A Birthday Party for Julia: Preview

Hi!

It is almost 9 pm, I need to head to bed, and I'm tired as all get out... but I wanted to write a quick post.

Today we had a birthday party for Julia from 3:30 - 5:00 pm. It was so much fun! She is turning one (1) tomorrow and I really wanted to have a party for her! So, yesterday I did the decorating and much of the prepwork (Adam was awesome help!), and today we had the party!

I will post more tomorrow regarding her party... but here's a preview:

1. The decorations -- simple, yet fun! Pink & Purple!


2. The (birthday girl) cake -- made by mommy!


3. The birthday girl -- cute as could be!


4. The presents -- so much fun!


I hope you all have a good night... I hope to be blogging more often and hopefully a lot more the next couple of days with regards to the party, more reflections, etc.

This time one year ago, I was in labor with Julia... and in for a LONG night!

Ciao... until tomorrow!

erin

Reflections: Part 1

I say 'Part 1' because I don't doubt I'll have a bit to say over the next few days.

It shouldn't be any surprise that on the verge of my first child's first birthday, I am reflecting a lot on the past year... but also reflecting a lot on my pregnancy with her, as fast approaching the annivesary of the day Julia was evicted from my womb.

It is hard not to think about what I was doing this day (or yesterday or the day before, etc.) last year... and I am truly looking on it with fond memories.

Last year, the 21st of November was a Wednesday; it was soon to be my last day of work until the new year. Who would have thought? My doctor had told me on Tuesday (the 20th) that he fully expected me to go into December with my pregnancy. And, I remember being okay with that... but at the same time, who doesn't want their pregnancy to be over and to be meeting their baby?

It is amazing to see how much has changed last year... in Julia growing from a very small baby to a one-year-old... in my own life and what I used to consider priorities "then" versus "now"... in my relationships with my husband, family, and friends... and in myself... who I am, who I was... who I want to be.

Anyway...

I didn't know how emotional I would get coming up to this date (Julia's 1st birthday is Monday). So far, so good. Truthfully, I'm quite excited for her party and cake and presents... I am looking forward to experiencing that with her. I'm excited to decorate the house tomorrow, bake and decorate her cake (hmm, better put that on my to do list - doh!), dress her in her party dress. I am excited!

So, what I did NOT expect was to bust out into tears while watching 'Juno' (movie) yesterday while the gal was giving birth to her baby. I furthermore didn't expect to continue wailing when the new 'mom' picked up her newborn for the first time... wow. I grabbed Julia and hugged her tight... I am so thankful for this blessing in my life!

Yesterday I took her for her one-year pictures as a local (but affordable) studio. They turned out wonderfully! While I was talking to the photographer (who gushed over Julia the whole time), I whipped out a picture of her we had taken when she was a mere 2 weeks old... and I was overwhelmed by the difference in her in the last 11 months or so... how much she has grown and developed. I grow more and more in love with her as each day passes.

And, I fall more and more in love with being a mom.

Bring on Number 2!

(Ha!)

erin

So it's the Middle of November...

Wow.

Julia will be a year old in 8 days. Sheesh.

Already November has been scooting by, and I can hardly believe my last post was over two weeks ago... it feels like yesterday!

Here are a few new pictures of Julia...

Learning to feed herself:


Excited beyond words to have her new toy, a Push & Ride, from mommy and daddy (for her birthday):


Julia has learned to climb on top of her rocking chair... and loves to rock back and forth standing up. She also likes to bring toys up with her... as can be seen here with her lamb.


This is the "after I pooped, got it all over myself, my clothes, and my mom, and needed a bath pronto" outfit... these tights don't go with anything else, and the t-shirt is a 2T. Still cute.


Daddy and Julia poundin' the keys.


My Pretty Girl!


