Gender Revealed!

So I have to put this out there before anything else, I completely copied this party idea from hwtm.blogspot.com. I love the blog and saw this cute idea for a gender reveal party way before I was pregnant. I couldn't wait to do it! We actually found out the gender January 27, 2010 but didn't have the party until February 19. As you can see from the last few posts, it has been a little crazy with parties galore for anniversaries and Crew's birthday. I didn't want to take away from his special day so we decided to wait a couple of weeks to fill everybody in on the secret! And believe me, it was a hard secret to keep!

~the invitations~

~the food~

chicken spread sandwiches, fruit and dip, lemonade, bags of popcorn and buttermilk cookies

~fresh squeezed lemonade~

(my hands are still red and sore from juicing those lemons!)

As you can see the color theme was orange and yellow! We decided to incorporate it as much as we could.

On the invitations, we instructed everybody to "play along" and wear a pink shirt if they thought we were having a girl, or a blue shirt if they thought it was a boy. Here are the teams! Broc and Crew didn't have pink shirts. I couldn't find anything anywhere for them so we had to improvise and they wore a pink ribbon on their wrists instead! Crew had said he wanted a baby sister about 90% of the time, but every once in a while would say brother!

We had a lot of family that couldn't make it. So here are those who were wearing pink but not in the picture: Jen, Cristee, Mikayla, Milayni, Aubree, Devin, Rhees, Ambrian and Kalen.

Not in the picture but wearing blue: Clint (he is always right!), Jill, Cody, Jeanette, Aybrielle and Kalen.

We placed a surprise in each cupcake (orange yogurt cupcakes with an orange cream frosting). They would either find a pink or blue center! One, two, three... BITE!

Becky was more surprised than anyone! It was hilarious, she somehow found out that we knew early and for some reason really thought we were having a girl from something I said. She had told me congrats on having a girl- two different times! So surprised!

Proof!

This little stinker didn't want to bite into the cupcake! He just wanted to lick all the frosting off!

My mom is so sweet! She brought two presents, one wrapped in pink and one wrapped in blue! We got to open the blue one! Here is Crew holding up that cute little outfit! I can't wait to put him in it!

Can you guess which one Broc's dad was hoping for? Blue hair, blue eye shadow, blue finger nails, and he even had blue lips but it came off before I got a picture! One proud Grandpa!

We were so excited that Brock, Chels, and Kaelyn could come! They made the trek all the way from Idaho! (Love your new do Chels!)

Becky and Brandon

Grandma Lesli and Kaelyn

My sister and her kids got there a little late. I didn't think they were going to be able to come, but we were so excited they came! Here they are finding out!

Becky and me showing off our pregnant bellies! This is me at 20 weeks!

(I wore yellow because I was completely mixed the entire time! I didn't get any feelings either way... what is this motherly intuition everybody talks about?)

Becky's sad face- because her belly is bigger. Well Beck, I'm pretty sure the tables will turn when you are having your baby in April and I am three times your size and still have another 3 months to go!

Our sweet little baby boy! Oh I just can't wait to meet him!

We are so excited to be having another boy! Secretly, I was hoping for another boy. Pretty much for vanity reasons- because Crew and the baby would be sharing a room and I knew that decorating would be much easier if the baby was a boy! But we all know that I would have gone crazy if it were a girl! So many cute ideas that will have to wait!:) All of that set aside, we really can't wait to meet this little boy! I have begun to feel him moving around inside of me and oh it is the best feeling in the world! I can't wait to see what he looks like, what color hair he will have, what his little personality will be like... I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be a mother. Thanks so much everybody who came to help us celebrate! And any name suggestions would be appreciated!

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

Crew turned 3 on Monday, February 1! I can't believe my baby is really 3. Time goes by too fast! I really wanted to do a "Where the Wild Things Are" theme. I found some cute ideas on a couple different websites that I used and then incorporated some of my own ideas as well. I was so excited for this party, I had it all planned out about 2 months prior to his birthday. What can I say, I love throwing parties! He had his first friend party on the Saturday before his birthday. We had a family party for him on his real birthday. By the time all of the parties were over, it had felt like a birthday marathon (at least for me).

Cupcakes for the friends! He chose out cherry chip cake! (Grandpa Ernie would be so proud!)

Waiting for the friends to arrive!

We started the party off by reading the story, "Where the Wild Things Are".

The kids got crowns just like Max and got to pretend they were Wild Things with their scary masks. We marched around and they "roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth."

So I thought it would be a cute idea to get a picture of them with their crowns and masks. Um pretty impossible to get seven- three year olds to look at the camera!

Scary Wild Things!

Then we played, pin the tail on Max!

Presents, presents, presents

I think most of the kids wanted to open their presents. What 3 year old wouldn't? Little Alex couldn't resist!

High-fives all around!

Blowing out the candle.

Kalen, Kambren and Crew enjoying their cupcakes!

We are lucky to have cousins close to come to these things! After the party we took the kids to "Old McDonalds" (that's what Crew calls it) to get lunch. The kids had a blast playing together on the toys!

Crew loved all of his new toys! He especially loved the gun!

February 1: Crew's real Birthday!

His first breakfast in bed! He chose waffles! And since his favorite food is strawberries, we decided to surprise him with some strawberries and yogurt!

"I'm Three!"

He was so excited to get breakfast in his bed!

After breakfast he got to open one present!

