Tie-Dye

During Aurora's party, she tie-dyed a tank top and I asked Grandma Nancy if she'd like to dye a shirt for cousin Zeland. I think they turned out pretty cool!

This week we had our company picnic, and one of my friends brought her daughter, who just happened to be wearing her tie-dye from our party...

And today when I went to pick Aurora up from school, her friend Seth was wearing his tie-dye!

So cute. We still have a few white t-shirts and more dye, so I'm thinking one of these days when we need an activity to do, we just may make some more! I kind of like the idea of a maternity tie-dye...

Big Birthday Girl

The party may be over, but we're still celebrating our big birthday girl. Yesterday she brought the rest of the brownie cupcakes to school and her friends sang Happy Birthday to her, then today she was able to officially move into her big girl bedroom. Well, not before saying goodbye to Grandma Nancy. I think Nancy enjoyed watching cartoons with us one last time before leaving...

This afternoon we moved most of Aurora's things into her new room. We still need to clear off the walls in her old room and decorate a bit more, but wow does she love it. She told us that she's going to stay in this room "FOREVER!!!" - then amended that to say that when she's as big as me and can drive, she'll go to her own house and will have a different room.

I thought she looked so little snuggled into this big full-size bed, but she was definitely outgrowing the converted crib, and of course... we'll have a tiny new family member using that crib very soon!

peace * love * party

Well, I can't say Aurora's birthday went EXACTLY as planned. Shortly after our guests arrived for the outdoor party, the skies grew dark and it started raining. No, pouring. But we all found cover, brought a small part of the festivities indoors, and the weather cleared up in time for us to enjoy some outdoor activities as well. Luckily I had friends and family here to help clean and prep, as I was not feeling my best. But Aurora had a great time, and I think everybody else had fun, too!

As you can see, this was a very groovy party! Instead of cake we had brownie cupcakes that looked like little flower pots. After lunch, we headed out to the studio garage to tie-dye shirts and play outside.

Special thanks to Chuck & Nancy and also Bailey & Laura. I couldn't have pulled this off without them, and I think these little girls had a very happy day because of their hard work...

Happy Birthday to my sweet, gorgeous, awesome BIG girl Aurora. We love you!!!

4 Year Photos

Grandma Nancy's here! This morning we went to JCPenney for our annual birthday & family photo shoot and I just love the results. I also love that they were able to post them online this quickly!

First, the family photos. We decided to add a few maternity poses, so I think we can call this Little Brother's first photo shoot too... sort of. Right?

And now for Aurora's 4 year photos. Seriously, could this girl be any cuter???

There are more, but I think this is about all I can fit on one blog post. Tomorrow's the big birthday party, which may have to be moved indoors due to weather. It'll still be great!

Wedding

Last night our good friends Amelia & Cody got married, and it was really the perfect evening - great weather, a beautiful location, heartfelt vows, lots of friends and a fun night of dancing. I got a few pictures but can't wait to see the official photos!

I think this was Aurora's first wedding, and she really enjoyed herself. She wanted to go hug Amelia during the ceremony, but we kept her in her seat and she got that hug later in the evening. She was seriously into showing off her moves on the dance floor and I must say we stayed out pretty late for her... by the time I said it was time to go home, she was ready. As we left she told my friend Sarah, "This girl needs to go to sleep."

Today when we got home from work and school, Aurora started setting up an elaborate wedding ceremony with her toys and dolls. We recited vows and ate a pretend dinner afterwards. If we didn't have to eat our real dinner, I'm fairly certain it would've turned into a dance party.

Amelia & Cody's wedding was just the beginning of many fun festivities coming up. Aurora's upcoming birthday means I might have to start blogging daily (or perhaps ever other day) for a little while... I hope you're ready!!!

Easter Weekend

Aurora's daycare was closed for Good Friday, which means I had one of those forced long weekends that I never think I have time for, but really couldn't come at a better time. I've had a sore throat all week and have had so much going on that having a bonus day off has actually been pretty great. We dyed hard boiled eggs, "hid" a fun-filled Easter basket and plastic eggs all over the house for Aurora to find, and had Bailey over to help build the much anticipated big girl bed.

Success! There's still more to be done before we make the full transition, and Aurora knows she won't be moving into her big girl room until after Grandma Nancy stays in the guest room one more time (next weekend!). Thanks to Bailey & Chuck for all their hard work - and Happy Easter & Passover to all!