Yesterday was a load of fun... my BFF Chrissy came to town for our Mini Fall Quilt Retreat and besides chatting it up, we managed to get a few things done too (she worked on this fabu baby quilt and I made my prototype carboy cover and a Christmas present garden apron). We had a wonderful time, and then spent the evening in Altoona with her parents and hubby eating pizza and ice cream... what could be better, eh?

This week will be fun... Thursday I take Julia to have her one-year picture taken... Saturday we decorate for her birthday party... and Sunday we celebrate her birthday with friends!

Here's to hoping the Packers bring home a win this week...!

later, friends.
erin

Happy Halloween!

My darling daughter was a lady bug for Halloween!

Even though she didn't collect any candy, she did help pass some out at our Trunk or Treat. It was so much fun!

Here are some pictures:

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Julia loves to move...! Here she is dancing along with a polka/German band who was playing outside of a restaurant on Saturday night. We could hear the music inside. She had so much fun!

Confessions of a Jealous Mommy

Yesterday I took Julia to a pumpkin patch.

I didn't take Julia to just ANY pumpkin patch. I took her to THE pumpkin patch.

You see, after hearing from my friends about their wonderful fun experience with their kids and seeing pictures of other babies Julia's age loving pumpkins and petting zoos and everything, I had convinced myself that I needed to go. And Julia would love it.

I was jealous. Green with envy. I wanted that experience for MY child. I wanted MY child to have a cute picture with a pumpkin. I wanted. I wanted. I wanted. Really, it was all for me.

So, should it surprise me at all that it was cold and windy yesterday and Julia's hood wouldn't stay up? Should it surprised me that while Julia enjoyed "petting" the kittens, she had no desire to feed or pet the goats? And really, should it surprise me at all that when I set Julia next a pumpkin to take a picture of her with it, she screamed in terror? And, no matter how many different times or ways I tried to sit her by a pumpkin, she would cry and start crawling towards me? Should any of that have surprised me?

No.



However, it sure did hurt my feelings. I sure felt like I wasted three hours of my day. And I sure felt silly for being so jealous in the first place.

So, I will put a picture of her screaming and crying next to a pumpkin in her baby book with the "I had fun at Carroll's pumkin patch." sticker firmly placed next to it. (Oh, the irony!) And, besides being a funny story for the future, I will also use it as a reminder of how poisonous jealousy is for the soul.

(I did manage to get a few pictures of Julia on a wooden tractor and wooden horse that she deemed "okay" places to be. And, I soothed my soul a bit by visiting my favorite quilt shop to buy fabric for some Christmas gift aprons. However... I most certainly did learn my lesson!)

Tractor and horse pictures:

Piano Lessons

Quite regularly, Adam gives Julia "piano lessons". He and Julia have been doing this ever since she came home from the hospital. It started with her sitting on his lap while he played, to her trying to tear the books off the piano while he played, to her hitting a key here and there while he played... and now she likes to bang on the piano like there is no tomorrow! Next step? Teach her to "copy" Adam by her hitting a key he hits... yah, we're not there yet. :)

Julia Gets 'Low'

We went to a wedding on October 4th, and here is a video of Adam helping Julia 'dance'...

Odds and Ends

It's the end of another week, and October is half over.

WHERE did 2008 go?

It was one of those cold, rainy, gray fall days... one of those days that remind me that it is FINALLY fall and why I love fall so much. I made chili today in honor of the weather and even added a little bit of Cincinnati to my bowl at dinner time with some spaghetti... yum!

Today Julia and I hung out... and virtually did nothing other than eat, sleep, and play. It was a glorious day! I'm posting a few pictures and videos here from the last week... Julia is almost 11 months old, and really enjoys playing with mom and dad. She sure is a lot of fun these days!

Julia loves to sit in her rocking chairs (she has two). She thinks they are loads of fun. Here she is today...


Yesterday I brought out her pom poms that go with her Green Bay Packers cheerleader outfit to see if she liked them... not so much. She thought they were fun at first, but then she got mad at them and tried to tear them apart. I think the feel of them was a little weird for her.



