Petting Zoo Party, Take Two!

When Katie Wynn turned one, we had a petting zoo birthday party for her.  It was so much fun that we decided to do a repeat party for Thomas's first birthday.  I had already made up my mind that that's what we'd do, so when I called the girl that brought the animals to KW's party and learned that she no longer did birthday parties, I hit the internet to find another petting zoo.  At Katie Wynn's party, we had a pony, a bunny, a couple of chickens, and a donkey and we were really pleased with that.  But for Thomas's party, I hired Happy Times Farm and let me tell you, their petting zoo is LEGIT.  

Their website said they would bring around 30 animals but I'm not sure that it registered with me just exactly how many animals that is!  And I think we had way more than that.  Let's see, there was a pig, 4 baby ducks, 6 of the softest rabbits ever, 3 guinea pigs (I think), a couple chickens, a llama, a horse, a donkey, a goat, some kind of small cow, and about 25 sheep and lambs.  By my count, that's closer to 50 animals!  They pulled up in a trailer and just kept bringing animals out and setting their pens up in the yard.  Then they opened up a small compartment and out ran all the sheep.  It was crazy!

Before we get into all the animal petting action, let's back up just a little to the party decorations.  And by "decorations," I mean the very few things I set out the day of the party.  I tried to keep things simple for this party.  I did zero crafting, no sewing, and no major baking (just a quick cake for Thomas!).  In fact, I got on Oriental Trading and ordered every single thing from them, including the party favors.  The invitations we sent out (this design from etsy) had blue gingham on it so I used that as the color scheme.  Oriental Trading came through with plates, napkins, and cups to match!

We used the lemonade stand that we built for KW's party again and I added some plastic gingham flags from Oriental Trading.  It was Anna's idea to put the inflatable animals on top.  :)

These inflatable animals were awesome and I think I got something like 12 of them for ten bucks!  Most of them went home with our party guests but we still play with the sheep and cow that were left over.

We requested donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in lieu of gifts for Thomas.  We were able to send a good-sized check to them after the party was over!

Now, on to the fun party pics!  Like most one-year-olds, Thomas had no idea that all of the hoopla was for him.  (Katie Wynn, on the other hand, though it was all for her.)

Oh, before I forget - just like with Katie Wynn's birthday parties, I hired a photographer (Kasey McAlpin - find her on Facebook) to take pictures throughout the party.  She gets credit for all the photos in this post!  Also, Katie Wynn had a busted up face from an accident on the driveway (read more about it here) so her face was scabbed up at the party.  

I'm not going to try to narrate these pictures - there are way too many!  Just enjoy these snapshots from throughout the party.  And, if you see one of your child, I probably already have it printed to send to you!  (Click on any image to see it bigger.)

When it came time to eat, we made sure there was hand sanitizer readily available!  Just like the decorations, we kept our menu super simple: hot dogs, chips, and drinks.  That's it!

We gave Thomas his cake as everyone finished eating, and it was kinda a non-event.  The slight breeze kept the candle from staying lit so we couldn't even help him blow it out!  I put animal cookies on top of the cake and, in hindsight, that was a bad idea.  He just pulled off one of them and wanted to munch on it.  Anna finally smooshed his hand into the cake but he didn't like having it on his hands at all!

After Thomas had his cake, I brought out dessert for everyone else: Parker's Water Ice.  It's one of my very favorite treats!  It's like a sno cone that's the texture of sorbet.  So good and so perfect for a hot day!  Of course, the parents may have been cringing at the bright red and bright blue - hopefully all clothes came clean!

Since we had a photographer on hand, we took a few quick family pictures.  I would've tried to get more but we were all so sweaty that I didn't think it was worth it!  

As our little guests said goodbye, they got to pick out a couple of farm animal books to take home with them.  (Thanks again, Oriental Trading!)

