wrapping a few things up

with the long weekend, we were able to knock out quite a few to-dos. and it felt awesome to go through that list and delete things from it. several new additions to the nursery were made and i ::think:: we're almost done. just a few pieces of artwork to add (still have to decide on what exactly needs to be done) and we should be good to go! updated photos should come soon.

and while we did spend a lot of time getting things done this weekend, we still spent a lot of time outside having fun and trying our best to stay cool...

bust a move

wordless wednesday: bulldozer love

and he parties like a rockstar...

... or, more like a two year old. but whatevs. photo overload to follow of uber-cute kiddos and a fun time had by friends and family alike. overall? a great evening spent with those we love...

cayden turns two

dearest cayden:

on friday, you turned two years old. and every time that daddy or i told you about it, you would shake your head and say, "no." we thought it was quite humorous. only two and you were already denying your birthday. but you caught on very quickly that having a birthday only means good things.

surprisingly enough, we had to wake you up that morning so that we could be the first people to sing you happy birthday. you were in such a deep sleep that it took us a few minutes to stir you, but once we started singing, your face broke into the biggest grin. and you just KNEW it was going to be a good day.

we treated you to a breakfast cupcake. which was really just a banana muffin, but you insisted on calling it a cupcake. and you know, it was your day, so why not? plus, calling it a cupcake seems so much more festive than calling it a muffin.

while me and daddy got ready for work, you ripped into a couple of cards that some great-grandmothers had sent your way and showed off your loot to the camera. since we had to work that day, you went to school like any other day and shared some white chocolate suckers with your classmates.

daddy took you on a little trip across the street when you got home to see the bulldozer that's been living over there for a couple of weeks (our neighborhood is a new one so there's always some sort of construction going on). i definitely have a favorite photo from your little adventure, but i'm saving it to post tomorrow.

once i finally got home from work, we took you to dinner at buffalo wild wings where you inhaled your mini corn dogs and yelled at all the tvs in there. you really liked watching the race cars and hopkey (hockey). we kept you up well past your bedtime and treated you to a real cupcake – a strawberry one with pink icing. and then we even let you stay up to watch aminals (that's madagascar for all of you).

all in all, i'd say you had a pretty fabulous second birthday. your party though? you rocked your party. but that's a whole 'nother post my sweet heart. you're a fabulous toddler that me and daddy are thrilled to know. you continually surprise us with all you can say and do. and we can't really imagine our life before you came to us anymore. it's just that awesome. so continue to grow and shine and make us smile. we love it all.

oh, and we had your two year check-up this morning!
height: 34.5" (50th percentile)
weight: 26 lbs. (25th percentile)
head: 20" (i think you finally grew into it!)

could eat you to pieces, we love you so,
mama & daddy

elephants on parade

when we found out we were pregnant with sawyer, i decided that i wanted to make most of the things to go into his nursery. when i was pregnant with cayden, i was literally still afraid of my sewing machine, so there was most definitely a lack of "homemade" going on in his nursery.

this time around, it all started with crib sheets. then i decided i could make curtain panels (i mean, for real, how hard could that be?). and from there it progressed into whipping up a crib skirt, a couple of toss pillows and his mobile.

wait, what? his mobile? becca, are you completely crazy? (verdict's still out on that one.) we had purchased a metal mobile for cayden's room and made these cool little flashcard type things. i wanted to reuse the metal part (cause, duh) and i decided that i could make my own felt elephants.

felt? is very different than sewing with a machine. with my machine? i'm super-comfortable now. but sewing things by hand? let's just say that these are being made with love. i'm not emily bilbrey y'all (who is fabulous and you should check out all her felt goodies for sure).

but you know what? these little elephants are super-duper cute. and once i got a little filling in them, they really started to take a life of their own. even jeremy thinks they're cute. i've gotten three of them put together so far and have seven left. i can't wait to get home and finish them and get the mobile all put together. i'm thinking it's going to be to-die-for cute.

she's crafty...

... or at least i like to pretend! what probably should've taken no longer than a few hours total took me much longer than that. while i love the way my wreath turned out, i think the first problem i encountered (and realized much too late) was that i bought the wrong kind of wreath form. see how mine has kind of squared off edges? yeah, most people's have rounded edges. wrapping something in yarn that isn't round? take for-ev-er. literally. i had to wrap it at angles and then go around the thing three different times. talk about a mindless task.

but oh, the texture that wrapping it three different times brought was such a happy accident for me. so it's not perfect, but it's nice and texture-y (sure that's a word) and i loves it.

i also had fun with my first felt project – flowers! i used this tutorial to make these and again, i'm overall pretty pleased with how they came out. and gray and yellow? perfect spring (almost summer) combination, right? i ::think:: i might even attempt to make another wreath (albeit with the correct wreath form this time) for our hospital door for sawyer. flowers might be a bit girly for that though. any suggestions on something boyish i could put on there instead?

i just wish...

... he realized how cute he looks in a hat. we had to beg for him to keep it on long enough to say "cheese" and then it was off his head almost immediately. but what does he do on our way out of the store? he takes daddy's hat off and puts it on his head. and leaves it on. what gives?

in just 15 short days...

... our little nugget is going to be two. TWO! it's bizarre what happens to time when one has a child. seriously. i never imagined that one day cayden would be this little bundle of newborn-ness and bam! he's walking, talking, running, making sentences and just generally into everything. just yesterday we were having to help him with everything. and now? mr. independence can do most things on his own... except when he can't. and then he'll ask us "pweas help."

::heart? melted::

i had no idea what joy an itty bitty could bring to our lives. and in just a little over a month and a half we'll be adding another itty bitty to our family. sigh. it's just so. completely. awesome.

but anyway, after i realized that cayden likes to growl at robots, we thought robots might be a fun theme for his second birthday. (i mean, really, what child needs a theme for their party? answer: no child needs a theme. this is strictly for mama and getting some colors going.) anyway, i designed his invite around several colors and robots. and because i couldn't pick just one, we printed both versions of the invitations. i don't have big plans to make this party a robot-overload... mostly will just carry some of the colors into some decorations. and maybe some of the food (think m&ms here).

otherwise, a simple little party with a few close friends and family. and while i'm so thrilled that our baby is about to be two, there's that little part of every mama that just wants time to slow down. just a little. please.

a happy face!

someone enjoyed their first experience with bbq chicken pizza. it kind of got everywhere. but i've never heard him so quiet while eating before. it was strictly a chow-down meal; no conversation for this guy last night.