His new birthday suit!

We had some family come down that night to help us celebrate!

The cake. He said he wanted a strawberry cake... so I did the bottom tier white chocolate cake with fresh strawberries and cream cheese filling on the bottom. And for the top, red velvet cake with cream cheese filling.

For dinner we had some of Crew's favorites: macaroni and cheese and rice meatballs. We also had a huge thing of grapes that Crew chose out when we were at Costco, and of course I forgot to set them out. Oh well, they all got eaten!

The birthday boy!

This was hilarious! Broc's mom called me to see what Crew wanted for his birthday, so I ask him and he said, "I want a cake mix for my birthday!" So that is what he got! His very own cake mix!

He got some books. One of his new favorite stories, "Skippy Jon Jones"- such a cute story!

Crew was so excited when he saw the cake. He told me, "Mom, it has Max's boat just like the one I told you I wanted!" Nope the cake is not perfect, but at least he liked it!

"Happy Birthday to you... happy birthday to you... happy birthday dear Crewby..."

He had to get the first taste!

Thanks so much everybody for coming! It made Crew's birthday so special to have so many Grandmas and Grandpas and aunts and uncles come and celebrate!

The next morning he woke up and said, "I'm still 3!" "Mom, who's coming next?"

Some of my favorite quotes, highlights and milestones from the last year:

I ask Crew to put away the oats after making some oatmeal.

Crew: "No!"

Me: "What?" and I am thinking, are you kidding me?

Crew: "No Mom, I want to take them to the Man Village!"

Me: "The man village?"

Crew: "Ya Mom I am taking them to the Man Village!"

I was talking to my sister-in-law Aubree on the phone and we were discussing bedding arrangements. The hotel room had 2 full beds in it and I was telling her that they could have one and we could have one and we would just throw Crew on the floor. All of a sudden, Crew just starts crying. Finally after many tears, he says, "Mom, I don't want you to throw me on the floor!"

I was talking to Broc's mom on the phone and I don't even remember what we were talking about, but I said, "it scares me to death." Crew was across the room playing with some toys and starts going crazy. He was really upset and crying. And then he said, "Mommy I don't want you to be scared!"

We were getting ready for company to come and had just picked up his toys and I told him that he could play with his train or sit on the love sac and read a book. He then ask me, "Mom, can I dance?" He got his book that plays music out and started dancing/jumping around! So funny!

We were all sitting on the couch one night and Crew was pointing to our teeth, and ask, "Are your teeth clean or dirty like the hippos?" Then he pointed to my gums and said, "What is that?... It looks like roast beef!"

Using his "well well well" (the vacuum attachment) as a telescope, cane, and putting it on the top of his head and telling us, "Look I am a temple!"

After we read scriptures at night, he always has to read his own. "And it came to pass, I the Lord, and the animals, and the lions, and the giraffes, and the bunnies..."

He ask me to come sing him a song one night and I ask him which one he wanted me to sing. Crew replied, "The Cowboy Hat One!"

Me: "I don't know that one. Why don't we sing one we know?"

Crew: "I was just teasing you. How about the alphabet one!"

"I'm trying to find my shadow."

"Will you kiss my owie better?"

"I am going to get married in the Okur Mountain Temple!"

"I'm chewin this food up"

*He will put his backpack on and say, "I'm going to preschool. I'll be right back!"

"Oh my darn-it"

"Oh my cow!"

Milestones:

*He was potty trained.

*Can put his own underwear on (most of the time)

*He knows the alphabet and can recognize all of the letters and most of the sounds

*Knows most of his numbers 1 -100. Sometimes he gets them flipped (eg. he will say 84 is 48)

*Can count 1-20 by himself and 20-100 with a little help.

*Helps unload/load the dishwasher!

*He can clean up his own room all by himself- putting everything in it's correct place!

*He hates getting his hair washed.

*Still loves his BYU blanket when he goes to sleep.

*Learned to peddle a bike

*Loves to put the pillows on his bed when we make it

*Loves to line things up in a straight line (cars/animals/dinosaurs, etc...)

*Loves dogs

*Loves to dance

*Loves to sing- ALL THE TIME! Some songs he knows, others he just makes them up! He will sing when we read the scriptures (he literally sings the verses), and he will sing his prayers.

*Can say his prayers by himself, but likes help sometimes

*Can run the microwave, his cd player, and the dvd player

*Can swim from one end of the pool to the other by himself with his life jacket

Favorites:

Favorite Foods: Fruit, especially strawberries, raspberries, bananas and grapefruit! Eggies (any kind- scrambled, poached, fried..) Macaroni and Cheese (really any kind of noodle), Meat (most kinds- ham, beef, chicken, turkey), warm milk, puréed veggies, yogurt

Favorite Books: Parts, Fish out of Water, Most Dr. Seuss books, Where the Wild Things Are, The Little Engine that Could,

Favorite Activities: Playing trucks, trains, playing ball (any kind), playing with his animals (stuffed animals), dinosaurs, doctor, riding his bike, helping Mommy cook, hide and seek, jumping from his bed to the love sac, swimming, playing in the hose, play in the car

This boy is such a sweetheart! I love watching him grow and discover new things. I wish I could just press pause because he is just so sweet! However, I am so excited for this next year to see him become a big brother! I love him so much and am so grateful I have the opportunity to be a mother. Happy Birthday Crew!