Wyatt - 12 Months

I don't believe it.  I do not believe it.  But my little big, squishy baby boy is ONE.

At 12 months, Wyatt:

Weight: 19 lbs 14 oz (29th percentile)

Length: 29 1/3 in (31st percentile)

Head Circumference: 18 in (41st percentile)

- Growls a lot

- Is super ticklish and has the best laugh

- Bear crawls

- Might stand independently for a couple seconds.  I say might because most of the time he shows absolutely no interest in it

- Cruises along furniture and behind his push car but is not independently walking.  He also loves to push the kids' table chairs along the hardwood floor 

- His third tooth is cutting through the gums as we speak and the fourth is not far behind!

- Loves to feed people

- Starts throwing his food when he's finished eating

- Clicks his tongue

- Plays peek-a-boo

- Loves to play with cars, trucks, and balls - anything that moves!

- Plays catch

- Says hi, dada/daddy, mama, Bubba, truck (uck), book (dook), ball, and dog

- Blows kisses by putting his palm to his mouth and making a "mmm" sound

- Showing a little bit of a temper!  Wonder where he gets that from... Ryan

- Is desperate to keep up with Cam and Zo

 - Continues to be the happiest little squishy baby and thankfully just goes with the flow of our busy life

Wyatt Austin, you are the biggest joy and the most perfect caboose to the Peters train.  Thank you for being the happiest and most "go with the flow" kid that just rolls with the crazy and chaos of this family.  You are so, incredibly loved and adored.  I am so excited to see what this year bring for you and to watch you continue to discover the big, awesome world.  We love you, Squishy!

Take Luck,

LP

Zoey is FOUR

Our spunky, sassy, sweet, and sensitive girl is FOUR years old!  I went back and read her THREE post and while emotional, I found myself nodding because so much of it is still true despite her being a year older.

Height: 38 inches

Weight: 33 lbs 2 oz

- Loves to sing (loudly) and dance, perform, and tell stories

- Very interested in imaginative play with her dolls and Barbies, all of which she calls "dollies"

- Took several sessions of ballet at the YMCA and performed in their spring recital.  She looked absolutely beautiful, danced wonderfully, and loved being on stage

- Finally (finally!) potty trained after a good 10 months from when we started.  Her stubbornness (thank you, Ryan), and a new baby brother derailed us but she finally got it about 6 months ago.  The silver lining was that once she "got it," she was able to stay dry day and night

- Is about to complete her first year of preschool with Ms. Tiffany

- Best friends are Madalyn, Liberty, Emily, Grady, Logan, and Jack

- Tells me at least five times a week that she is going to marry Jack.  Jack also calls her a "beautiful princess" and she calls him her "prince."  Lord, help us

- Is showing herself to be a perfectionist in a lot of things and gets frustrated if she can't or doesn't do something right (sorry baby girl but you get that from your mama)

- Is such a girly girl.  Loves to play dress up, change her outfit 17 times a day, accessorize, wear dresses, play with make-up, and have her nails painted

- Even though she is a girly girl, she can hang with the boys for sure.  She is still fearless and wants to do anything and everything her Big Bubba does

- Had her top left, front tooth pulled after the dentist discovered it had been impacted by her fall out of the shopping cart a few years ago.  While I'm still adjusting to her smile (and in a way mourning the loss of that sweet little baby tooth), she smiles with pride and is always asking when the other one will come out

- We say a nightly affirmation to each other.  "I am kind.  I am smart.  I am beautiful.  I am important."  Then, I ask her who she is and she says (yells), "I am Zoey Grace Peters!"

- Attended her first Daddy Daughter Dance with Ryan and it was pretty much her best day ever.  She wore a beautiful dress and shoes, I curled her hair, applied a little makeup, and Daddy brought her a corsage

- She became a big sister to Baby Bubba and absolutely adores him.  She is my biggest helper and I hope she'll be a great little mama someday

My Zoey Grace.  I am so lucky to be your Mommy.  Everyday I feel grateful to have a daughter like you that teaches me grace, patience, and understanding.  You bring so much joy to our family and anyone you meet.  I find myself expecting a lot from you, and often - more than I should.  But it's only because you are an amazing little girl who is destined for big things.  I hope you are always true to yourself and remember that your are smart, beautiful, kind, important, and so very loved.  I love you to the moon and the stars, my little peach.

