THE BIG ONE

After taking a week off from the blogging world, I'm finally ready to catch up and share some of the details of Kendry's 1st birthday bash.

Leading up to the party I really didn't think we were following in the footsteps of "those parents" (you know who you are) and going completely overboard with the party. No designer invitations, no three-tiered cake, no pony rides - just a simple BBQ with friends and family. I did, however, put on my crafty mom cape to make a few of the party decorations, a "1" birthday shirt, a 12 month photo banner, and a tiger birthday cake - tasks that I'm told I will have to repeat for the 1st birthday of every single child I conceive hereafter, lest there be any accusations of preferential treatment toward our firstborn. At this moment the very thought of doing it all over again makes me want to curl up under my crafty mom cape and take a nap. That being said, I did have a lot of fun completing these projects and was very happy with how they turned out. The fruits of my labor:

The "1" Birthday Shirt

The Banner & DecorAnd the Tiger Cake (animal themed party)

The day started off rainy - not a good start for a BBQ. But it subsided as the day wore on, and by the party's end we were all in the back yard, basking in the sun.

Someone apparently explained the saying "its my party and I'll cry if I want to" to my son, as he acted a bit spoiled throughout the day. In his defense, he was sick a good part of the week leading up to his birthday, thus receiving a lot of extra attention. As soon as party guests started walking in the door Kendry wanted to be outside, then inside; then he wanted to climb up the porch stairs, and then back down, and then up again. You can't win with this kiddo and his constant need to explore and climb on everything!

He started acting hungry, and rightly so as he hadn't eaten since his 7am breakfast, but then had a meltdown when I put him in the highchair and tried to feet him a hot dog. There was just too much going on and he had to be a part of it. The whole scene started to remind me of the book "The Berenstain Bears: Too Much Birthday", where Sister Bear is so excited for her party, but all the festivities overwhelm her and she finally bursts into tears. (FYI: this book is a great one for a kiddo's personal library.)

Finally, we made it to the big cake moment, which turned out to be pretty anti-climactic, as I'm sure most 1st birthday parties are since the birthday kiddo has no idea what all the fuss is about is anyway.

As you can see, Kendry wasn't too keen on diving into his cake. Or perhaps it was simply the fact that I was trying to help him eat it. Once I left him alone with his own cupcake the two of them formed a beautiful (and very messy) friendship.

"Cupcake? What cupcake?"

Next up: a clean shirt and birthday presents! Still not understanding the concept of opening gifts, Kendry ate the decorative tissue paper while I opened the presents for him. But, just like his daddy, you can always get his attention with a good book.

It was a wonderful 1st birthday party. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate our beautiful little boy! And special thanks to Andrea and Angela for taking pictures throughout the event. Who knew that its nearly impossible to take photos and video while throwing a party for 20+ in your house and keeping up with your 1 year old son? I may consider myself one heck of a multi-tasker, but even I know my limits.

I did, however, manage to snap one incredible photo of my boys:

Ten

1. We had an insane wind storm here on Monday. Justin even found a giant trampoline blown up into a tree about a block from our house.

As for our own property, we’re pretty sure that our freshly-planted dahlias perished after being whipped around all day by 50mph gusts. Much to Justin’s disappointment, the ugly, dying tree in our front yard did not come crashing down atop Justin’s vintage 1993 Nissan, which would have answered his prayers for 1) the eyesore of a tree to be gone, and 2) a new vehicle. Instead, the tree simply lost a few more limbs, making it that much uglier.

2. A tragedy has occurred at Costco, my friends. For all you fellow Diet-Coke-from-the-tap addicts, please know that your next visit to the Costco concession may leave you a bit disoriented and grief-stricken, as I certainly was last night. Where I once enjoyed my heavenly-tasting, bottomless Diet Coke off the tap for just fifty-nine cents has now been infected by Pepsi. I bring this horrific news to your attention so you won't freeze at the concession register, money in hand, with your mouth open in total shock, wondering exactly what alternate universe you have stumbled into. I'm sure the clerks at our Costco are still making fun of my reaction.