With our guests leaving, it was time for the animals to load back onto the trailer and head to their next event.  We waved goodbye and with that, our petting zoo party was over.  :(

Since the party, Katie Wynn has asked at least 12 times if Thomas could have another birthday so that we could do it again.  And every time we go to someone else's party she asks if the "amimals" will be there.  It's safe to assume that she had a really good time!  Who knows, maybe we'll be doing it again.  But first, I've got to figure out how to explain to a two-year-old that her birthday is still months away...

Monthly Themed Pictures

The last set of monthly pictures were themed for each month.  I did this same set for Katie Wynn too.  Some months I copied her set up for Thomas but some months are totally different.  I tried not to spend much time on these (mostly because I never have much time to spare) so Thomas just had a few minutes in front of the camera and if I got something good, then great!  And if I didn't, oh well.

Katie Wynn's watermelon picture was so cute!  Thomas's was...not.  He couldn't sit up and there were gnats and I just remember being SO hot and ready to go back inside.  But look, he can blow bubbles!

This was my favorite picture of him for a while.  I just love that wide open grin and those almost winking eyes!  I think this was his first time to go swimming...or, barely put his toes in the water, rather.  

Can you believe that even after looking this cute in his golf hat, his Daddy still didn't let him tag along for his Saturday morning golf game?!

Pumpkins plus football equals fall!

This was one of my favorites with Katie Wynn and one of my favorites with Thomas too!  Maybe this December I'll try to get one with the two of them wrapped up in lights together.  That shouldn't be too hard, right?

Cutest little snow bunny I know...even if there wasn't any snow!  The way he's biting on that bottom lip just kills me.

Smacked with red kisses from Mama during the month of love!  

Just like Katie Wynn, he's a WEE-BIT IRISH.  With a whole lot of green glitter to pick out of his hair!  Not the best costume choice when it comes to clean-up.  The April bunny ears pictures is hands-down my favorite of these.  He thought these ears were hilarious and was so cute with them on!  I could do a whole post with pictures of this photoshoot.  I chose this one because you can tell he's sucking in his breath from laughing.

He wouldn't sit still for a picture on the beach, so pool side is the best we could do.  And you can't even see the pool!  :)

And finally, he's ONE!  Katie Wynn wore this same party hat for her 12th month photo too. 

Is it bad that I'm kinda relieved I don't have to remember to take pictures every month anymore?  That's one reminder I can remove from my calendar.  Don't worry, you know there won't be a shortage of other pictures of my kids!  :)

Brother and Sister Pics

The second set of monthly pics that I did of Katie Wynn were of her and me on our front steps.  They were fun but really hard to pull off since I had to have another person around to take our picture during a time when we were both clean and dressed and it was daylight outside.  Tricky when your husband leaves for work at the crack of dawn and we're a hot mess by the time we all get home.  So, with Thomas I thought instead of pictures with me, I'd do pictures of him with Katie Wynn.  I'd be able to be the photographer so they'd be much easier.

Right?

If you think the answer to that is yes then you've never tried to take pictures of a toddler and a baby in the same chair together.  NOT an easy task, I tell ya.  But I have a picture for every month so, success!  My method for choosing the official picture for each month was to just find the one where they were both somewhat clear and in focus.  For nearly every month, I have a picture where he is totally adorable but she's a blurry ghost and vice versa.  If only I could cut and paste the good ones of them together.

When I went back to pick out these pictures, I knew that he would look so different in the early months than he does now - babies change a lot in their first year!  What I wasn't expecting, though, was how little Katie Wynn looks too!  It's crazy to think this time last year she was still attached to a paci.  That seems like a lifetime ago.  Anyway, here they are...

I chose this chair in the living room for a neutral backdrop and because we get natural light in there.  That window behind them usually ended up being way too bright, though.  Which month's photo is your favorite?  Or, which set of outfits are your favorite?  :)  I think my favorites are months 8, 9, and 10.

Here's a bonus pic from month eight to end this post.  She loves him a little too hard sometimes!

12 Months!

Just like with Katie Wynn, I took monthly pictures of Thomas throughout his first year.  Also like with her, I took three different sets each month.  I'll be sharing these pictures over the next three posts.