Take Luck,

LP  

Camden is SIX

I looked back on Cam's fifth birthday post just now and it feels like it was both a lifetime ago and just yesterday.  This year has been full of changes for him and he has truly rocked it.  I just cannot cannot cannot believe he is six and officially needs two hands to show his age with his fingers.  

Of course, I am queen of bias when it comes to him and his siblings but this kid is truly special.

Weight: 39 1/2 lbs (13th percentile)

Height: 42.5 inches (7th percentile)

- Is incredibly loving and affectionate

-  Has two (maybe three?) loose teeth and says he wants them to be shot out with a Nerf gun.  One of them is hanging by a thread, I swear

- Played YMCA basketball with the Rockets, YMCA soccer with the Lightning Cheetahs, and YMCA t-ball with the Sluggers

- Played Tracyton soccer with the Lightning Bolts (formerly Dragons)

- Has started playing indoor soccer with the Thunder Cats 

- Takes gymnastics (Comets 2) twice a week with Coach Sam and it is amazing how much his strength and coordination has improved.  He is so fun to watch!

- Is catching onto reading really quickly

- Loves to draw, practice writing his first and last name, and various words and phrases (after asking how to spell them of course)

- Started Kindergarten and absolutely loves it and his teacher, Ms. Ryan.  During his parent/teacher conference she said that he is the most articulate and socialized kid in his class, one of only a handful that can count to 100 and will be truly reading by the end of the school year, and has wonderful penmanship.  The two things he needs to work on are not blurting out answers/questions before being called on... and not hugging everyone all of the time.  Did I mention he was a very loving and affectionate kid?

- He came home on the first day of school saying that there was a very pretty girl in his class and that he would like to marry her... but he couldn't tell me what her name was.  Turns out her name is Mazie and she is adorable.

- His best friends in his class are Kaleo, Kamden (KJ), Charlie, Kainoa, Shane and Mazie.

- Seriously seems like he's made friends with at least half of the school so far.  I volunteer in his class on Tuesday afternoons and when we walk out together at the end of the school day he hugs at least 10 kids goodbye.

- His principal calls him "Boss."

- Has developed a very cute friendship with our neighbor, Ian.  It's like they are brothers.  Ian is very protective of Cam and walks him to his classroom everyday when they get to school (even though Cam is more than capable of doing it himself) and Cam looks up to Ian like he is the bees knees.

- Became a big brother again and adores his baby brother more than I had imagined he would.  He is constantly asking to hold him and I frequently have to ask him to "stop kissing the baby." He tells me at least three times a day that "baby brother is soooooo cute!"

- Apparently not as terrified of natural disasters as he once was?  They had the "big shake" drill at school a few weeks ago and he came home saying it was his favorite thing about school

- A fireman came into their class to talk about fire safety and it left a big impression on him because no he will now randomly say "if there is a fire in your house, Mommy - don't worry about your toys.  Just worry about yourself."

- Wears 5T tops, 5T bottoms (finally), and a size 10 shoe

- Favorite things to eat are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate brownie Z-bars, and Classic Lays chips

- Favorite TV shows are Blaze and the Monster Machines, Teen Titans Go, and Loud House.  I'm also forcing the kids to watch Crikey! It's the Irwins and he really likes that too

- Still loves to watch "red commercial" on the iPad (YouTube Kids) and I'll never understand how it can be so fascinating to watch other kids playing with toys or playing video games

- Is still so snuggly and I LOVE IT

Interview update:

Favorite Color: All of the blues

Favorite Movie: Incredibles 2

Favorite TV Show: Puppy Pals and Paw Patrol 

Favorite Animal: Cheetah

Favorite Book: Anything about cheetahs 

What do you want to be when you grow up?: An Army guy

Who is your best friend?: Of course Shane and Mazie

Favorite thing to learn about at school: Reading and writing letters  

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite Drink: Chocolate milk

Favorite Activity: Jump on trampolines and do backflips

Favorite Song: The River

Favorite thing about yourself: When I played my first game of indoor soccer I worked really hard and scored a goal

Camden James.  There really are no words to adequately describe how much I love you and how incredibly proud I am to be your Mommy.  You are smart, funny, outgoing, and very silly.  People are drawn to you because you are so happy, loving, and full of life  Being your mom and watching you grow and experience this world is such a joy and privilege.  It truly is an honor.  I love you, my Super Cam.