3. Kendry has recently developed an interest in "helping" with household tasks. If I get the broom out, he wants to use it too. The other night I was wiping down a door in the house and he promptly crawled over, picked up a washcloth on the floor beside me and started wiping the door with me. But his favorite chore is helping with the laundry. Here is proof this kiddo is being trained in the proper manner:

No comments from the peanut gallery on my son's obviously too small pajamas. The little sprout grows out of a pair each week!

4. I’m fairly certain the LC Valley holds the record for the most vehicles painted camouflage per capita. Do you suppose there is a category for that in the Guinness Book of World Records? And I’m not just talking pickup trucks either; I think I’ve even seen a camo PT Cruiser. Its embarrassing really.

5. Repeat after me: Never store cookie dough in your refrigerator to be made into cookies at a later date! Sure, we mean well when we say: "Oh, I'll just save this little bit of dough to make some fresh cookies when my in-laws arrive this weekend." But let's be honest - that dough would be lucky to survive 24 hours in this cookie dough junkie's fridge. So tonight I will be using said dough to bake exactly TWO delicious chocolate chip cookies in anticipation for my in-laws' arrival.

6. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

7. We have been blessed to make it through the first 51 weeks of Kendry's life without an incident of illness. Oh sure, he started out with a little jaundice and had a few minor sniffles here and there, along with the occasional teething fever, but otherwise he has been an extremely healthy baby. No ear infections, sinus infections, or flu. No swine flu or pink eye either, even though both hit a few of Kendry's daycare peers. No sir, my tough little man got his immune system from his mommy. Ain't nuthin gonna take our antibodies down! Except for the hand, mouth and foot disease, that is. 'The cattle disease?' you ask. No, this is a human virus that apparently spreads just as easily as a cold, and is treated pretty much the same way, with plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, and Tylenol when needed. So Kendry's 52nd week of life was a little rough as he started out with a fever on Monday (which Mommy thought was just due to teething), followed by the breakout of little ulcers in his mouth, thanks to the virus. After a few days of very little food intake, he now appears to be making a full recovery just in time for his 1st birthday bash. I told you he was one tough cookie.

Wait - did someone say 'cookie'?

8. My "I Believe" statement from last Friday appears to have worked. Earlier this week they were predicting rain for Kendry's birthday; today they are predicting sunshine. Hooray!

9. Happy Birthday to my sis, Stephanie, and my brother-in-law, Jeff! I will be kind and not announce to everyone just how old you are turning this year; but I will point out that you are both older than me.

10. While Justin worked in the yard last Sunday afternoon, in preparation for the birthday BBQ, Kendry and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed down to Swallows Nest Park. The playground at this park is designed especially for toddlers, complete with a black, cushioned mat that covers the ground around the play structure, making it level and soft(er) for the still-unsteady toddlers. Being currently fascinated with stairs, Kendry went up and down the stairs at least twenty times before I finally had to show him there was more to the play structure than just stairs.

I snapped a few photos as he played, hoping to catch a monumental “1 Year Old” photo, and then realized that I definitely should have cut his hair before this photo op. YIKES!

I BELIEVE in Friday Traditions

Every Friday morning our local Christian radio station, Positive Life Radio (www.plr.org), plays their “I Believe” segment around 8:15 a.m. And every Friday I make sure Kendry and I are in the car and on our way to daycare and work prior to 8:15 so we can hear it. This has become our Friday morning tradition, if you will; and even though its Friday and I’m already in a good mood, listening to this segment positively makes my day. I usually tell Kendry “Here’s our song, bud!” and then I crank it up for us to rock along together. My kiddo might think I’m a bit eccentric.

The “I Believe” segment works like this: all Friday morning, up until about 8:00 a.m., listeners can call in to the station and leave an “I Believe” statement. Those statements are then compiled to fit in with the song by Wes King. Its awesome! Here, take a quick listen to the song (minus the statements):

These statements range anywhere from "I believe God will give me a great day today" to "I believe God will protect my son while he is stationed in Iraq" to "I believe my daughter, who went home to be with the Lord last week, is now resting in His arms". Can you see why I love this segment? It brings tears to my eyes every single week. What an inspiration to hear other Christians voicing their faith in God - for the simple things in life, and the profound.

I've been meaning to call in my own "I Believe" statement for the last few weeks. Maybe next Friday. What would I say?

