Kate's Tangled Party!

We celebrated Kate's 3rd Birthday this weekend and it was so much fun! I just recently started throwing "themed" birthday parties. It does get quite addictive trying to find things to match your theme. Tangled was a lot of fun. The "Mom" in me wants to share where I got everything!

I started at my favorite website: Etsy! I found this invitation at this cute shop.

I also knew that I wanted it to feel like a princess party but wanted it to have the Tangled feel to it. The movie was so cute. Most of all, I wanted the Kingdom flags and lanterns! I started searching and found this awesome set. I bought bits and pieces. The shop owner was great and let me purchase only the things I planned on using. I saved a bunch of money!

Here is the entrance to our "Kingdom".

and our lanterns. (I bought the lanterns two for $1.00 at the Dollar Tree.)
I decided that the living room would be the "Kingdom" and put the lanterns in there. The kitchen was Rapunzle's tower, and I decorated with taffeta and curling ribbon. The pictures didn't come out great; it looked really pretty!

Of course we need a little Flynn Rider. :)

I decorated with more Kingdom Flags in the kitchen and put this banner above the food table. I love the way it came out.

The food. The food was the hardest part. The party was at 2:00pm, so it wasn't lunch or dinner, but I knew the guests would need something. I googled and came up with some ideas, but due to time and life, really, I went with the easiest. We had "Hazlenut Soup", Rapunzle's favorite! (really Zuppa Tuscana from the Olive Garden), braided breadstick, jello boats, Maximus' apples and some other munchies.

I stopped doing goodie bags a long time ago. I was tried of spending money on little things that easily break and end up driving parents insane. I found a baker on Etsy, Lisa, who makes the most gorgeous cookies. She's been making cookies for our parties for over two years. This year she made us our Tangled cookies. This is the only shot I got, but we had Pascal cookies, Kingdom flags and a few numbers 3s!

For her cake, I made a simple white cake with homemade butter-cream frosting. Then I bought flowers and put them on the top. I am very proud of how it came out. My inspiration was the scene in the movie when Rapunzle has her hair braided and the girls put flowers in her braid.

Happy birthday, Kate!

What 24lbs means to me

It's no secret that I'm overweight. In my eyes, I feel that I've been overweight so long that it's a part of who I am. For years I've been unhappy with my weight, but didn't take weight loss seriously. I would try to "be good" for a week or two, but I would eventually lose my focus and go back to eating like I was 9 months pregnant, even if I wasn't. I wasn't shy about wanting to lose weight either. I talked to several doctors about it and they never really pushed the issue. They would beat around the bush and say thing like, "well, you could lose a few pounds, but overall, you're healthy!" How can a 5 ft 8inches tall girl who weight over 260 pounds be healthy?!? Nothing motivated me, nothing made me want to change...nothing until now.

My Dad.

My Dad died this past August from heart disease, diabetes and over all bad health. These are all things that are treatable with diet and exercise! In 2009 when this whole ordeal started, I started having panic attacks about my health and weight. Did you know that sometimes a panic attack can feel like a heart attack? I would lay in bed thinking I was having a heart attack at 29 years old. Still, it didn't motivate me to change. In my mind I knew I wasn't done having children, so what would be the point in losing weight if I would just gain it back?

Then, I watched my father fade away right in front of me.

First, he lost his toes due to bad circulation. He was confined to wheel chair. Then, two years later he had both of his legs amputated above the knee. A few weeks after that, he lost a leg up to his hip. Then he just slipped away, losing his life because of an infection his body couldn't fight.

I will not let this happen to my children. I will not let them watch me slip away after 60. I want to be there for their children and even there children's children.

That's why I joined Weight Watchers. That's why I've lost 24lbs. That's why I'll keep going until I reach my goal. Nothing can stop me.

7 months!

Owen is 7 months! He's eating solids, sitting up by himself and talking (babbling) a lot. Time is going by too fast.

This time around, I'm making my own baby food. I'm LOVING it! I bought myself the Baby Bullet and have been experimenting quite a bit! Owen hasn't truly hated anything I've made so far. His favorite is zucchini! I highly recommend trying it to all my friends. I'm pretty sure it will be my go-to baby shower gift from now on....besides a personalized pillow, of course!