Take Luck,

LP

Zoey is THREE

Our little firecracker is three years old and you guessed it - I cannot believe it.

Weight: 28 pounds 6 ounces (28th percentile)

Height: 35.8 inches (22nd percentile)

She is still this petite little thing, but I promise you that there is so much life and exuberance packed into every inch of her.  Her three-year well check sounded a lot like her two-and-a-half-year well check: she's tiny with above average speech and below average bowel movement frequency.

- Favorite songs to sing (aka belt out at the top of her lungs) are "A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman, Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus, and Crazy Girl by The Eli Young Band

- Favorite show is still Bubble Guppies and she is always requesting to watch "Hall-weeeeen Gubba Guppies"

- Favorite movies are The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast

- She's started the bedtime stall tactics and those have only increased since she's now sharing a room with Bubba.  My favorite is when she says "but Mommy, I just want to touch your hair."

- Asks so many questions and most of them start with, "but why, Mama?"

- Loves gymnastics and has transitioned really nicely from the tots class (with a parent down on the floor with her) to the regular toddler/kids class

- She tried ballet for one class but it was too slow for her style

- Still a fearless little thing.  As evidenced in gymnastics when she barrels down the tumble track and then leaps into the pit

- Not only is she fearless but she is tough!  She just wants to keep up with her big brother

- Potty training is super hit and miss.  She shows a lot of interest but not enough to be consistent.   I know we need to push this more but she's pretty stubborn so I am treading carefully

- Asked for a squirrel for her birthday.  A live one.

- Best friends are Grady, Liberty, and Logan

- Still a great eater.  Her favorite things to request are popsicles and "pirates booties"

- Very into princesses, dress up, and accessorizing with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, crowns, shoes, and purses.  Her favorite princesses are Belle, Elsa, Ariel, and Rapunzel.  She's also perfecting her curtsy.

- Loves to have her "painnails" (fingernails) painted

- Is becoming more particular about what she wears

- Wears 3T tops, 2T bottoms, and size 7 shoes

- Is an amazing combination of sweet and sassy

- Will say "I'm a nice friend" when she does something nice or thoughtful for me

- Nicknames include Zo Zo, Ladybug, Little Bear, Sissy/Sis, and Peaches

My Zoey Grace, you keep us on our toes.  I am so lucky to be your mommy.  You have the sweetest heart that is sometimes full of sass.  I hope you are always a strong willed creature.  You bring us so much joy and laughter with your funny and dramatic personality, your animated expressions, and your love for the most ordinary things.  You truly are a one-of-a-kind.  Always remember that you are smart, kind, important, and beautiful.  I love you to the moon and stars, my little peach.

Take Luck,

LP

Camden is FIVE

Is it just me, or does this birthday seem like such a huge, huge milestone?  Maybe it's because my boy has been literally talking about turning five since the day he turned four.  He has grown up so much this past year, figuratively and physically - it has been the most bittersweet thing to watch.  I know I am incredibly biased, but he is one cool kid.

