Ladybug birthday party!

So, I'm embarrassed at how late this post is... but better late than never! We celebrated Lucy's first birthday the Saturday after her actual birthday. We call Lucy "Ladybug" and so I thought that a ladybug-themed birthday party would be fitting! I got a ton of ideas off Pinterest.... as Alex and Elena said, it looked like Pinterest exploded in my house. :) 

I had lots of help to pull off the party and couldn't have done it without everyone's help! 

Warning- there are a ton of pics in this post....enjoy!

The Friday night before the party, Liz, Alex, Elena and Mom came over to help me ice and decorate 50 cupcakes and the smash cake, as well as finish her picture banner....

Liz wasn't quite sure about this....

Yes, that's Alex sniffing glue in the back...

Elena's cyclopes bug

The birthday banner- it had each month's monkey pic. So fun to see how she's grown!

The smash cake, made by yours truly! See the two teeth on the bottom- supposed to look like my ladybug!

The day of the party, we had fun! She hadn't napped well that day and wasn't in a great mood (aka- not wanting anything to do with cake or presents), but we still had fun having our families and close friends with us to celebrate her first year! Honestly, I think it's more of a celebration for the parents making it through the first year...but that's just me. :)

The cupcakes, cake and ribbon-wrapped bottles of water

The lady-bug food table

Oreo-pops I made and lady bug bubbles for favors

Aunt Carolyn and Lucy- the Lehmkuhls came from Waco with  cousin Emma and two-week -old cousin Andrew! 

We had fun with the bounce houses! Thanks, Pokludas and Saugiers for letting us use them!

The unhappy birthday girl and Papi

Grandmommy and Lucy

not a huge fan of cake. at.all.

Get me out of this seat! 

playing with her new toys

Uncle Marcos and Aunt Paige

Emma and Lucy

Unwrapping her car from Oma and PapPap

Oma, Kathryn and baby Andrew

GG and Aunt Elena

Cameron and Alyssa

How many people does it take to collapse a bounce house?

One Year Old!!

I am almost a month late in posting this, but I did want to write about Lucy's birthday! I have grown up in a family where birthdays are a big deal- lots of anticipation, lots of fun, some surprises, good food, etc. So, needless to say, I was so excited to celebrate Lucy's first birthday! I know she will never remember it and it's more for the adults...but it was fun!

On her actual birthday, Mike flew home for the day so that we could celebrate together as our little family. I decorated the entrance to the living room- she was actually kind of freaked out with the streamers and balloons, but then eventually warmed up to them and would go through the entrance on her own. 

We had brunch at home...then took some pictures...

...ate the birthday hat...

...tried again to take some cute pictures with the monkey, but she wasn't in a really happy mood...

...then we went to the Dallas Arboretum and enjoyed lying on the grass, watching Lucy walk all over the grass, climb the stairs, touch the flowers, etc... It was truly a relaxing afternoon for us all!

We came home and opened presents...

...we then gave Lucy her first cupcake....she wasn't too impressed and didn't really like it...

...she liked drinking water better. :) 

We went out to dinner at Casa Milagro, sat outside on their patio and Lucy enjoyed her own quesidilla, beans and rice. After dinner, Lucy had a bath and then we drove Daddy back to Love Field before we came home and she went to bed.

We had such a wonderful day as our little family! I got teary-eyed several times during the day, watching my sweet girl toddle around, remembering the day of her birth a year ago and thanking God for the past year that He has carried us through. 

She is such as sweet, energetic girl, full of energy, always on the move! 

Next up, her birthday party!

Easter!

This Easter, we attended the Saturday evening service at Watermark and then enjoyed a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast at home, then hosted Easter lunch for both sides of our families. We had such a blast having everyone over and even had an indoor egg hunt, due to the downpour occurring outside!

Lucy had her first Easter basket when she woke up on Easter morning...

Look! Some new pacifiers in my basket!

The table was all set...

We are truly blessed to have the majority of both sides of our families in town! I told Mike that I was so thankful that we have this many people to sit around our table!

Sweet cousins looking out the door at the rain

Lucy hunting for eggs

Look! I got one!

I found another one!

Daddy, I found an egg in your mouth! 

Alyssa, Aunt Paige and Lucy

Our second Easter as a family!

Family!

HE is risen, indeed! So thankful for a Savior who died on the cross for us all and then rose again on the third day. So thankful for a living Savior, who brings peace among chaos and gives everlasting life- for God so loved us that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will receive eternal life. 

San Antonio and some bluebonnets

Last Monday evening, my mom, Lucy and I traveled down to San Antonio for the week so that I could attend the NAPNAP conference (National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners). Elena and Alex (my sister and brother-in-law) graciously let us stay with them while we were in town and Mom was so kind to watch Lucy that week while I was at the conference. Lucy did much, much better than I could have ever expected! She did well in the car, as long as someone was in the back seat to play with her and entertain her and then slept well in the car when it was time for bed. We made it in 5.5 hours both times to and from Dallas, which was great! She also slept through the night all 3 nights (she made a few peeps, but went straight back to sleep). Not sure if it was the quilts we had draped around the pack-n-play or the fan for noise, or what, but it worked! So, so thankful!!

The conference was really good- I learned a lot and got to see some friends from my Samford and Vanderbilt days! 

Here's some pics of Lucy, Mom and Elena while I was at my conference:

Thanks, Medela, for sponsoring a breastfeeding/pumping room at the conference- they had EVERYTHING there for us, so I didn't have to lug my pump around. Plus, they gave us all this free stuff, including all the tubing, pumping gear, steam bags to clean, etc.....this might be TMI, but for those gals who are still breastfeeding and pumping, you know the value of this!!

Lucy went with Elena and Mom and the community dog, Milo, on a shopping trip around the Riverwalk! Lane is multi-talented- she can walk a dog and push a stroller all at the same time! 

Reading with Aunt Lane....

The other pics from the trip are on my phone...I'm such a slacker with downloading phone pics. While we were with Alex and Lane, we were able to hang out with their community friends- we had a fun time going out to dinner at a really fun Mexican restaurant- Lucy was serenaded by a mariachi band and loved eating a home-made tortilla! Their whole community also come over the next night for dinner- Mom made vegetarian lasagna and mocha cake with cream cheese icing. Quite delicious! 

I loved being able to spend some time with Lane and Alex and Mom- she and Alex will be moving out of state next fall for grad school, so I was so thankful for the time we had together! And, thankful for the hospitality! :)

As many of you Texans have seen, we have some beautiful bluebonnets around! We went out this afternoon to get a few traditional bluebonnet pictures. I was a little afraid of encountering some snakes (I've heard they like to hang out in the bluebonnets because of the tall grass), but thankfully we didn't see or hear any!

Here's my happy girl! Can't believe she's going to be one in 10 days!

Happy Spring, everyone!