Birthday and Pig Flu

Last Monday, I officially entered into what will be the last year of my 20s. To be honest, I was somewhat put off about this birthday. Not upset, but not excited. My last year of still being "young". At least that is my husband's definition. He loves to tell people he went for the trophy wife the second time around since I am 12 years younger than he is. I was only 20 when we started dating. Whoa... that's seems like a lifetime ago now. Anyway, he always calls me his hot, young wife. I am not worried about turning 30 next year. I am actually kind of excited about it.

Well, all birthday plans to have a nice dinner out with my husband and children were put on hold when Leila came down with flu-like symptoms early Saturday morning. I immediately took her into the pediatrician which is totally unlike me. It has to be pretty darn serious for me to go into the dr. In fact, each child has only ever had one sick visit, and Violet's resulted in a hospital stay. You get my drift. So, Leila was running a ridiculously high temp that OTC meds would not bring down. It was up to 105* in the office. They did a nasal swab, and it most definitely came back positive for flu... swine flu. Oh, excuse me... H1N1. Don't want to offend the pig farmers. We did manage to score a Rx for tamiflu which I was able to track down rather easily compared to others I have heard about going all over town to find it. Thankfully, her fever broke sometime the next day. We would only be confined to the house for 5 days with a low grade temp.

So, instead of an evening out my sweet husband made me a delicious dinner of kobe beef, homemade crab cakes, bacon wrapped scallops, and asparagus. Mmmm... delicious. I was also presented with a delicious brownie cheesecake for dessert. I was also surprised with my husband spending days completing random tasks around the house and getting me whatever I needed to help get our house organized the way we need it. That means the world to me given how our disorganization has not been helpful lately. Mind you, my real life friends are probably laughing at me reading this and thinking about how "disorganized" we are here. None the less, it is disorganized for me and was creating a tremendous amount of stress for things like getting out of the house and not being able to find what I need easily. So, getting a handle of these things was a great gift on top of the gift cards they already presented to me.

My birthday was very low key this year, but it was honestly one of the better ones. I had my wonderful family around me and a great husband spoiling me. I can only hope for more of the same in the coming year.

Happy 11th Birthday, Madison!

Madison is officially 11 years old today. Or as she says, "I am the same age comin' and goin'". I think this makes us officially dealing with a tween. Oh, somebody help us. Before we know it, she will officially be a teenager.

I always look forward to July in our house. That is the month that we get to have Madison all to ourselves. I love it because we really get to make up for lost time over the year when we are on our every other weekend schedule. The girls LOVE having their big sister here to play with every single day. She is just really able to settle into our day to day rhythm.

Madison also gets to really enjoy time with Daniel since he works such an odd schedule and never has a normal weekend schedule. I think they both need it by the time July comes around. It is great to see them really reconnect. The two of them have always had a special thing with one another. It is sometimes lost throughout the school year with the rush of everyday activities. So the slow down and time really does wonders for them.

Madison is just blossoming into quite the young woman in every way. She will be beginning middle school next month. I guarantee it will do more than we are prepared for to her as far as her maturity. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for her.

Here is Madison on her birthday!

My 3 year old girl!

Three years ago today, I was off to the hospital to have a scheduled repeat c-section (I have a heart condition :P) with my little Leila. From the moment she arrived, my mother looked in her eyes and said that she would be trouble. Boy, was she right. Leila has been ALL trouble from the start, but it is the best kind of trouble. She is the type of kid that could set your house on fire and give you one glance with a mischievous smirk and all would be fine. You just can't get mad at this kid. Anyone who meets her will tell you the same thing, too. There is just something to her. A little je ne sais quoi.

This also marks the third year of her breastfeeding. I never imagined going this long since Ava self-weaned toward the end of my pregnancy with Leila. I thought she would wean when I was pregnant with Violet. No...she is very much attached to it. I wouldn't even begin to make her wean either. It is the best moments of the day with her when we are still and she nurses. She just loves it so much, and I love our connection. She is only nursing twice a day on average when she wakes up in the morning and after her nap. So, I know she is in the process of weaning, but I can't even predict how long she will go. That's fine. It's what she needs.