Weight: 34 pounds 6 ounces (9th percentile)

Height: 40 1/2 inches (11th percentile)

- Has become quite the sensitive little soul.  He gets scared and his feelings hurt easily yet is also very tough physically.  It's a weird combo

- Terrified of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.  I'm thankful I can tell him that we don't have hurricanes or tornadoes in our part of the country because he's constantly confirming those facts with me just to be sure

- I assure him there are no hurricanes and then he says, "But there is a hurricane in the Little Mermaid!" and so I assure him that the Little Mermaid is just a story and then the conversation goes off into this tangent about whether or not the Little Mermaid takes place in "our world" (aka the planet Earth)

- He's super particular about his socks being on super straight and not having "bumps."  His shoes also need to be really snug on his feet.  That said, he loves wearing his rain boots which are as lose as could be so this boggles my mind a bit

- Loves hot wheel cars and his Cars diecast cars, especially ones with spoilers

- Obsessed with seeing spoilers on actual cars and is always asking if we can buy an actual car with a spoiler on it

- Loves soccer, t-ball, basketball, gymnastics, bowling, and swimming

- Wears 4T/5T tops and 4T bottoms

- Speaking of bottoms, he really hates that his 4T bottoms are too big in the waist and too long in length and DOES NOT want his pant legs to touch his feet or shoes

- Is a seriously great big brother.  He is always asking to tuck Zoey into bed all by himself and is always asking if he can go wake her up

- Favorite thing to eat is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

- We are having an on-going debate on who is faster - a cheetah or The Flash

- Is quite the spiritual little fellow, which is interesting to me because it's not something we discuss much at home.  He says his prayers every night without prompt or question and is quick to say that Jesus will keep him brave and safe if he's scared of the aforementioned natural disasters

- Went to Santa Cruz, California for the first time and I'm pretty sure he would have stayed there forever if we had let him.  While there I forced him to ride a log ride and I may have scarred him for life

- Favorite shows are PJ Masks, Paw Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Lion Guard, and Team Umizoomi

- Favorite movies are Cars 1, 2, and 3, Annie, How to Train Your Dragon, Peter Pan, Toy Story 1, 2, and 3, and The Little Mermaid

- Played his second season of YMCA t-ball with Mommy and Daddy and The Great Bambinos

- Played his second season of Tracyton Soccer with Mommy and Daddy and The Dragons



- Is perfecting his swimming and swims without a life jacket

- Seems to have a really good memory.  He can recall adventures, events, places we've visited, and conversations we've had with eerie accuracy

- Is very protective of his little sister

- He is the snuggliest of the snuggle bugs

- Tries to come up with any excuse in the world to not have to sleep in his bed and sleep in our bed.  He really hits me in the feelers when he says "but Mommy, I just want to snuggle with you" or "but Mommy, I just love you."  Other excuses are that he is afraid of bears or that moss is going to take over the city

- Obsessed with bath bombs and asking me to ask Siri how to say various words or phrases in Spanish and French

- Can count to 100

Now for an interview update:

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Movie: Tarzan

Favorite TV Show: PJ Masks

Favorite Animal: Elephant, giraffe, and zebra

Favorite Book: Pout Pout Fish 

What do you want to be when you grow up?: Superman

Who is your best friend?: "Everyone is my best friend!" 

Favorite thing to learn about at school: Jaguars

Favorite food: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Favorite Drink: Water and juice

Favorite Activity: Going to eat and play at McDonald's

Favorite Song: Jingle Bell Rock

Favorite thing about yourself: "I'm good at bowling"

Camden James.  There really are no words to adequately describe how much I love you and how proud I am to be your Mommy.  Of course, I'm biased, but you are one super cool little guy.  You are smart, funny, outgoing, and very silly.  People that don't even know you are always commenting on your energy and your happy demeanor.  You asked me this morning if I could believe you are 5, and I honestly can't.  Being your mom is such a joy and privilege.  It truly is an honor.  I love you, my Super Cam.

Take Luck,

LP

Cam is FOUR

I truly feel like I was just talking about Cam being 3.5.  Now, here we are and he's four.  FOUR!!!  And as he was very quick to remind me, "four is almost five!"

Man, do I love this kid.  And truth be told - I have heard horror stories of the "three's."  But to be honest - I loved (almost) every minute of Camden James as a three year old.  I know I am biased and President of the Camden Fan Club, but he is one cool dude.

