1st Birthday Cake Smash Session

I've been saving this post for you to view after I posted Annaliese's 1st birthday post.  So now that I've got that down, here's some fun pictures of her playing in her first cake ever!

These pictures were taken by Double Shutter Photography, who also did our family pictures last month.

Annaliese and Her Pumpkin Party

I know many of you have been wondering where the heck I have been and where the heck are the party pictures from 3 weeks ago.  Oooops!

Well truth be told, the three of us have pretty much just passed around being sick.  Justin came home from work on Friday (Oct 12- before the party), saying that he was going to urgent care because he was pretty sure he had an ear infection.  Well he was right.  They sent him home with an ear drop antibiotic.  He was in bad pain the whole weekend, but was a trooper and still put on a happy face for his little girl's birthday party.  Then it was Annaliese who wasn't feeling well on the day of her own party.  Insert collective "awww" here.  She was teething (when are they NOT teething?!) and very congested.  No fever, just slightly miserable.  She was also a trooper and loved her party (and her cake!).  Then most recently I've not been feeling well.  I thought it was just really had allergies, which isn't uncommon at all for me, but when I started feeling worse, I went to the doctor and confirmed I had a sinus infection.  I've been on antibiotics since Monday and have been living on soup and hot tea.  Only since Thursday have I started to feel better enough to do dishes, laundry and actually put on make up (yeah it's been that bad).  

So that brings me to now.  I have missed blogging!  I have missed reading blogs, commenting on blogs, linking up with bloggers! ...I feel like I've missed SO MUCH lately.

I'm still working on getting some more pictures from the party from our guests, since Justin and I were pretty busy, needless to say.

So without further ado, here's some party pics!

Loved these invitations from Tiny Prints

Uncle Ashley and Aunt Jenn

 These kids did a really great job on painting their pumpkins!!  Justin and I were impressed!

My dad and step mom catered for us!  THANK YOU!

Yummy food!  Happy guests! :)

She was chasing me in the kitchen!  Having so much fun!

Ready to enjoy her pumpkin cake

Mommy helped her get past the icing

Yummy!!!

Being proper and using an eating utensil

Cake aftermath

Birthday girl with mom and dad

Awesome shoes made by Aunt Jenn!

Balloon Basketball

Evan, Emily and Adrian painting their pumpkins

A happy Baya

Baya painting her pumpkin

Sam helping Baya with her pumpkin

Emily and standing proud next to her pumpkin

Fawn helping Connor with his pumpkin

The gift table

1 Year Polka Dot Pumpkin T-Shirt made by Sweet Pea Ala Mode

Reading one of her many new books!

Showing Grandma her new book

Sorry these are a little out of order...I just want to get this post up!  :)

Annaliese had a great time at her party with all of her friends and most of her family! :)  She was able to get in a morning nap prior to the party which helped, but after her long day...she crashed in her MaMaw's arms.

Annaliese cuddling with MaMaw Elaine

Justin and I can't believe we have a one year old!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

Wordless Wednesday- Flip Flops and Fall

Walking Hard

Annaliese has found her courage, she is willingly peeling herself from the furniture and excitedly walking towards mommy and daddy!  Although now she just has to learn to slow down.  This girl is RUNNING!



No babies were harmed in the making of this video.  Had I not been taping, I would've been there to catch her fall, but instead she learned a lesson from it (hopefully).  Running - stopping = face plant.

My baby is walking!!!! AHHHH!!! 

First Annual Pumpkin Patch and Picnic

Ever since Justin and I got married, we've tried to be creative and discover new traditions for our own family to do.

Since Annaliese's birthday occurs in October and her first birthday party is a pumpkin theme, we decided that it would be a great time to go to the pumpkin patch and have a picnic too!  So every year we are going to have Annaliese (and future children) pick a pumpkin and head to the park for a family picnic.  This year we wanted to provide all of the kids attending the party to paint pumpkins for fun, so off to the pumpkin patch we went!

Last Friday Justin had off work.  It was a beautiful fall day, about 65 degrees, so sunny and a slight breeze.  It was the perfect day to go pumpkin picking and to have a little outdoor picnic.

We headed to a local produce store called Benders Potato and Produce Barn.  Annaliese was tired, so we picked our pumpkins and hurried through the small petting zoo they had....and of course tried to snap some pictures.  No smiles here, but I do believe she still had fun with the animals.

"I want this one, daddy!"

On a mission

Checking out the bunnies

Walking with daddy

"Look over there, mommy"

Ouch my teeth hurt.

 They had some really creative ways to display their hay bales.

Add caption

Me and my little pumpkin

Then we headed to a local park for a picnic.  Annaliese fell asleep in the car...and didn't budge as we carried her to the picnic site.

Asleep on daddy

As we walked a little way from the parking lot, you couldn't help but notice all of the beautiful fall foliage.

We set up our picnic and laid Annaliese down for a nap.  Mommy and Daddy got to have some quiet time and adult conversation while still in the presence of our sleeping daughter and the gorgeous fall scenery.  It truly was the perfect day.

Sleeping Beauty

Daddy, setting up lunch

The awesome picnic basket we received from Ashley and Jenn as a wedding gift

Ready to eat!

Cheers!

 Then after eating our lunch, little miss sleepy woke up and joined us for lunch.  Smiling away now :)

Good Morning! :)

Mommy and Annaliese having some water

Having some ham and cheese

We had such a good time on our pumpkin patch and picnic day that we are turning it into an annual tradition, even when we have a new little one to take with us :)

Now we're left with a whole lot of pumpkins for the birthday girl's Pumpkin Birthday Party this weekend!  Post (of course) will come later!

Family from New Jersey will be in later today and the party will be tomorrow!  I'm so excited to see all of our friends and family in one place and celebrating something so joyous as our pretty girl's first birthday!  Oh...cake and toys too!  ;)

Happy Friday!