I just can't believe she is three already. She isn't my little baby that I wore all tucked into my sling anymore. I am looking forward to all the next year has in store. I think she will start ballet and our home school co-op group. It will be very exciting.

Here are some pics of Leila for you with a couple showing just how goofy she is.

Also, go check out Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing having a contest on how YOU wear your baby.

Happy 5th Birthday, Ava!

Five years ago today at 1:16pm my life completely changed when Ava Grace arrived into this world. I can't believe how quickly these years have flown by and how quickly she has grown. I am so proud of the little lady she is becoming.

Here is a little bit about who she is right now:

• She is 42.5" and 36lbs.
• She is obsessed with writing, but she often cheats and writes squiggly lines when she has a lot to say.
• She can count to 100.
• She loves her daily chores that include making her bed and feeding our cat.
• She is learning to tie her shoes the right way-- not the odd way she has figured out to make her laces look like they are tied in a bow. I just can't figure out how she does it.
• Her favorite thing to wear would be skirts. Almost every ensemble to comes downstairs proudly wearing includes a skirt of some kind.
• She is obsessed with pierced ears ever since she bailed on her first attempt at getting them pierced. She keeps saying that she wants them soon, especially now that she is five. We will see how long soon takes.
• She is sooo proud to now be a "big-big-sister" to Violet because Leila is only a big-sister and she is bigger than Leila.
• She makes up the funniest songs to well known tunes just like her daddy.
• Now that she is five years old, she is now old enough for school. It has been hard explaining to her that school won't start until next August.
• She is very black and white with rules now and insists that Leila is always breaking some rule that we never knew existed.
• She is still one of the kindest hearted little girls I have ever known.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY GIRL!

Ava's Birthday Party

Ava will be turning 5 years old in a few weeks. However, given that I am about to pop another kid out here in a week, I did not think hosting a birthday party two weeks later would be something I would be up for. So, we decided to have it early.

A few months ago, a new cupcake shop opened up in Houston called Sugarbaby's Cupcake Boutique. Daniel happened by there one afternoon and brought home the most delicious cupcakes ever and was raving about how precious the shop is. He then mentioned that they do birthday parties where kids can decorate cupcakes. After taking a peek at their website, we knew it would be the perfect place to have Ava's next party.

I mean, does this get any more precious?

Ava was on board just with the simple notion of cupcakes being involved. She wanted to know what needed to happen in order to have her party there. All Daniel told her was that he would call a guy about making it happen. So, for the next three months, she would tell people, "My daddy is just going to call a guy about my cupcake party." in that "yes, I am better than you" tone of voice. Nooooo, we are not spoiling these girls whatsoever...

The party was all set to go. I went on a search for the perfect party favor, as I am not satisfied with loading a bunch of plastic bags up with candy and junk that will be stuck in mine and my friends' vacuums for months. Well, not Tricia's at least. I ended up finding plain aprons from this wholesale store online that was perfect. I bought the cutest cupcake iron-on appliques that I found at Michael's to add to the aprons. All of the kids looked amazing dressed up in them.

(Ava with Tricia's girls, Jill and Emmi)

(Ava with her friend, Savannah)

The kids spent their time turning these plain cupcakes...

...into delicious works of art like this...

(cupcake by William)

...and this?

(cupcake by Jill)

Each child got to decorate a cupcake to eat and one to take home. Or in Leila's case, two to eat and none to take home causing her to cry on Sunday when she had no cupcake to eat while her sisters enjoyed theirs.

And no children's party is complete without the swarming of the birthday girl by her friends as she attempts to open presents before her air supply runs out.

Overall, it was a wonderful party that I think the kids really, really enjoyed. I also liked having it weeks ahead of Ava's actual birthday. It softened the blow of her turning 5 years old. Where has the time gone?