I BELIEVE that next Saturday will be a beautiful day to celebrate Kendry's 1st birthday outside.

I BELIEVE that God will bless us with more children in His time.

I BELIEVE that God is already directing the footsteps of my beautiful little boy, even if he isn't walking yet.

I BELIEVE that my husband is my best friend, an incredible father, and a hardworking provider.

I BELIEVE that my sisters are one of God's greatest blessings in my life.

There is something so powerful about voicing these statements aloud.

What would your statement be today?

For those of you outside of the broadcast area, you can also listen to the Positive Life Radio broadcast online. Maybe if you tune in next Friday you'll hear my "I Believe" statement.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Ten

1. Its an awfully blustery day again here. As they say in "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day": HAPPY WINDS-DAY!

2. The Fashion Police called Wednesday morning. Camo pants, a baby blue shirt with a puppy on it, and Nike tennis shoes? I’ll give you one guess who was responsible for dressing the kiddo that morning.

Lucky for Kendry, camo is essentially a wardrobe staple around these parts. You can pair it with just about any piece of apparel from your closet and no one in this town will give you a second glance.

By the way, thanks for the camo pants, Grandma. They fit him really cute!

3. On the way to daycare on Wednesday morning Kendry and I saw a car with two inches of snow on it. What on earth?! Its nearly May, people!

4. The Gimlin Home Improvement Project of 2010 is painting the exterior of the house...by ourselves. Justin is getting a few bids to see exactly what it would cost to hire somone, but chances are we'll be rolling up our sleeves in the next month or so and taking on the project sans professionals. If you have any tips/suggestions for us, please feel free to share them.

5. It seems like Kendry amazes us each day with something new he can accomplish on his own. This last weekend it was climbing into and sitting down in his little rocking chair (aka Grandpa Richard’s childhood rocking chair) all by himself. You’re looking at one proud little kiddo.

And then the pride took a huge hit with the botched attempt to climb back down. SPLAT! No children were harmed in the filming of this event, folks. Surely rug burns on your nose don’t hurt that bad, do they? (And don't call me Shirley!)

6. HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY, PAXTON!!

7. With only two months until our Alaska trip, Justin and I started brainstorming our flight strategy for Kendry the other night. Bring the carseat? Bring a stroller? Crush up some dramamine and sneak it into Kendry's juice cup before the flight? The fact that our kiddo has no desire to sit still these days has me more than a little worried about keeping him tethered for 3.5 hours at 30,000 feet.

8. I'm pretty sure I am WAY overdue for seeing a chick flick by myself at the theater. Good thing the summer movie season is almost upon us.

9. To make or to buy? That is the question. The Supermom in me wants to tackle the very first birthday cake myself - we all know how much I LOVE to bake! But my practical side says to outsource this task. Supermom may already have her hands more than full with the setup and decorations. One more week to decide.

10. I'm thinking to do an amateur 1 year old photo shoot with Kendry on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully I'll have some neat pics to share with you next week.

National Infertility Awareness Week

April 24th through May 1st is National Infertility Awareness Week.

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term after 12 months of trying to conceive. Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system. One third (30%) of infertility can be attributed to male factors, and about one third (30%) can be attributed to female factors. In about 20% of cases infertility is unexplained, and the remaining 10% of infertility is caused by a combination of problems in both partners.

Infertility has a strong impact on self-esteem. Suddenly your life, which may have been well-planned and successful, seems out-of-control. Not only is your physical body not responding as expected but it feels as if your entire life is on hold.



Fittingly enough, it was two years ago this week we had our very first appointment with Dr. Thyer at Seattle Reproductive Medicine and received our first glimpse of hope in our fertility struggle. Isn’t it amazing what God can do in just two years? Our beautiful miracle baby boy will turn 1 in less than two weeks. Nothing is impossible with our God!

Please use this week to say an extra prayer and/or encourage any friends or family members who have struggled with infertility. You may not understand what they are going through, or the emotions they are feeling, but acknowledging their situation and letting them know you care helps more than you know.

If you know someone looking for information and/or support, these websites are great resources:
http://www.hannah.org/
http://resolve.org/

To all my IF friends: you are on my heart this week!