Weight: 32 pounds (17th percentile)

Height: 38 inches (9th percentile)

- loves to go bowling at All Star Lanes 

- has started to accept Wii Bowling at home as an alternative if it just doesn't work to go to All Star Lanes

- the Wii has also introduced him to sword fighting and I am so thankful for an activity that keeps him quiet but exhausts him all at the same time

- he got Track Master Sky High Bridge Jump for his birthday and he through the roof excited.  Just ask him about it.  Or don't because he will talk so fast that you will hear "Sky Bridge" and not understand anything else.

- can identify all uppercase and lowercase letters

- can write all uppercase letters

- can count to 40

- loves to talk about planets and space and can name the planets in their order

- favorite shows are PJ Masks, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Wild Kratts, Bubble Guppies, and Lion Guard

- favorite movies are Moana, Trolls, Finding Dory, Frozen, The Minion Movie, and Peter Pan

- finished his first season of Tracyton Soccer Club, playing for the Dragons and wearing #6

- is a Comet at gymnastics and absolutely adores his coach, Sam

- starting YMCA basketball in January and I am preparing to be incredibly entertained by a bunch of four and five-year olds trying to walk/run and dribble

- would eat 15 Z-bars a day if I let him

- is super snuggle and cuddly

- says "I love you, Mommy," about 10 times a day

- talks about having "missing teeth" when he's big boy

- taking on more responsibilities like putting his trash in the garbage, putting his dirty dishes in the sink, turning lights off when leaving a room, and dressing himself

- wears 4T tops, 3T bottoms, and size 8 shoes

- loves to sing and dance

I asked him if I could "interview" him, and after explaining what an "interview" was - he obliged.

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite movie: Moana

Favorite TV show: PJ Masks

Favorite animal: Elephant and giraffe

Favorite book: Big Book of Trains

What do you want to be when you grow up?: Police officer

Who is your best friend?: Monroe

What's your favorite thing to learn about in school?: The letter "C" for Camden

Favorite food: veggie straws

Favoriate drink: chocolate milk

Favorite activity: color and cut paper, watch the iPad

Favorite song: The Elsa Song ("Let it Go" from Frozen)

Favorite thing about yourself: Being a good boy and getting on purple

Cammy, Cammy, Cammy.  You are one special little guy.  I love you more than I could have ever thought possible.  You are kind, sensitive, funny (so funny!), smart, and light up the room when you're around.  I love seeing your imagination at work and watching the world through your inquisitive mind.  I love you to the moon and stars, and all the way to Pluto, the dwarf planet.   

Take Luck,

LP

Camden is THREE

I can't even really believe I just typed the words "Camden is three."  In some ways the last year went really slowly (thanks in part to being pregnant with Zoey) and in other ways it completely flew by and I feel like I was just reflecting on (and crying about) him turning two.

I still haven't learned that this growing up business is hard.

I just now realized that because Zoey was two weeks old when Cam turned two and a half, I didn't write a post going into all the details of him at that time.  I'm sure you didn't miss it but right now I'm kicking myself for not putting something down.

Anyway, at three years old - (and I know I am biased) he is quite the little man child.

Weight: 27 pounds (7th percentile)

Height: 25 inches (5th percentile)

I wasn't kidding when I said he was little.  He hasn't grown much since his two and a half year check, but at this point the doctor isn't concerned.  His growth record thus far has proven that he's not going to be a big kid.

In no particular oder, here are some things I want to remember about Cam at three years old:

- still dumps out his entire bucket of trains/cars/blocks only to walk away minutes later to play with something else

- loves to sing songs

- started preschool in September and this has only fostered his love for singing

- favorite shows are Bubble Guppies, Dora the Explorer, and Paw Patrol

- favorite movies are Toy Story 3, Wreck it Ralph, Frozen, The Lion King, Despicable Me 2, The Minion Movie, and just recently - The Polar Express

- favorite books are The Polar Express, I'm a Dirty Dinosaur, The Three Little Pigs, The Day the Crayons Quit, Big Book of Big Trains, and Little Miss Muffet

- is quite the talker.  I think he surprises people some times because he looks younger than he is (because of his size) but then they hear him talk.

- gets very excited when talking some times and says "and, and, and, and, and, and..." in-between words.