Happy Birthday to me!

Today, I have turned 28 years old...

I don't know why, but that seems very weird to say. I have never had any real issue with getting older, but this year it just feels strange. I am fine with it. I mean, I can't fight it, and I certainly would never be one to lie about my age. It just seems like my 20's are flying by. I suppose it doesn't help that I have spent the majority of that time breeding some of the cutest little girls ever, and no that is not proud mama talk because they are spectacular. It's a fact...

Anyway, I had a great day. My girls went out with Daniel today to pick out a delicious double layer chocolate cake that read, "Happy Mommy Birthday". I think the cake lady took a little girl's directions too literally. I also got a sweet card that they all signed and decorated. Ava insisted on writing all over it. Of course, her idea of writing is putting letters wherever they fit. So, I had to decipher her writing Happy Birthday on the envelope. It is too precious, and I will probably never get rid of it. There was also plenty of snuggles, hugs, and kisses to go around from everyone for me today.

My parents and grandmother came over this evening to take me out for some delicious king crab legs. Anyone who knows me understands how excited that made me. I also got a new crock pot and a roasting pan since my mother remembered me lamenting about needing those items last weekend. Hey, someone actually listens to me. Gotta love it.

Overall, this was a low key day, but I spent it with all of my favorite people. Just two more years left until I hit the bi 3-0 which really doesn't faze me at all. I think it will be a nice change for people that think I am sooo young. *eyes rolling*

Busy, busy, busy week

We are just finishing up a very busy and somewhat stressful week celebrating Madison's 10th birthday. Yes, you heard me-- 10th birthday. Man oh man, where has the time gone? She was a little older than Leila when Daniel and I started dating. Now, we are in full blown tween mode.

The week started off with Madison wanting a new haircut. She donated her hair to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths charity back in December, but she had not had it cut since. Not only did she need a new cut, but she desperately needed her hair thinned out and layered. I took her to my fantastic hairdresser, and he did an amazing job with her. I can't believe how grown up she looks now.

Before:After:

Sunday entailed a girls' morning out shopping trip to Claire's Boutique to pick out a bunch of new earrings. I especially liked her choice of cupcake earrings. Monday was spent entertaining her, her friends, and the little ones at the pool.

Tuesday, I decided to throw Madison a surprise Webkinz birthday party for her and two of her neighborhood friends. I made my first birthday cake for this occasion. It was inspired by the Wheel of Wow on the site. I also set up a craft for them to make a Starburst Cloud bed for their Webkinz to sleep on. We bought an outfit for each girl to dress their animal in as their goodie bag. Boy, did that go over well.

Wednesday, Madison spent the afternoon out with Daniel. They went to Candylicious to stock up on her stash. Then, they hit the Astros game where Daniel got club level tickets for them. They actually ran into a friend that was there with his daughter and was moved from the nosebleed section to the awesome leather lazy boy chairs they have on the club level. Apparently, the girls spent most of their time laying out there watching the game on the tv sets they have attached to them. No, she really isn't spoiled at all. LOL

Thursday was her actual birthday. She had spent the night at a friend's house that night, so she came home to her birthday spankings and gifts. Nothing big on gifts this year from us since we had made it a birthday week celebration for her. Now, she did go out with her mother to dinner where she was given a cell phone. Just what every 10 year old needs. *eyes rolling* She is thrilled with it, so I guess that is what matters most. Friday was spent going out to dinner to celebrate with my parents at Red Lobster where Madison had her very own plate of crab legs for the first time.

Overall, it was a great week. We are now in recovery mode from so much activity. Anyone who knows our family understands how very active this is for us. It may take us a few weeks to fully recover.

Leila Turns 2yo

Leila turned two years old on April 10. I still can't believe it has been two years since I was hugely pregnant with her. I can say that she has been nothing but a joy to have. She is the one that keeps me on my toes.

