"Archer's First Birthday Party!"

Here is the birthday boy!
Doesn't he look handsome.

My sister and I got to there early to put up our decorations.
I bought decorated sugar cookies and put a
personalized sticker on the back that said,
"Thanks for coming to my party!"
-Archer

I bought stuff on sale after Easter
and used them for centerpieces.

I also made these awesome cupcake toppers.
I used paint.net to add "Happy Birthday Archer" to each scene.

Here's the cake in all its glory.
The cake topper itself is made of wood and clay,
so we can keep it for years to come as a keepsake.

Archer's highchair, decorated for the day.
Another homemade, personalized decoration.
I really went all out with the cardstock!
Archer had this attitude for pictures most of the day. "Mommy, is that cake seriously all mine?"

"I don't really know what you expect me to do with it?" "Tastes good!"

"Mommy, are you sure this is okay?"
"Didn't you call this my smash cake?"
"Well, it's smashed!"
After enjoying cake and CLEANING UP!
We got to the presents.
Archer got a lot of help from the big kids...too much help!

Ava with the balloons.
She wanted to take all of them home to play with.
She didn't quite make it home before falling asleep.
Is my sweet boy really 1?
I think I'm in for a wild ride.

"Blog Rant"

Still not feeling bloggy...what's a girl to do? I don't know why I haven't been motivated to take some pictures of projects I've done or post some adorable pictures of my kids.

What's going on with me?

I got a little bummed out when for the second time, I tried to "make my blog into a book". Over at blog2print.com, they had a new feature which allowed you to keep your pictures, captions, and text in order just the way your post looked. Well, it still didn't cut it, and it kind of busted my bloggy bubble. I really wanted to make this thing into a sort of scrapbook for years to come. I mean, maybe I'm just being a paranoid cavewoman, but what if blogger.com isn't there one day when I go to sign-in? They are a business, they could back up their bags and move on.

Should I have more faith in the blog world? Is this thing here to stay? I want my kids to have something to hold in their hands like a book, not just their I-Pad...or whatever is current for them.

Another, interesting fact about my blog-drought, I am right the opposite with my housework and busy-ness level. I have been all about keeping the house straightened up, clothes kept up, and toys picked up. Also, been doing creative things like nobody's business!

I'm going on a big vacation next week with my parents and my kids. We are tagging along with my parents on a road trip to Branson, Missouri with a trip across the state on our way out to visit the St. Louis Arch (gotta take Archer to see the Arch!)

I have some fun memories from one of our vacation to St. Louis as kids. We did go up in the Arch, road around St. Louis in a horse drawn carriage, and checked out the city. I know Archer won't remember this trip, but I think Ava will.

On another note, I am going to be closing on our new home on April 26th. Hopefully the last walk through and everything will go as planned. Big step for our little family. I'm going to have a home again. We need more space! A family of 3 isn't meant to share one bedroom. If my parents could have just added us on a couple more bedrooms in our apartment, then we may have never moved out!

This move will also put us in the school district of choice for Ava and Archer. Big decisions and changes going on in my life! I'm stepping out on my own again. Sometimes just thinking about it, I can feel the anxiety gripping my chest! I've got to get use to being alone in a house again too. I will just have to suck it up and get use to it...so what if me, Ava, and Archer still sleep in one room for awhile? If I turn my noise-maker up loud enough, then I won't hear the scary bumps and creaks in the night!

Okay, this rant has got to come to an end! See you when I see you, Peace!

"Party Prep"

Archer's birthday was Wednesday, and I spent the day loving on him and making things for his birthday party this weekend! I am having his party at a local cafe type restaurant. It is closed on Saturday's, but she opens it for private parties. Our theme is "Moose and Zee" from Nick Jr. I ordered a cake topper off of etsy.com from a lady in Italy. That's right, I said Italy! I also used a lot of card stock, photo paper, and hot glue to make cupcake toppers, a banner, and personalized party favors. I've already put together the center pieces and bought the rest of the supplies for the party. I am super excited about how everything will come together. I will be posting all about it after the party! Gotta keep the party goers who read my blog in suspense.

