn't last long...the party hasn't even started.

Yee Haw! We are ready for some square dancin!!

The entertainment was a baby sensory class full of parachutes, beach balls, balloons, pom poms, and even a puppet show! It was adorable and the babies loved it! 

The puppet show! 

Some of the guests! 

YAY! 

Party pics.

The parachute.

Isaac and all of his friends.

Steve got to enjoy some of the party after he finished grilling out!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY. After this photo was taken, I dropped the candle and almost set my child on fire. I'm tearing up laughing so hard right now at this very moment.

Enjoying his cake...I threw some strawberries on there to make it look healthy...but those got left. 

WANTED! This was fun...everyone had their pictures taken and I am going to print them out and send the picture with the thank you cards.

One of Isaac's friends - Charlie

Isaac's best friend - Jenson.

My homemade Hoedown sign! 

And we are still partying the day after...the party never stops here! 

 

It was a wonderful day. I will always remember our 1st birthday party. Yee haw to all the cowboys and girls who made our day so special. I'm already thinking about what to do next year!!! If this year goes as fast, it will be here before I know it! Isaac - thank you for an amazing year. You have made me a better person and have given me the most heavenly gift there is here on earth - motherhood. I love you deeply and may the party continue! 

The Homemade Momma

Sometimes, although it's rare, I want to do something domestic and make something or do something creative. I would like to be more of a crafty person but I just don't have the attention span or patience for it. But one of my new year's resolutions is to be more of a "homemade momma."

I need something that takes about 15 minutes and I can see the end result immediately. If you are like me, and have a good use for baby wipes, then this little project is just for you!

Ingredients:

1/2 roll of paper towels (cut in half). Take out the cardboard roll. 

2 cups of boiled water cooled to room temp

2 tblsp of baby bath wash

1 tblsp of baby oil (I used a mixture with lotion)

Put ingredients in plastic container with a lid and then put the paper towels in. The towels will soak up the liquid. The individual towels will pull up from the middle and tear just like baby wipes.

This Jelly Bean container is perfect!!

I put the year old Jelly Beans in an orange juice container and made a homemade shaker for Isaac! I'm on it today!! :o)

What a quick, fun, and cost-effective project!

It Really Does Take 9 months...

I cannot believe that it's been 9 months since Isaac first made his debut in to the world.
No one, I mean no one said anything before hand about the healing process after labor (I wish someone had), but afterwards, everyone was happy to tell me that it takes awhile to heal and to get back to feeling like your old self.
I personally believe that it takes 9 months to get back to feeling like your old self and probably close to a year to get back to your pre pregnancy weight.
The healing process and the weight loss are definitely individualized. I mean, I know some women who put on no weight during pregnancy and looked like a super model when the left the hospital. Well, this wasn't me!
So, 9 months post labor and I am finally feeling like my old self...most days. I have a ways to go with my weight but feeling confident that within a year, I will be back in to my fav jeans.
Here's me getting geared up to run 5 miles last Saturday...in the freezing cold. I was half way around and I thought to myself "it really does take 9 months."

Isaac is always happy to go running with us:

And my two favorite guys:

We are all sniffles over here...

It's been an awful past few days with Isaac having his first real cold. And like any new mother, I am beside myself on what to do. I have read several online advise sites but the answer seems to be....nothing. Lots of cuddles, steaming water and some vapor rub seem to help for a little while.

So, we have a house full of snot and I have become the ultimate momma nose picker...I am certain that mommy nose picking is instinctive.

Even though Isaac feels awful, he still finds enough energy to read his Cosmo and give a good smile.

Friday Fives

I have decided to blog about my top five favorites of the week. It's a bit cheesy, I know but I want to be held accountable for the small things and also focus on the abundance that is around me. It's more of being thankful rather than my favorite things. And I enjoy each day so much that I never want to forget why I enjoy them or the little things that I do enjoy. So here they are:

Number 5:

We started planning a family trip to Venice. I have always wanted to visit Doges Palace and the Piazza San Marco - the heart of Venice. A few museums, some lovely cafes...it's going to be great...the 3 of us. Really looking forward to it!

Number 4:

I Dec 2010, I was awarded the IDTA's teaching certificate. It's the highest dancing achievements for professional teachers. I am currently working on my Ballroom IDTA qualification, which I have been studying since around Feb 2011. Almost a year, and I am finally ready to take the exam in March. Dance is great and my instructor is the latin world champion from the late 80's. I feel exceptionally blessed to have this opportunity. And one step closer to my dream. So thumbs up for 9 weeks of buckling down and getting that qualification!

Number 3:

I have just started reading "How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci." I wish I had read this years ago, maybe when I was at University. But it's never too late. My mom was the first to mention it to me. I'm only on chapter 3 but my eyes and mind have been opened. I'm looking forward to the adventure this book will bring and for the insight to allow me to focus on what makes me be great. I've always felt that I have been good at several things but never really great at just one thing. I'm willing to be open and let this book lead me to that one great thing. (And Steve is reading it too :o)

Number 2:

Playing "Sink or Swim" with Isaac. The idea is for Isaac to see which objects sink and which ones float. I don't know if he "got" the idea of the game but he had loads of fun and was soaked afterwards...we both were. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking that our "down time" is repetitive lately. We are out every morning at various music classes, etc. but it's our time at home that I don't really know what to do with. I found an excellent website that list more meaningful floor and home games to play with your baby.
www.gameswithbaby.com

Number 1:

Isaac discovering Elvis. Since Isaac has become mobile, this is unbelievable. They are glued together and their relationship is so much fun to watch. Isaac pulls at Elvis' fur and puts his fingers in Elvis' mouth. And they both love every minute of it.

So, those are my favs for the week! My little moments that made me smile or make me want to be a better person. The moments that I will never forget...because I have them in my blog.

Thanks for reading! xoxo

To Feel like You're Outside Without Actually Being in the Rain...

...and that's what our Conservatory is designed to do. Make you feel like your outside without having to get your hair wet. One of our walls is a glass door that slides open so we can get the feel of outside and step right in to our garden (which needs a lot of work). Most houses in England have a conservatory as an additional room. For some, the entire room is glass with a glass ceiling and glass walls. Some people dine in their conservatory whilst others use theirs as a kiddie playroom. I am certain that ours will be the later already equipped with our LoveSac...the biggest beanbag in the world.

Our Conservatory:

The fireplace is a see-through fireplace which can be seen in the kitchen. We can't decide if we want a fire place with crawling baby!!