Done

This weekend we got so much done. Saturday morning an electrician come out to fix some weird cords and outlets in the guest room to make sure it's safe to become a big girl bedroom, then Aurora and I headed out shopping with our friend Laura in search of party supplies and big girl bedding. We got more than we'd bargained for when we found the Easter bunny!

Chuck stayed home as we had another contractor coming out to fix the dishwasher, while Aurora and I had a playdate with her friend Alexandria. The girls (and moms) had so much fun...

Then we went to the mall, where Chuck picked up Aurora for an evening of shopping while I saw a movie with my girlfriends. He took the opportunity to buy himself an iPad, something he's wanted for quite some time. I'm not sure who was more excited about the purchase - Chuck or Aurora!

This morning I snuck off to prenatal yoga, and I'm pretty sure those two looked a lot like the photo above for most of that time. We met up for lunch, then headed to Buy Buy Baby where we started our baby registry. I know it's early, but I like to plan ahead and wanted to make sure that those of you who also plan ahead know what we do and don't need. There were a lot of things we borrowed or just never got with Aurora, but what we do have is neutral and in great condition, ready for re-use.

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and playing at home, but with all we got done I have to say I am exhausted. This week is going to be exhausting as well, so... see you next weekend!

Keeping up...

I just hit my busy season at work - which I really enjoy - but it sure makes it harder to keep up with life. And life just keeps getting more hectic! With monthly OB appointments, Aurora's birthday and 4 year doctor visit to plan, finding and scheduling a new dentist, trying to get an electrician out to help finish the big girl room, daycare registrations (for TWO!), financial stuff to take care of, etc etc... I just chip away at things a little at a time.

Of course, outside of work my priority right now is enjoying time with my sweet daughter. No matter how busy I get, we ALWAYS have time for fun with friends! This week we went to Chick-fil-A for family night with Presley and her mom. Free kids meals AND balloon twisting? Yes please!

Last night we went to Waterloo Ice House with friends in town from Boston. It was a little rainy, but the kiddos still played in the sandbox and all had fun.

Somehow I still find time to relax, watch TV, and read each night - probably because Chuck's been helping with chores around the house and spending his evenings playing video games! I often think about how much harder it'll be with two kids and wonder if we're crazy, but I've been working on my maternity plan and I'm pretty confident we can keep up with it all.

Dig it.

It was such a nice weekend and we were lucky enough to spend much of it outdoors. We had a lot on the calendar, but made time to play with sidewalk chalk, take walks, and eat as many meals outdoors as possible. We even had friends over for some homemade pizza on the balcony! Yum.

We also met up with one of Chuck's friends for lunch on the patio at the County Line. I must admit I got a little too much sun sitting out there, but Chuck and Aurora made their own shade.

The highlight of the weekend for Aurora had to be her friend David's birthday party. We've been to a lot of parties lately and this might've been the coolest. It was at the Austin Nature & Science center, where we got to dance with a musician from school (Mr. Will), learn about dinosaur fossils, do a dino dig (which included making little volcanoes erupt), and then... there was this:

I hope the weather stays this nice and our party is as fun next month when Aurora turns 4. Plans are in the works for a very groovy party... just a few weeks away!

Oh Boy

A few days ago we hit the halfway point for this pregnancy, which means it was time for our 20 week sonogram! Of course, the first thing I wanted to know was if he is still a he, and indeed he is...

It's a boy! A big healthy boy. All his measurements are great. She said that he's about 10" long and weighs almost a pound. The sonogram estimated his due date as August 1st, and Chuck thinks that would be amazing - but I have to say I don't think I'd want to share my birthday with my kid! 

We came home and took a 20 week belly photo. I think I finally look more pregnant than Aurora.

My Girl

I've taken a lot of pictures of my girl this week. I mean, she's pretty cute and we do have fun...

We went to the library for Krafty Kids where we celebrated the Year of the Dragon, which comes along every 12 years. My mom's a dragon, I'm a dragon, and Baby #2 will be a dragon. How is this possible? My mom was 24 when she had me, and this year I'll be turning 36, so... yeah. I'm 12 years older than my mom was when she was having kids. Yikes.

We also did a fun art project at home, played and ate at P. Terry's (they have a great sandbox and Aurora loves their banana bread), and took a pretty awesome picture to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and showcase our lovely Texas wildflowers. Bluebonnets are blooming just about everywhere right now!

These all seem to be things that make my girl happy, which makes me pretty happy.