For my second video feat, a quick recap of Baby Shane's (first) First Birthday Celebration Friday night at Happy Joe's. Yes, I said Happy Joe's. Yes, I know he's only one. I have really fond birthday memories from that place, okay? So, I don't want to hear any HJ backtalk!
Normally by Sunday nights I have one of a few emotions; these emotions can range from exhaustion from a full weekend with two kids and two dogs and lots of events to sadness that the weekend is over to, honestly, sometimes happiness that the weekend is over and I'll get a break from the house and kids by being back at work! But, anyway, my whole point is this: NOT THIS WEEK, PEOPLE!
This Sunday is different. This Sunday I have a different emotion. I am jittery and shaky (and no I haven't been drinking caffeine again) with excitement. This is one of the biggest weeks I can remember in some time and I'm even including the week of May 1st in there, although that was a big one, too.
This week we get to celebrate TWO big birthdays! Not only is my babygirl turning two on Tuesday, we will also be welcoming a new member of the playgroup the very next day. Well, that is unless that babygirl gets her act together and decides to come in to this world tonight. (Which, by the way, baby r/k, could you please do that? I know your mommy would appreciate it and Bridget would really like her newest BFF at her birthday party).
I just can't believe sometimes how fast this time has gone and how in such a short amount of time so much can change (see that - I used the "c" word - yeah me!). I remember back to last New Year's Eve (wiggle your fingers here and make that doodly doo sound Wayne and Garth make when they're having a memory) when just Matthew and Bridget ruled the roost and we had three mommies to be at the party - which by the way doesn't make for the craziest new year's party, but it was fun nonetheless. We sat around talking about how things would change - ah! there it is again - by next year and how different having two kids would be and how much fun Mark and Kim would have on their first go around and on and on... Now we are about to come full circle with the newest babygirl joining the other two new people that we didn't even know that new year's - Shane and Amelia. It just seems so unreal to me at times, almost more so when I see other people like Aimee and Kim go through it then when I go through it myself. Such an amazing thing.
Okay, to stop the sapiness (can you see how thick it is -yuk) I'll just say I CANNOT wait for this week! Bridget actually understands it's her birthday and walks around singing "Happy Birthday Bridget" which actually sounds more like "oppie earthbay ridgey" but we know what she means, and we're cutting her some language slack again being only her SECOND birthday and all! I'm so excited about the presents we bought her and to have a birthday party for her where she'll have more of an idea about what's going on AND on top of all that, then we get to go meet the new babygirl and shower her with birthday presents, too! What a great week! I almost can't stand it.
I can see next New Year's eve now - 5 little munchkins running around (okay, well two running around and three just looking adorable as three little babies can look) and three new-ish mommies with a camera in one hand and a well-deserved cocktail in the other.
So, as I watch the closing ceremonies tonight, I think I will always remember these Olympics and the end of Summer '08 as being the beginning of a new chapter. One part the kick off of a new age for babygirl (terrible twos and all, I have a feeling this is also going to be one of the most hilarious and fun times with her to date) and the other part, the beginning of another brand new life that I just can't wait to have be a part of mine. Ah, isn't is all amazing, and oh so much fun?!
OMG, I just reread this and I better stop now before there's no more sap left to make maple syrup ever again...
Neither Tim nor I are big big desert people. Not that I don't like sweet stuff, I just wouldn't crave it, I wouldn't seek it out most of the time. Well, unless we're at a wedding, then I would seek out the cake - not like Kim might seek it out, wrap it in whatever is closest by and store it throughout her home like a squirrel hides nuts for the winter - but I do enjoy the wedding cake. Most of you have heard me say this, but give me a big plate of cheese fries (preferably like those ones in Dallas that were the BOMB) vs. chocolate cake and I'll take the cheese fries every time. So, when Bridget started, albeit slowly and daintily (also not sure where she got that from) to really get into the chocolate cake, I was surprised. At some point, I even heard a couple party goers question when we should cut her off.... I'm pretty sure Aunt Kim and Aunt Aimee were pretty proud of their little cake lover.
All in all, the big ONE was a BIG success. There were too many presents (but in my world there can never really be too many presents) and every single one was great. She got some too cute fall clothes, fun noise making toys, educational toys, a thoughtful Piggy Bank from the Muldrows with a really cute note and idea inside (yes, A-le, of course I opened it...that night...!) and some great books just in time since she is finally starting to get into looking at them. There was good food (courtesy of Viviano's fabulous catering which I highly recommend for events and appetizers courtesy of Mom D) and we all had a fun time celebrating our little Bridgey's first year.
It actually was perfect. Sure I forgot an appetizer, didn't have the best plan for how to cook the food and needed some help from family and friends, but all in all it was perfect. The babygirl was surrounded by family and friends that love her and have been there for her throughout her first year of getting acquainted to this world and I'm pretty sure she knew it!