This first set is the most traditional of the three - just my boy in his chair with a chalkboard sign.  The quality of these pictures is rough.  I guess I didn't put much effort into them.  I just looked back at Katie Wynn's (see them here!) and hers are much clearer.  At least I tried, right?  (I made a comment in her post about apparently not knowing how to work the white balance on my camera correctly because the coloring varies so much between pictures.  After looking at these, it appears that I still haven't figured out how to work it...)

What a difference a year makes, huh?  It's so fun to be able to see how much he grew over 12 months in just one post!  One of my favorite parts about these pictures is his little hand laying on the arm of the chair.  And also his feet crossed in the last picture - such a big boy!

If you think these pictures are poor quality, wait til you see the ones with him and Katie Wynn.  They're coming up next!

All About Thomas

I haven't written a good Thomas update since he was eight months old.  And he is SO different now than he was then.  He's such a little boy now, scrapes on the knees and all.  I have been enjoying seeing his sweet little personality come to life.  He just grins so big and giggles so loud when he's done something to make him proud of himself.  And when he's sleepy or feeling shy, he is the snuggliest little cuddle bug.  Those are the moments that I want to last forever!

Sweet birthday outfit for church on his bday party day!

We went to the doctor last week for his one-year checkup.  He was excited to see me when I picked him up at daycare, but I think after the finger prick and three shots, he probably wished I'd just left him there!  His appointment fell during his morning nap time so we got to have some good one-on-one snuggle time.  After a selfie or two while we waited for the doctor, he fell right to sleep on my chest - something that rarely happens so I soak it up when it does!

How cute is this picture?!  I don't know how any nurse could poke a sharp needle into such a sweet little baby.  Oh, he cried crocodile tears when he got his shots...and I almost did too!

Ok, here are some stats and things I want to remember about Thomas at one year old:

• He weighs 10 pounds, 9 ounces which, if I remember correctly, is about the same that Katie Wynn was at this age.
• I don't know his length but he was in the 25th percentile for height and weight but the 75th percentile for his head.  He's got a big noggin', y'all.
• He wears size 12 month clothes, size 4 shoes, and size 3 diapers.
• His eyes are still BRIGHT blue and I absolutely LOVE them!  I feel like they'll stay blue at this point; now I'm just hoping that they'll also stay this bright.
• His hair is still blonde - maybe even blonder than it was before.  I don't think it looks as red as it used to.  It is really starting to fill in now, especially in the back.  When he gets hot and sweaty he gets a few tiny curls back there.  :)

• He started walking at about 12 months and now is always on the go.  He tries to go faster than his little legs can move and so he takes quite a few tumbles.  I joke that he always looks like the drunk guy at the party because he falls down and pops back up so much. 

• He sleeps all night long in his bed now - even without any kind of essential oils or other help!  We are so thankful for this!  He goes down around 7:30 each night and wakes around 6:00 each morning.  We really don't even have to set an alarm because he cries out at 6 on the dot every morning.  It'd be nice to sleep a little later occasionally, but I'm not complaining!  He also still takes two naps every day.  At night, he sleeps in his zipadee zip.  
• He loves taking baths or showers but hates to be still for lotion and getting dressed!

• At one year, Thomas has 6 teeth, with 2 more pushing their way in.  He has the front two on both top and bottom and his top two molars in the back.  There is a bottom molar that is starting to poke through and also the third front tooth on top.

