LumberJack First Birthday Party

A LumberJack plaid, tree stump cakes, a 'flapjack stack' smash cake, chili bar, and a beard prop...these were the highlights of Foster's first birthday party, and I'm so happy with how it turned out!

My sweet Foster Roan has a lumberjack-themed nursery. His name means 'little redhead of the forest.' So naturally, we thought throwing him a lumberjack party was only fitting. 

I found these awesome little wood-print gift bags at JoAnns, which were simply filled with a few pieces of candy for the kids that would attend. That's also where I picked up the beard and pipe for photo props. 

When you're a ginger family of 5, the beard has to be red, right?

The decorations were pretty easy, as they all came out of Foster's room. 

Next: the food. As a general rule, I try never to throw birthday parties at mealtimes. That way I can provide a simple array of snacks, saving on time and money. But for various reasons, this party happened to be on a Tuesday, so it started at 5pm after everyone at camp was done working. 

I figured what's more manly than chili?? Plus, I made it in the morning and had it cooking in the crockpots all day. Apart from setting out the toppings, I didn't have to think about it again. 

Easy peasy. 

And lastly, the cakes!

If you've followed along on my blog even for a little while, you have probably picked up on the fact that I love making my kids super fun birthday cakes. My mom always made us awesome cakes for our birthdays, and it was one of my favorite, most memorable parts of our parties. What's most impressive is that she didn't even have Pinterest to lean on for instructions or inspiration! Oh the dark ages...

At first my plan was to make Foster a tree stump smash cake. I found these flapjack cookies on Pinterest and thought they would make cute cupcakes, which would work for the guests...until of course our guest list grew way past a single batch of cupcakes. (How in the world does that always happen?!) 

So instead, I made two tree stump cakes for the guests. Then I decided to create a smash cake that looked like a stack of flapjacks for Foster. 

(Stay tuned for a how-to post on these cakes!)

All in all, it was great fun. I love birthdays, and especially when it means celebrating my babies! It's hard to believe my sweet boy is one already. To see my tribute post to him, and each of his 12 month pictures leading up to the big day, go here.

Happy Birthday to my little LumberJack!

Foster's Big Year

"We've had bad luck with our kids - they've all grown up." ~Christopher Morley

Have you ever read the book If I Could Keep You Little? I can't help but think, every single time I read it, that my kids are too young to understand it, and really I'm just reading it for myself. I love it though...such a sweet reminder that there is always more to look forward to right around the corner. 

Now my baby is one. It's weird thinking that I will most likely never have a newborn again. And while my heart is tempted to be sad, I'm not sure I have the right. I've been so blessed to have not just one, but three beautiful children. I even got to play with both girl and boy baby clothes. 

So here is a happy, reminiscent glance at Foster's first year...

• you were born on a Monday...

• you were my biggest baby...

• the first few weeks, after the girls were in bed, we would lay silently next to each other and just stare at each other. It was my favorite time of day...

• Nanny moved in when you were only 3 weeks old. You love the sound of her voice...

•you used to suck on your tongue while you slept...

• at 4 months you were off the charts in height. You're still crazy tall...

• you sat up at your 4 month check up...

• you went through a phase where only mommy would do...

• you used to fall asleep in the bath...

• once you tasted real food, you started refusing all things puréed...

...and now...

• you have 4 teeth...

• you wear 18 month clothes and size 4 diapers, my little giant...

• you can say hi, mama, daddy, more, and puppy...

• you love your sisters. Harper can always make you laugh...

• you love playing with me, but you love sleeping on your daddy...

• you finally have some hair...

• you're close to walking, but every time you take one step, you grin really big, throw your arms out wide, and free fall into my arms with glee...

• you're my favorite baby boy in the entire world...

10 Months

This handsome boy is 10 months old today. I can't believe it's time to start planning his birthday party already! 

He is an expert crawler, he loves standing and cruising, he laughs, plays peek-a-boo, tries to be funny, and loves his sisters. 

He loves food. He has one tooth, but he eats just about everything. His breakfast today included Cheerios, a piece of toast with applesauce, an entire orange, a whole piece of sausage, and some eggs. Plus he still nurses 5 times a day. 

He has a stuffed dog he sleeps with. He's such a cuddler!

In short, he's pretty awesome, and I love him like crazy!

They Grow So Fast, It's True

Could he be sweeter? 

My one and only son is growing fast. He is happy, cuddly, crazy tall, giggly, and basically adored by everyone he meets. And me? I'm crazy about him!