Goal # 5: Get Pregnant

I am so excited to announce this goal is complete!!!!!!

I found out Monday that I am expecting. This will be our 2nd child. I'm glad this time around I get to go through the winter pregnant. I'm positive that it will be way better than going through the entire summer.

We keep telling Ryan that he's going to be a big brother but he just gives us a crazy look. He has no clue what he's in for.

My first ultrasound is October 14th. Jimmy and I can't wait to see out little butterbean.

We packed up all of Ryan's baby stuff like the swing, vibrating seats, infant carseat, etc but we'll be getting all of that back out before we know it. I'm not sure where all of this stuff is going to go!

Our estimated due date is May 24, 2011.

Goal #53: Cook 3 recipes out of every cookbook I own (4 and 5 of ?)

I bought a Southern Living cookbook awhile back at one of those parties. You know the kind I'm talking about. All I remember is the food being really good. I discovered my favorite pimento and cheese recipe there. I had my friend copy it down for me and it's the only one I use now. I'll post that another day.

There was a consultant that showed us a few pieces then we got to order from the Southern Living catalog. I got a really nice cross that is now hanging in my dining room and this cookbook.

I've had the book for at least 4 years and have only ever cooked one thing out of it. Last night I made 2 things. Sloppy Joes (because Jimmy likes them) and Sweet Potato sticks.

The sloppy joes were really good. Jimmy likes Manwich - I do not. I'd rather have homemade than from a can any day. I thought the joes were worth the effort. While Ryan was having a snack I prepped everything, browned the meat then dumped in the tomato sauce mixture. I put it all in the fridge so I'd just have to heat it up when Jimmy got home.

I prepped the Sweet Potato sticks too. The hardest part was cutting the sweet potatoes since they are a pretty dense vegetable..are they even a vegetable? They just had vegetable oil and Parmesan cheese on them.

When Jimmy was on his way home I popped the sticks in the oven and heated the sloppy joe mixture. The recipe says to stir the sticks every 10 minutes. I did it more often. For some reason everything sticks to my baking pan. I think it's time for a new one.

The Sloppy Joes will be flagged but the Sweet Potato Sticks will not. They weren't all that crispy and I just wasn't feeling them. I recently tried Sweet Potato Fries at a restaurant and these were not even close to tasting as good as those. Disappointment..

I think Jimmy still likes Manwich better but he'll eat whatever I put in front of him. Homemade again next time!



Goal #8: Donate my hair to "Locks of Love"

Yesterday I got 10+ inches of my hair cut. I have had long hair for at least 8 years. I was ready for a change in style. Not only because I have had my long hair for awhile but also because Ryan likes to pull it if it's not up in a bun...OUCH!!

I went to Salon Suzanne Marie in Apex and DeeDee was my stylist.

I'm always a little nervous when I get a drastic hair change but I know I can always just take biotin and it will grow out fast!

I like how light my head feels now. Jimmy likes the fact that there will not be long hair all over the bathroom anymore. After I had Ryan it fell out like crazy. I had to clean the floor every day!

He says it also shows off my long neck.

I'm donating my hair to Locks of Love. They will make a hair piece for a child with cancer or Alopecia. 

Even if I didn't like my haircut I probably wouldn't care since it's for a wonderful cause.

Ryan's Birthday Weekend - Part 2

We tried so many times to get Ryan to smash into his cake. Since he didn't destroy it during out little photo shoot I pulled it out again for our "Family Party".

This didn't last long....

...because he put the candle out with his finger. He was ok though.

I made some cupcakes for the family. Boxed vanilla cake mix and homemade buttercream frosting! Easy Vanilla Buttercream recipe here.

The gift opening process was gradual. There was too much going on.

Ryan liked ripping the wrapping paper. He would hand me all the little pieces he tore off.

Jimmy and I got him a bigger tunnel. He loves it!

 He got some squeaky shoes from GiGi.

They make him giggle :)

He also got a wagon from his Aunt Trish, Uncle Chuck and Great Grandma Janis.

He gets to go for a ride every day.

On Sunday we had Ryan's birthday party at Harris Lake County Park.

 Ryan tried to blow out his candle but the wind kept doing it for him. He didn't try to touch it this time.