"Archer's Visitors"

Here's another of my sister's posts about Archer's first days...

Archer had tons of visitors. First and foremost, his big sister Ava.She wasn't exactly sure what to think of him at first.

But soon thereafter, she warmed right up. At one point we asked her if she wanted to hold him and she said yes, so she went and washed her hands and climbed up in her chair and said,

"Gimme that sweetheart!" It was so funny and sweet.

Huett and Sam were very hands-on right off the bat. Huett is very gentle and probably pays more attention to Archer than the other kids. He loves babies. Sam is just a little too rough for my comfort level, but he does good. Our baby better watch out!
Huett thought this was really exciting! A few seconds later he was helping to give him his pacifier when Sam stole it and put in his mouth just like it was his paci. Maybe now would be a good time to take away his pacifier.
Sam looks really mischevious in this picture. He does come by it honest, however. For those of you who didn't know, I was voted most mischevious in my nursing class. Try not to be jealous!! Notice the roughness that is about to take place in this picture... oops!

Teagan was another very important visitor. She wasn't the baby for long. She had to come meet her new baby cousin! Look at those big girl teeth!

Ava loves referring to Archer as, "the best baby brother in the whole wide world."

Aunt Jenny came to visit too! She looks natural with a baby boy doesn't she...hmmmm maybe this is a sign from the future!

We had many loving family and friends stop by the hospital to check on us and meet baby Archer. I felt loved and thankful to have so many people that care about me and my baby.

"The day Archer was born..."

I didn't become a blogger until last summer, so I am going to post my sister's post about the day Archer was born. Hope you enjoy...I have been remembering those days with longing, realizing that he is very possibly my last baby, and that it has flown by WAY too fast!

So I know these pictures are long overdue, but here it is, the story of Archer's birthday from start to finish! First of all, mom, Trish, and I had to be at UAB at 5:30 AM. We arrived promptly, shortly after a questionable and possibly dangerous stop at the Pilot Truck Stop on Finley Ave. (This pregnant girl's gotta eat!) Anyway, upon arrival and check-in we find out that all of the pre-op labs Trisha had drawn were going to have to be redrawn and sent. So this leads to our first long wait(of many). They take Trisha back and leave mom and I in a nearby waiting room. About an hour later they tell us we can go visit Trisha one at a time. Mom went first for about 30 minutes. At this point it is around 7:00. I finally go back and poor Trisha is sitting on this ridiculous stretcher whose mattress looks like a puzzle with so many separate pieces that it was impossible not to fall into the cracks. I will not insert a pic b/c I don't think she wants that image surfing around the internet. Anyway, a friend of mine happened through the operating room, and I asked her what the hold up was b/c the admitting nurse gave us the impression that we would be seeing the baby in about 1 hour(now it is approximately 8:00). She told me that Dr Joiner(Trisha's doctor) was in L & D waiting for a patient to deliver and then after that she had to go see a patient in a clinic at the VA hospital and that then she would be back to do Trisha's c-section. GRRRRRRRR! We were already anxious and then all of this waiting. So long story short, 4 and 1/2 hours after we got there, Baby Archer was born at a healthy 8 pounds 9 ounces at exactly 9:52 AM!

I got to go in the operating room and take pictures! This is his first one and boy did he come out screaming! He looks just like Ava in this picture. I got to go into her delivery too and got almost the same shot.

This picture was just seconds later on the bed. He cleaned right up. He also pinked right up too which is a great sign. His apgars were 9 and 9 for all of you medical personnel out there.

This is his first picture after his first bath. I got to give him his first bath! That's just one of the perks of working here! Cool huh?!? These pictures taken during this time were the only ones with eyes open for about the first 3 days.

This is the first picture of mommy and baby when she returned from surgery. So sweet!