FIVE!

Ingrid turned five yesterday.  It seems like she's way older sometimes, and others it seems like she shot up before I could even notice.  I look at pictures from just a couple years ago and she just looks like such a baby then!  She has turned into such a girl now, no longer a toddler or even a little girl. 

We had a party for her Saturday afternoon.  It was exhausting.  Nine 4 and 5 year olds came over and we did something pretty much every single second they were here!  We made glitter wands, which they took outside to have a parade with.  They marched up and down the street singing happy birthday and shouting "Sparkle! Sparkle!"  The neighbors thought it was funny.

Then we did a pinata, which I have to say I will never do again.  It is just NOT fun, the kids can't seem to break it so I ended up breaking it open with my hands so they could grab the candy.  Then they all argued over who got gumdrops and who got suckers.  And it cost a lot. 

 We had cake.  We played outside. 

And then they all went home and my mom and I were absolutely exhausted.  But it was so fun and Ingrid was so happy to have all her friends over.

Yesterday we had some family over and cooked out.  Twice.  We also had neighbor friends over and had more purple cake.  It's like birthdays just keep on going around here! 

Ingrid got a new bike for her birthday, purple of course.  She has been really good at it, although it makes me nervous because she still doesn't quite get the brakes when she's going down a hill. 

She also got this AMAZING vintage electric piano from Grandma and Grandpa!!  I love this thing!  Right now it's down in our basement, but I will be making room for it somewhere up in our living room.  It is just too cool!  And the sound is amazing.  Love this!

 Now the festivities are over and I am left with a five year old.  She starts full day school in a couple months!  It amazes me how fast it's gone.  Happy Birthday, Ingrid!

Mustache Party!

Yesterday was Otis' second birthday party.  And since he's such a little man, we had a little man/mustache party for him!  They are so trendy right now, really, so it was easy to find fun things to add to our party.  All I had to do was peruse Etsy and type in "mustache party" and I found a million fun things!

I chose mustache crayons as party favors.  I got them from this etsy shop, she was so kind and shipped very quickly!  And they were a hit!  (Although honestly most kids thought they were candy and tried to eat them...)

 I also got some mustache cupcake toppers for our ridiculously red and green cupcakes, from this etsy shop.  We also got some thank you stickers from them for the favors.  My mom and I found this cute snowman cake with cupcakes around it, so we got them, never really thinking about how messy the frosting would be with a bunch of littles running around!

 Otis was a very lucky little boy and got many fine new toys for his birthday!  We got him a wooden camera from Little Sapling Toys, which ended up being SO CUTE!  I just love it!  I think it might be my new go-to present for kids 2 or 3 years old.

 Since we had a breakfast party, we had tons of yummy breakfasty foods like quiche, cheesy potatoes, coffee cake, apple bread, and, of course, bloody maries!  The kids were in good pre-nap moods, and once everyone left, all of us crashed and took naps.  I say that is the perfect time for a two year old's party!  I can't believe Otis is TWO! 

Our Weekend

It was a birthday party filled weekend here.  Brendan's birthday was yesterday, so we had cake for him.  Then our friend Junie turned two and we went to her party.  And then Brendan's parents came over to celebrate his birthday with another cake.  Sheesh, a little birthday overload!

Fun pictures from this weekend--spaghetti night messy faces:

 Ingrid's amazing vintage dress we got awhile ago.  She is too funny--when I told her she was going to wear a party dress to the birthday bash today, she cried and cried and cried, swearing up and down the dress was too tight and she hated that dress and she wasn't going to wear it.  Then she went up to her room, grabbed the dress I wanted her to wear and said "Please, Mama, can't I wear this one?"  I do not know what goes on in her head but she can be so dramatic sometimes!

After his nap, Otis was also quite dramatic.  I was napping and woke up to hear Otis screaming like crazy.  It was his frustrated-nothing-is-going-right-for-me scream, and it was all because his pasta wouldn't get on his fork right or something like that.  It's tough to be a kid.

And lastly, I caught the kids jumping from coffee table to couch this afternoon, giggling like crazy so I couldn't really be mad.  As soon as I saw it probably wouldn't cause a trip to the ER, I let them at it while I took pictures.  So cute to see them getting along after a day of them being pissy with each other!

 And now it's FINALLY bed time and I can relax and get some more bibs done and watch Downton Abbey on Hulu.  Yay.

The Party, and the Hospital.

I posted more pictures of the party here on my Applesauce Crafts blog.  Feel free to check them out.  The party was a hit, I think it looked cute, Otis had fun and got some really cute books for presents :)  We got a music/play table for him and he loves it. 

But, to overshadow a party, Otis ended up in the hospital a couple days ago with pneumonia.  Boo!  I took him to the doctor Tuesday morning because he was having a hard time breathing.  They sent us home with a nebulizer but he didn't get any better and was really laboring to breathe.  So we went to the ER and were admitted right away.

That poor little guy, he has had such a rough start to the world.  To think of how much he's been in the hospital in a year just breaks my heart.  He was put on oxygen, had an iv of fluids and antibiotics, has a monitor to check his pulse ox.  It was all so reminiscent of the NICU and all the wires hanging from him.  He really was conked out and didn't do much but lay on me all through the first night.  He had to get suctioned, which is horrible to watch.  And horrible to hear him scream and watch his little legs flail around as he fights the nurse holding him.  I hate it.

Yesterday he did better.  Brendan was with him all day so I could come home and shower and sleep.  Funny, but being in a hard rocking chair with a wheezy kid laying on you and nurses and doctors coming in every twenty minutes does not make for a restful night of slumber...He was up playing and flirting with all the ladies yesterday, though, so he seems to be on the mend.  He got his oxygen down to almost nothing, and when I left this morning he was on room air, yay!  They'd unhooked his IV but he has to go back on more fluids because he's not eating.  He is getting steroids and nebulizer treatments and an inhaler every three or four hours, so his airways are opening and he's coughing up some lung junk. 

It is so hard to see your child this way.  I absolutely hate thinking of him being sick.  But what really got me was bringing Ingrid to see him yesterday and she was so nonchalant about it, it didn't scare her at all, she was so used to it.  Gah!  She got so used to being in the hospital with me being there and then visiting Otis in the NICU.  I think that's enough hospital time for us, except my upcoming throat surgery.  Then 2012 is going to be hospital free!!

It's December?

I still can't get over the fact it's December.  Otis' birthday party is in a few day, his actual birthday a few days after that.  It's snowed a couple times, but nothing to write home about.  It's December, I am amazed.

We have been bunkering down in the house most of the time.  I took Otis out for a walk to the post office yesterday and realized we haven't been outside for a long time, other than walking to and from the car.  Sad, isn't it? 

Things are gearing up for Otis' party--I have all the goodies, made a couple tablecloths, ordered the cupcakes and food, have the favor bags ready.  I can't wait!  Now if only my camera will work...It's doing its thing again.  *sigh* I have to send it in after all.  Just please please please, camera gods, let it work for my son's first birthday party!!

Well, off to make a Christmas garland for a custom order.  And I'm already planning ahead to Valentine colors, too!  How's that for thinkin' ahead?  Get all my garlands for the holidays made right now, then next year I'll be all set.  It's not just a hat-rack, folks!