 The birthday cake was made out of 48 cupcakes. I forgot to take a picture of it before we started serving it. Woops!

Some of the kids requested the "cherry" cupcake but I got to eat it so it'd be fair!

We had the cutest little cupcake pinata.

Ryan went first.

Then all the other kids had a turn. They each got to whack it 3 times and by the time we went through all of them the pinata was still intact. I filled it so full that it was hard to break. They all got to have another turn.

After the party we went home and Ryan got to open up the rest of his gifts.

He got a very nice chair from his Nana.

Some of his other gifts included a workbench with a hammer, a ball popper, trucks, lots and lots of books, new bowl, spoon and fork set, bibs and these sippy cups. He was ready to use them before they came out of the packaging.

We asked everyone to bring a donation for the Wake Co. SPCA in lieu of gifts. We are so grateful for all the gifts and donations received for Ryan's birthday. The SPCA was so happy to have received such a large donation!!

Ryan got to look at all the dogs and puppies while we were there too!

We didn't come home with one though.

Happy Birthday to my little buddy. I love you!!

Ryan's Birthday Weekend - Part 1

On Friday we had some family come into town for Ryan's birthday. Ryan had a ball playing with all the kids even though he was sick. He was running a very high fever, was pretty lethargic, and didn't have much of an appetite. I took him to the doctor Friday afternoon and they ran a bunch of tests that were horrible!!


He was still running a fever Friday night and Saturday morning so I had to take him back in that afternoon. Luckily he was ok for his Birthday party on Sunday!


The party turned out great!

After changing my mind about a billion times regarding the theme of the birthday party I finally settled on blue and lime green cupcakes.

Here are some of the decorations:

I made this wreath to hang on the front door. I plan on painting the age on the number each year. I found this idea HERE. The yellow sign says "Happy Birthday" and 9-19.

I found a cupcake outline and traced them on the tablecloths with paint pens. The green tablecloths had blue cupcakes and the blue tablecloths had green cupcakes.

I made these pom poms to hang at the party. I found these on Martha Stewart's website. They were so simple and cheap.

Here's the plate I painted at a "paint a pot" place called Crazy Glaze. I plan on using this for his birthday every year.

The birthday banner in the picture was not the banner I used for the party. It turned out to be too small but I thought it was cuter than the other one I made.

The party favors were Whirly Pops I had to order online and I got the stickers personalized by the Polka Dot Paper Shop on Etsy.com. They turned out so cute!! I ordered 20 too many of the lollipops so the trick or treaters are going to get them this year!

They say "Thanks for making my birthday special! Love, Ryan"

Here's the other banner I made. I found the tutorial HERE (I didn't use the distressing ink though). I got the banner from my neighbor (Thanks Lisa!!) and it was the right color so I only had to trace every other letter in the green paper. It was a Spongebob banner before I deconstructed it. I used the cupcake outline to make the ending circles and middle divider.

The balloons were just lime green and blue with a #1 on them.

He had two Mylar balloons. A GIANT #1 (it's hard to see here) and a GIANT cupcake. I am definitely saving these to use again. Those suckers were not cheap! The girl at Party City said I could deflate them by putting a straw in the hole and rolling the air out.

I'll post all the birthday pictures shortly...

Happy Birthday to my Baby Boy!!!

Today is Ryan's 1st Birthday. I can't believe how fast this past year has gone by. It makes me sad that he's not a little squirmy, grunting little newborn anymore but it makes me so happy that he is sleeping through the night, eating solid food, interacting, and walking.

He has got to be the cutest darn boy I've ever laid eyes on. I'm not just saying that because he's my kid... He really is the cutest!

On Friday we attempted some smash cake photos. Ryan wasn't feeling well but he did ok.

I made him a small cake with Easy Vanilla Buttercream and put it on his plate that I painted for him.

We've been practicing blowing so he can blow out his candle. He tried while I was taking pics but just wasn't close enough.

He was more interested in the candle than digging into the cake.

Ryan tried to put it back on the cake.

Woops! He dropped it!

Then he had a meltdown.

And then he was done...



The birthday party is today! I've been planning for 3 months. We can't wait!!!

By the way - that's drool all over Ryan's outfit!