• I would say that "uh-oh" is the only word he consistently says.  He has said both "dada" and "mama" but he doesn't regularly use them.  We are beginning to work with him on signing but he hasn't picked up on any of it yet.  He still has not found his "inside voice."  He's very loud!  He squeals and yells quite a bit.
• The only "trick" he can sometimes do is wave bye-bye.  I guess it's because he's the second baby but we don't seem to work with him as much on stuff like that.  He can't clap or high five or blow kisses or anything like that yet.  I'm a-ok with it.  Like Matt always says, they all start kindergarten when they're five and they don't have to fill out a sheet that tells what age they did something!
• He is very much a Daddy's boy.  In Sunday School a few weeks ago, we heard a lesson on Thomas, who was called didymus or "twin."  No one really knows who Thomas's twin is, but there's speculation that it could be Jesus.  Another theory is that it's Matthew because they're together a lot.  That's a part of the lesson that stuck with us because in our house, Thomas and Matthew are also together a lot.  :)  And Matt says Thomas gets his looks from him because he had blond hair and blue eyes as a baby too (I need a picture to prove this).  So maybe they're "twins" too.  :)
• On a perfect day for Thomas, he'd probably be held by his Daddy all day.  In a pinch, he'll accept me as backup.  Now that he goes to daycare and the nursery at church, he has figured out that we sometimes leave him and has gotten a little clingy!

• On a perfect day for me, he would always be wearing an outfit like this so I have easy access to those soft shoulders for kisses!

• Thomas hardly eats any baby food anymore; just a squeeze pouch or two at dinner on occasion to get in some extra veggies.  He is all about finger foods and feeding himself.  There aren't many things that he won't eat (actually, I can't think of any right now!) but he gets tired of lots of things after about six or so bites.  We have to have five or six different things to feed him at dinner because as soon as he decides he's done with one item, any remaining bites get swatted off the spoon or thrown off his tray onto the floor.  I guess he just likes variety!  Hands down his favorite thing to eat is chocolate ice cream.  Since our trip to Florida, he's only had it a handful of times but he still gets so excited to eat it and very upset when it's all gone!  
• He was very easy to transition to cow's milk.  He still has a bottle first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  We are trying to teach him to use a sippy cup during the day.  He carries them around and chews on them but can't quite get the concept of turning them up so he can get the liquid out.  If he really wants a drink he'll just lay down on the floor because he's found that it works if he's laying down.

• There are three things in our house that seem to have magnetic pulls on him: Lolli's dog food bowl when it's full of food, an open dishwasher full of sharp silverware, and laptops (and their cords).  We are slowly learning that we just can't have things things out/open when he is around because no matter how many times you tell him no, he will go right back to them.

• His very favorite thing to do is to put things - whatever's in his hands - inside other things - drawers, closets, cabinets, etc.  Here are some examples of things I've found:
  • Sippy cup in my bathroom cabinet.
  • Wooden puzzle piece in the drawer with my hairdryer.
  • Plastic balls in the shower.
  • Katie Wynn's shoes in a toy box.
  • Placemats and one shoe under the play kitchen sink.
  • Bottle of milk in the play kitchen pantry.
  • Sippy cup in the mudroom cabinets.
  • Pacifiers in a hall cabinet.
  • Monitor in Lolli's kennel.
  • Bubbles in the toy grill.
• We have also retrieved several things out of the garbage can that we saw him put in it.  There's no telling how many things have actually gone out with the trash.  I suppose I should be glad that he likes to "tidy up" and put things away, but it sure makes it hard to find things!  And sometimes it makes me smile to open a drawer and find a toy and know he's been there.  :)

• I can't tell you how many times I've pulled dog food, mulch, or sticks out of his mouth.

• Thomas is the very happiest outside.  Usually if he's fussing and won't quit, all it takes is a trip outside to make him happy.  

• Thankfully, he still adores Katie Wynn!  He watches her every move and usually whatever she's doing, that's what he wants to be doing too.  She loves him right back too and it just makes my heart so very happy.

What else can I possibly tell you about Thomas?  We are head over heels in love with him.  His little squeals of joy make me smile so big and I love snatching him up for kisses.  This time last year we were just beginning to enter into the colic phase and were so worn out and exhausted from all the crying.  And now he giggles and jabbers way more than he cries and is, for the most part, a pretty happy little guy.  What a difference a year makes!

I hope you like seeing pictures of my little guy because there's a lot more coming!  I successfully took three pictures of him every month of his first year, so the next three posts will be sharing those.  And I have his birthday party pics back from the photographer so hopefully that post will be the grand finale of this rush before we leave for vacation! :)