Monday, January 30, 2012

.Birthday details.

I posted photos from Peanut's birthday over the weekend but didn't have the energy to write up a post letting you all know how the day went.
It was actually perfect, just like the day that she was born it was unseasonably sunny and clear which was nice, since the poor thing has a January birthday I can't imagine that she will have a ton of sunny ones in her life {unless she moves somewhere sunny year round of course}.
Unlike last year, she wasn't suffering from a cold - in fact, it was the total opposite. I've never seen this child more happy and excited....and she's happy and excited a lot!
It would seem that she {thankfully} got her mothers birthday enthusiasm instead of her fathers birthday grumpiness.
We had the perfect amount of guests so that everyone could talk and mingle and move around and play with the kiddos without being overwhelming for guests or the guest of honor.
She LOVED LOVED LOVED all of her gifts and ate more sweets then she has ever ever had in her life {outside of her birthday she's not allowed to have any sweets}. Amelia and my friend's daughter Eulen ran around playing with each other, toys, and balloons in between bites of cupcake for HOURS.
Once everyone left and she got her bath she went straight to bed and promptly slept for 13 solid hours {two more than usual}.
I'd easily say that Operation 2nd Birthday was a giant success....now to start planning next years!

.She's here!.

I've been keeping you guys updated on the recent influx of new baby cousins coming Amelia's way this year and I am very very happy to announce that on January 25th at 1:01pm Madelyn Elise Sidewell was born to my cousin Brianna & her husband Tyler. I was going to post this on the 25th but got totally sidetracked. Oops!
.Congrats Sidwell family!.

Next up is the baby of Cheyenne's cousin Greg & his wife Ivy in March - we can't wait!


Saturday, January 28, 2012

.Birthday party photos.


.Peanut butter/banana/Nutella cupcakes.

.meringue cookies.
.birthday cake & monkey cookies.
.Party favors for guests: jars of monkey bread.
.banana milk.
 



.Grammy & the birthday girl.





.Papa & a Nutella covered two year old.
 

.opening gifts.







Friday, January 27, 2012

,Happy 2nd birthday Amelia!.

Today my baby {not so much a "baby" anymore} is two years old! That's beyond shocking! Last night Cheyenne & I stayed up late {to us 11:00pm is late...we're old} putting together birthday gifts {play kitchen, tables & chairs, & bookcase} and talking about how insane it is that this...

Was two years ago. We woke her up this morning and after she got used to the idea of not being snuggled up in bed we brought her upstairs to her new playroom/area and she was so in shock & excited that she just stood there shaking and turning red {it happens}. After she composed herself she ran from gift to gift exploring and playing with each thing. We sang the happy birthday song and now it's her favorite. She's been singing "happy birthday Amelia" and playing with her new things while I type this up. Love.
I'll have photos as well as a long sappy birthday post {like I do} pretty soon but with the birthday party tomorrow I have way too much on plate for all of that today. Check back on Sunday for updates and photos and the like.


Friday, January 20, 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

.What's in a name?.

It would seem that there is a total baby boom going on these days. My cousin Brianna is going to have her daughter Madelyn on January 26th and Cheyenne's cousin Greg is expecting his first baby in March {they think it's a girl} and there are some other various friends and family members in the baby way these days and a few more who are trying.
A while ago I spent a lot of time talking names with Brianna before she and her husband Tyler had decided on Madelyn and today I was talking with Greg's wife Ivy {God bless you Facebook for letting me keep in touch with long distance cousins} about what they plan on naming their little one.
This got me to thinking about naming Amelia {it also helps that with her birthday a little over a week away I've got her birth story on the mind} and how fun it was. My advice to both cousins was that sometimes you just need to meet this little person first so that you can choose the name that fits the person. Cheyenne & I had a short list of names {both girl and boy since we didn't know the gender} that we had had most of my pregnancy. Two days before she was born on a total lark as I was walking downstairs to go pee for the millionth time that day I was thinking about one of the girls names at the top of the list. "Amelia" was the middle name that we had picked for that particular first name but as I was thinking about it I started to like the Amelia part best. Off handed as I was waddling down the stairs I called back to Cheyenne "what do you think about Amelia as a first name if it's a girl?".
When I came back up he was still thinking about it. "I like it, in fact I like it a lot" he said.
"Okay, well lets put it on the list. But what middle name?"
We tossed a few ideas back and forth and I threw out "Grace" because it's been one of my very very favorite names for years and years. We both loved it. The name went on the short list with a few others and we planned to meet this little person and see which fit best when the birth day came.
Cut to 4:35pm on January 27, 2010: we had a girl {as you are well aware} and when they announced "it's a girl" {best moment ever - the waiting is beyond worth it} they held her up and showed us our screaming breeched legged dark headed baby. In that moment Cheyenne choking on his own tears said the best words I will ever hear:
"Chole look, Amelia is here. That's our Amelia"
And he was right. She was our Amelia, she could never ever have been any of the other names on that list.
Today she goes by Amelia, Peanut, Mimi, Kiddo, Boo Boo, & Mestophales {haha just kidding on that one} but really, she's an Amelia and she could never have been anything else.

.Please be informed.



Please inform yourself about SOPA & PIPA {great articles here, here, and here as well as hundreds more that you can find with a currently uncensored Google search}. Neither SOPA nor PIPA will end piracy {their supposed intent} but they will greatly censor the internet {including this blog, Facebook, Youtube, Google, Twitter, etc} on a level similar to that which is seen in China. Please protect your free speech.
Once you learn about this situation please go here and sign the petition to stop these ridiculous bills.


.Snow Day.

We woke up this morning to a bit of snow which is rare for the Willamette Valley {not Oregon in general just this valley} so I bundled Amelia up and took her out to play for a bit.





.Big girl bed.







Tuesday, January 17, 2012

.Swimsuit season?.

Haha, okay, perhaps it's not swimsuit season yet {or anywhere near it for that matter}. But my favorite children's clothing store, Janie & Jack, is already rolling out their 2012 swimsuits and they are {as always} so stinkin' cute!
Last summer I got Amelia an adorable swimsuit from J & J {as I did the year before} but being a toddler that loves the water I must say that by the time September rolled around that suit was lookin' a bit rough and dingy. Between that and the fact that we'll be spending even more time at the pool this year {now that she's bigger} and I'm thinking that it'll be smart to get a few swimsuits and rotate them. Also, this means that I wont have to pick just one from all of the great choices. I'm thinking 3ish suits should work out best {one for the big pool, one for the little yard kiddie pool & sandbox, & one for the fountains/lakes/rivers/ocean}. Here are the choices that I have narrowed down though I'm sure that there will be a few more added as Janie & Jack come out with more summer collections.





I hope this post brings you a bit of sunshine and thoughts of summer on this cold winter day!