I worked and stressed and made about 18 different batches of icing to make the perfect buttercream icing (note to future Erin: confectioners sugar is different from granulated sugar) for her cupcake tower, but when it comes right down to it, the only thing that really matters is that tpd, Bridgey and I are so lucky to have all of you in our lives, just as we are all lucky to have her!
So, here's to a great first year of trials and tribulations, and, as surprising as it was, this wasn't that overly emotional to me. I was prepared to feel sad or longing for her babyhood, and, sure it was nostalgic thinking about her birth and the emotions of finally having her after 9 long months, but mostly it was just exciting. Exciting that she is growing and learning and understanding who her family is and, selfishly, exciting that we've made it relatively unscathed. I kinda feel like, yeah, we did this and if we can do this, we can do about anything. We've been through colic (or at least something that caused her to scream for hours on end for the first few months), we've been through late nights, early mornings, being tired to the bone, an overnight emergency room visit and all the way, in between, we've seen the funniest, most entertaining little person emerging day by day. I can't wait to see what the next year will bring!
Of course, I took way too many pictures. Here you go, those of you who don't mind 25 pictures of baby cake eating... click here!
ps - Thanks for the nice birthday tribute Blogging Mommy A-le. It was really sweet!
For growing up in a video household long before any of my friend's parents had video cameras, it has certainly taken me far too long to figure out how to post my videos to my blog and youtube. My dad would not approve. Now, to be fair, I do this for clients all the time and it's no big deal, but MY camera has to be super difficult and old computers didn't help the situation. So, finally just in time for the big #1 birthday, I have conquered the video beast - a new cord and a few new computers later, we are ready to roll. Look out blog readers, it's about to get interesting... or incredibly boring seeing as how every time I turn the camera on she immediately stops doing funny stuff.
So, for my first test post, a quick clip from tonight. It highlights a few of her new tricks: where's your monkey, being a snickelfritz (sorry big d), finding her nose (sort of), and being bonked in the head by brogan - that one is not so much of a trick but an everyday occurance - don't worry she was fine it phased her more than normal since she was tired and up past bedtime.
I promise not to bore you constantly with "things I think are funny that my baby does but really they are only funny to me" video clips every other day, but I really am excited about finally joining the video world, so for tonight indulge me with an "I know this is not really all that exciting but it finally works PEOPLE!" video.
I LOVE April 11th - I always have. I get a little fluttery inside when coincidentally someone on tv announces something taking place on "April 11th" or when Easter falls on "April 11th" and people say it over and over again. It's no secret people - I LOVE April 11th. I really do think of it next to Christmas as the best day of the year.
Now, I have gotten plenty of flack in my life for this love. "Birthday Season" jokes have arisen and much ado has been made over this little day, but I really don't care, in fact I think I like that a little. I think of it as just a testament to another aspect of my quirky, yet childlike at times personality and whether I'm turning 11 or 32, why shouldn't I still love this day? It's really not the self-serving "give me all the presents you can" reason that I like so much about this day, although I would venture to say that many people think that is it. It's really just more that there's just a nice little something special to a birthday. Like a little secret you can carry around in your pocket that no other stranger knows about you on that day. You are special that day and, for that reason, I've always walked around with a little spring in my step.
So, now that I am 32 and have been through quite a few of these April 11ths, I started thinking about why I love this day so much and I realized it's not about the presents or the cake (to be honest, I've never been the hugest cake fan - I know, crazy...) but what it is about is basically one great thing - my family and specifically, my parents. They are why I love this day so much. They are the birthday king and queen. They made each birthday, no matter how rushed of a time of year or how many times it fell on Easter, always a special day for me. It was all about me - although occasionally my mom would remind me that they really should give the presents to the mom's on birthdays since they did all the work and, I'd have to say, this is the first year that I would probably agree with her on that one.... But, really, I would like to say thanks mom and dad - thanks for making all those birthdays so special and for teaching me that life is too short to not have a piece of cake on your birthday and be grateful for another year in life with good friends and family.
Well, finally to this April 11th (the whole reason I started this post way back when) THIS April 11th is especially special. (Can you use especially and special back to back?) Well, it is, let's just say SUPER SPECIAL this year! I am so happy to be able to now share what was my secret & special day with a very deserving little man. Yes, one year ago today, Mr. Matthew Wellington Muldrow made his way into the world on the (second) best day of the year - April 11th. I remember going to see him in the hospital and holding those tiny 6 lbs of pure adorableness and thinking how cool that birthday for me was -here I was seeing one of my best friends go through a real "birth" day and, for the first time, I got a real appreciation for why we celebrate birthdays the way we do. It truly is a miracle to have Matthew in our lives now and what better way to remember that every year then to celebrate the day he entered the world. I remember feeling so excited that he and I would forever be connected by this awesome day - April 11th.
So, without further ado - to my main little man -
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