- loves his little sister fiercely

- wants his tummy and back softly scratched every night before bed

- favorite toys are Cars cars, Thomas and Chuggington trains, and any ball he can get his hands on

- is really fast (running) and coordinated (running, jumping, hitting balls)

- loves to hit, play catch, play basketball, and play soccer -- even if it's in the house

- takes swim lessons on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  He loves to jump in the way swim up to the surface (on his own!) but only if I'm right there for him to swim to and there to grab when he pokes his head up.

- takes gymnastics class/lessons on Saturday mornings and I think this has really helped his coordination

- is day time potty trained and hasn't had any accidents since we finished our three (four for us!) day potty training method.  I'm knocking on wood right now.

- likes to tell people they're his best friend and these "best friends" change daily - usually between mommy, daddy, grammy, papa, Auntie Rachel, and Rachel's boyfriend, Chris

- still in quite the smuggler and loves to back up into my lap to sit down 

Cam, some days you drive me absolutely bonkers.  But at the end of each day, I feel very lucky that I get to be your mommy and get to watch you grow into the cool little dude that you are.  You are sweet and kind (most of the time), sensitive, busy and inquisitive, smart, funny, and a future force to be reckoned with on the athletic field.  I cannot believe you are three years old today.  Here's me wishing you the best year yet.  I love you to the moon and the stars.

Take Luck,

LP

Camden is TWO

What the hell, time?  Did you drink a bunch of Red Bull or something and decide to literally fly by?!  I thought the first year of Camden's life went by fast, but looking back at how quickly the second year went by - I am proven wrong.  It feels like last week (OK, maybe last month) that I was reflecting on his first year of life.

Now, my little love is two and I can hardly believe it.  Two!

(Photo Credit: Meghan Granito Photography)

I know that every mother thinks their kid is special and wonderful and all, but inside I feel like the frigging president of the proud mommy coalition - today especially.

Cam is one special little guy and I get very emotional thinking about the fact that I get to be his mom and just how much that means to me.  It has been amazing to watch him grow and learn this last year; to see him develop his own likes and dislikes, and start voicing his thoughts and opinions.  That last one has been both comical and a test of our patience.  

I shared some Hammy Cammy details back in October, and it's incredible to look back at that post and think about how much he's grown and changed in just that short time.

- Has finally started to say, "I love you."

- Will tell you he has to "go potty."  He really just wants to wash his hands.

- On the way to daycare a few weeks ago he told me, "Mommy! You booiful (beautiful)." I about died.

- His idea of playing with his kitchen is pulling out all of the fruits, vegetables, silverware, plates, etc., leaving them in a heap on the floor, and then walking away to play with something else.

- Will do the most random things and then say, "I funny!"

- Can count to 14.  Why 14?  Because we have 14 steps from the main floor of the house to the upstairs and someone insists on walking by himself.  Counting keeps him from doddling.

- Is slowly learning the ABCs and can recite small sections of them on his own.

- Loves to sit in a "special chair" when we stop for a coffee (for me) and scone (for him) from Starbucks.

- Has started to sing along to "Wheels on the Bus."

- Speaking of "Wheels on the Bus."  At the end of the song, he yells "Mommy!  Shark!" and that's his way of telling me that he wants me to sing "The shark on the bus goes chomp, chomp, chomp..."

- Will tell me, "Mommy! Wook! Moose!" or "Mommy! Wook! (Insert random animal)!" while we are driving down the road.

- Has recently discovered movies and requests Monsters University by pulling the DVD off the shelf all. the. time. 

- If he wants to tell me something "important," he will put his hand on my shoulder and look me right in the eye and say, "Mommy..."

- When out in public, has started saying, "Hi," and waving to anyone that looks in his direction.

- He officially has a timeout corner, because the child gets at least one timeout a day.

So, I get to be the mom of this awesome little human.  Don't get me wrong - we have our challenging moments (and days), and I am always ready when it's time for his nap and bedtime, but I feel very lucky that Camden is ours and we are his.

We had his two year well check up today.