The weather hasn't been completely cool... we had the air on a few days last week! (And ha, the heat on most of this week.) Last week Friday we sat out on the deck and Adam and Julia played peekaboo with one of his bandanas.


I was getting Julia ready for the day last Saturday and went to take her jammies off... this is Julia Pajamahead!



One of Julia's FAVORITE things to do is to take a bath...!



After her bath, 'reading' a book, in her OTHER rocking chair...


I hope you all are having a good week!

erin

For my Housing Friend... you know who you are...

Hey, friend. It is Monday.

Ha.

This last weekend we had a blast... a really great time visiting with old friends... attending a wedding... what fun!

Friday we drove to Potosi, Wisconsin, and toured the Potosi Brewing Company, which houses a National Brewerania Museum as well. Neat stuff! We ate dinner at the Potosi Brewing Company (beef ribs with hoison sauce... yum!) after our self-guided tour and trip to the gift shop.

Adam at the brewery:


Adam and the head brewer, Steve Z.:


A Potosi Brewing quilt:


Julia tasting a lemon at dinner:



After our trip there, we drove to Platteville, Wisconsin, where we planned to attend the UWP Housing Reunion. Both Adam and I went to school at UW-Platteville and both worked on the housing staff while there. We had a great time talking with friends from our college years... catching up... hearing about marriages, kids, and the like... what fun! It was really great to see everyone and hang out a bit!

And... after some ever-so-slight chiding from a school friend... I have resolved to be a bit more active on my blog... and even said I would post today! :) So here you go, friend!

Saturday morning we toured the new residence hall, Southwest. Then we stopped by the bookstore and our whole family (Julia included) are new owners of UWP t-shirts! :) Then it was off to the EMS (Engineering, Math, and Science) Alumni tent, where we dined on Wisconsin brats and beer. We had a wonderful chat with our friend and past professor, Fred Domann... he and Adam had a fun chat about brewing (and other things), we discussed the bailout a bit, he loved on "Julianna" a bit... it was wonderful to see him! After a few good hugs, we were off to the brewpub in the "new" student center.

Views from 6th floor of Southwest Hall:

(New engineering building)




A picture of Southwest Hall:


Cutie patootie baby on a campus tour!


Then... off we were to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where we planned to attend the wedding of one of Adam's friends, Rick Heller.

The wedding was beautiful; brown tuxes, gold bridesmaid dresses, an amazingly beautiful bridal gown... calla lilies and berries... simply beautiful. The bride and groom where both happy and glowing... I love weddings! I have always loved going to weddings; we have surprisingly been invited to ten of them this year. I love the very beginning of a wedding; when the man first sees his soon-to-be wife and the service begins... I always choke up a bit at that point.

The reception was unique and interesting! Julia proved to be a bit of a challenge as we dined (appetizer-style) at the ara Gallery. This gallery is one of expensive art and furniture... wow! It was interesting trying to find a place to feed Julia such that she wouldn't get food all over a $4,000 couch... but it was a really neat place and fun too! And, I can now say that I have changed my baby on a $872 bench...! Ha! (There were two bathrooms, with benches in each one, and as opposed to changing her on the floor, I chanced changing her on the bench... the bench in the other bathroom was $1411...!!!) Seriously, though, it was by far one of the most unique receptions we have attended... and we did enjoy ourselves!

The 'getaway' vehicle... I mean... 'Just Married' vehicle...


Adam and Julia at the reception:


The fancy gallery...



The happy bride and groom... (RICK!!!)


Adam and Julia getting 'Low':


After being at the reception for a bit, eating really tasty appetizers, feasting on delicious cake (chocolate with peanut butter mousse in the layers... um... YUM!), and dancing it up a bit on the dance floor ('Low' by Flo Rida), we headed back to Pella that night.

And then, as if magically, yesterday was just a 'normal' Sunday... we returned to our 'regular' routine... and now it is Monday, and we are both back to work. Have a great week!

Erin