She brings so much laughter, mischievousness, and fun to our family. She knows just how to push all of our buttons and does not hesitate to do so. It is just so hard not to laugh at her even when she is making us crazy. It is part of her charm and hard for most everyone else to pull off.

We celebrated her birthday with a small party with us, my parents and a friend of mine, her husband, and her son. We had everyone over to the house for pizza, cake, and presents. Leila was so thrilled to open her gifts. I had set them out the night before knowing they would taunt her all morning until it was time to open them during the party. She just kept eyeballing them the whole time. Once we gave her the go ahead, though, she went right at them. She knew exactly what do and that cool new toys for hiding beneath the paper. She got some great toys including an inch worm, her very own backpack, and a water table.

Then, it was cake time. She did a great job singing "Happy Birthday" to herself along with the rest of us and even managed to help blow out her candles. Now, Leila really has not had a lot of sweets in her short life because she has, well, a mean mommy. My mom likes to hassle me over the fact that "it won't kill her". Anyway, Leila was more than thrilled to bite into her puppy dog cake. She finished almost the entire piece. She left it for a bit only to return back to it with as much joy as the first bite she took out of it. I think that was the highlight of her day. I am still hearing about the cake from her.

Overall, it was a great day with her. It was not as hard as her first birthday, though, when I thought that would the very last first birthday we would be celebrating with any of our kids. It helped knowing there would be another baby coming along that we would be celebrating a 2nd birthday with in less time than imaginable.

Here are few more pics from her party.

Ava's Pixie Land Party

We celebrated Ava's 4th birthday on Sunday with a very girlie party at a little boutique in Sugar Land called Fancy That. I am so impressed with what a fabulous birthday party they throw there for girls of every age. I swear, we all needed a shot of testosterone as we left the party. It could not get any more girlie than that.

Ava had a Pixie Land party that included pixie costumes, jewelry, fancy up-do, make-up, a pixie ceremony with magical fairy dust, and cake with pink lemonade in champagne glasses. The girls helping with the party did such a amazing job of pampering each Pixie Princess. I think we had five little girls just fluttering around for an hour and a half. It was just a magical time, and I am so glad we could do this for Ava. I would highly recommend this place for any of you looking to throw a fantastic birthday party for your little girl.

Here are some of the many, many pics I took. I swear this was the best party because I didn't do anything but take pictures. LOVE IT!

Four years ago today...

...I started out on my adventure into motherhood. Ava Grace was delivered via c-section weighing only 6lbs 2oz. Today, she weighs nearly 32lbs. Over the course of the past four years, she has taught me so much about who I am and what I stand for in the little time she has been here. She is just an amazing spirit that I was not sure I was ready for at the time. Now, I know that she is precisely what I was meant to do and be. She made me a mother. While it should be a day that she is thankful for her gifts, it is a day that I am thankful for the greatest gift. I am so proud to call her my daughter. I can not wait to celebrate more birthdays with her and watch her grow into the amazing woman I know that she will become.

Small incident, big deal

We had Madison's 9th birthday party on Saturday. It was the first party that we have hosted in our home. She had a spa slumber party. Ava was so excited to have a house full of big girls to run around with everywhere. She was trying so hard to keep up with them and act maturely. We had had a big conversation about acting like a big girl earlier that day, and she wasn't letting anyone down.

While we were in the middle of all the spa treatments with the older girls, Ava was patiently waiting and watching the entire scene. I guess she got too into it because she had a small poo-poo accident. This isn't highly unusual for her, but it has been a while since this had happened. She typically isn't too upset about it. She will just ask me for new panties.

However, this time was very different. Ava came up to me and whispered that "it just came out". I asked her what she was talking about, but she would only discreetly point to her bottom. I immediately understood what she was talking about, but I felt terrible because she was embarrassed for the first time in her life. The sad look of disappointment on her face was heartbreaking. I just wanted to scoop her up and hug it all away. I didn't though to keep her oops quiet from the older girls there. We just excused ourselves for a minute and cleaned up what turned out to be a tiny accident.