Height: 32 1/2 inches (7th percentile)
Weight: 23 pounds 13 ounces (13th percentile)
Head Circumference: 19 inches (45th percentile)

I didn't know just how much I could love someone until he came along.  The love I feel for him just multiplies every day - even on the rough days when he's living up to the "terrible two" cliche and giving me a hard test in patience.  I cherish our nighttime routine and the few minutes we share after our nightly book, sitting and rocking in the dark, where nothing else in the world matters (to me, anyway).  In those moments, everything is quiet and snuggly.  I hope that someday he will understand even a fraction of how much his dad and I love him and how important he is to us.

It's hard for me to look at him and see him as a big brother.  I see him as my baby.  I suppose I always will, even when he's not the baby anymore.

Happy 2nd Birthday, my squishy man cub.  I am so lucky, and so proud to be your mama.  You've made me a better person, a more grateful person. I love you to the moon and the stars.  You, my little love, are my greatest achievement (at least until your brother or sister comes along and then you'll have to share that title).

Take Luck,

LP

Camden's Second Birthday Party

We celebrated Camden's second birthday party on Saturday morning.  As you might have imagined, it was totally Pinterest worthy, complete with a Thomas the Train Engine table cloth and balloons... And, that's about it.  Much like his First Birthday Party.

Per my usual style, I kept things simple.  We had some Thomas decorations and a brunch-like spread of food.

Because I know how much everyone loves to be at a two-year old's birthday party - we didn't dilly dally and got right down to food, gifts, and cake.

Cam got lots of wonderful gifts from family and friends, but his favorite was hands down, the balance bike and helmet he received from Grammy and Papa.

We've been practicing singing "Happy Birthday" for the past couple weeks, and his little face just lit up when everyone was singing to him.

Swimming lessons and blowing bubbles in the water are totally paying off because he was even able to blow out the candle all by himself without getting too dangerously close to the flame.  Much like his first birthday party cupcake, he couldn't have cared less.  Why this child doesn't capitalize on his opportunities to eat super sugary treats is beyond me.

We wrapped things up (and took off his frosting-filled shirt) and he got to business playing with some of his other gifts - including this tee ball set from his dear old mommy and daddy.  He said his thank you's, gave his hugs goodbye, and then it was nap time.  For him and for me.

His actual birthday isn't until Thursday, so I'll save the hysterical dramatics about how I can't believe he's two and wah, wah, wah, until then.

Take Luck,

LP

Camden's First Birthday Party

We celebrated Cam's first birthday with a family party on Sunday.

I had initially wanted to throw an elaborate, themed party, but then I came to my senses and said, "to hell with that."  Of course, it's not stupid to have a big, themed, birthday party.  But knowing myself, and especially with his birthday being around the holidays, I knew I didn't need to be putting any "unnecessary extras" on the 'ol plate.

My goal was to be quick and efficient, because really, who wants to be at a one-year old's birthday party?

Decorations were limited, but food and enjoyment were not (or at least I hope not!).

We got right down to business opening gifts.  Camden was completely not interested in this little ritual, so lucky for him, his cousins Kennedy and Riley were HAPPY to step up and help out.

After gifts, it was time for cake.  My mom made him a cupcake for his "smash cake" and I ordered a big sheet cake from Costco. (Side note: totally unplanned but both his shirt and cake have a dinosaur on it... So in your face, Pinterest.)

Camden is a really messy eater, so I thought he would just LOVE getting messy with his little personal cupcake.

Wrong.  See the cake evolution for yourself.

This frosting-enduced-trauma required some mama-snuggles, and an out-of-the-spotlight-cake-tasting.

Mmmmm.  Sugar.  Maybe this isn't so bad, after all?

He didn't eat much of his special treat, but he ate enough to get a little messy.

It then became painfully obvious that he was DONE being the center of attention and ready for his afternoon nap.  Funny, because he fought the nap like it was his J-O-B, only slept for 40 minutes, demanded to be retrieved from his crib even though he was CLEARLY not ready to be awake, and overall gave us a SUPER fun evening.

Happy first birthday party, Hammy Boy!

Take Luck,

LP