My Dougie

This morning when Dougie was getting dressed, he put on his shorts and reached into his pocket. Without saying a word, he turned and ran from the room. When he came back, I could see that he was putting something into his pocket. When I asked him what it was, he told me that he had Grampy's "card" in his pocket. The prayer card, which he must have found somewhere in the house or car after my father's funeral, had tattered edges and a few folds in it.

I got a tear in my eye and gave him a hug. Dougie said he likes having it there because it has Grampy's picture on it, and then said, "I got it at that place, you know, where we saw Grampy in the basket? (casket)" and then went on and on about Jeff, the funeral director who talked to him about Tom and Jerry.

I love that kid.

Dougie making sand angels at York Beach.

6 months!

Happy half-birthday, Owen.

What a 6 months it's been! If you had told me what my life would be like now 6 months ago, I wouldn't have believed you. But, life goes on. I love you, little man, all 22 chunky pounds of you!

Thank you for making so many people smile over the last 11 days. Your Grampy loved you very much.

I'm gonna miss this...

The last week has been rough.

This little boy brought so many smiles to so many people over the last 10 days. But, every couple hours, I get to be with him all by myself and focus all my attention on him. It only lasts for about 10 minutes, but man, I'm going to miss it when he's grown.

Ketchup

Playing Catch-Up...Owen is 5 months old!

Owen at 4 months...

Owen at almost 5 months on vacation in Vermont.

5 months, in the tub!

Owen is such a joy. He sleeps through the night (most nights), share's a room with his big brother and is getting his two bottom teeth two months earlier than his brother and sister did!

Potty Training 102

Since I've been on summer vacation (it's been 4 days, 4 glorious days!) I've begun to tackle potty training Kate. She's ready. She's SO ready. She rubs it in my face that she's ready and since I've just been so busy back at work and my Dad and Dougie's surgery, I have not really pushed using the potty...

This week I started pushing, and you know what? I got results. BECAUSE SHE'S READY. (Yes, I yelled, for all of you who told me, "She's just not ready!") My sweet girl tells me she has to go potty by saying, "I want to try again!" even if I haven't made her try. She's growing up too fast. My only daughter. Sigh. Life is good!

Three Months (a week late!)

Owen is three months old! I can't believe how fast three months have gone by. I went back to work last week and Owen did great at the sitter. Now we have just three more weeks of school before summer break!

Fun Pillow.

I made a fun pillow for a friend of a friend's wedding. I was nervous at first (it's SO long) but I think it came out really nice and will look perfect on their bed!

Two Months!

Owen is already two months! Can you believe it? He's tipping the scales at almost 15 pounds already. Owen's my big boy! He's smiling, almost laughing and brings joy to his brother and sister daily. Our family is complete!

This is the best shot I could get of all three of them that day. I'll keep trying. :)

Let's Go Red Sox!

*clap. clap, clap, clap, clap!*

One Month!

38 weeks, 2 days

and he's here!

Owen Nicholas Starkey

9lbs 5oz

21 1/2 inches long

6:49 pm

February 22, 2011

Labor was not easy, but I wont go into the details here. What matters is that he is here, perfect and healthy.

So much to do, so little time.

I've gotten in over my head, I'm barely treading water. It's sad to me that I'm actually looking forward to labor because it means that I wont have to worry about anything else going on in my life. I'm up to my ears in graduate work, preparing for my sub in my classroom, and oh yeah, having a baby.

Disclaimer: I'm a mom, if you don't want to read about my kids, stop reading now.

Kate had an asthma attack on Friday. There is nothing worse than watching your child struggle to breathe and hear her wheezing all night long. Her medicine works most of the time, but Friday night was just plain awful. On top of not being able to breathe well, she was also running a fever because her body was working so hard. But, on a positive note, she's been eating dairy quite regularly for the past month or so with no allergic reactions, so we're happy! One less thing to worry about.

My midwife told me last week that she was not allowing me to return to work after February vacation. It really only adds one week to my leave, so it doesn't mess up Nik and I very much, but things at school are still very much up in the air. My sub is not official yet and I'm not sure I'll have a final answer by the time I leave. We think we know, but we don't know, you know? So many factors play into it, that I can't get into here. We shall see, I guess.

Is it possible to have prepartum depression? I think I have it, or I'm close to it. I need a pedicure. I need a girls night out. I need to laugh. Don't get me wrong, I'm seriously excited about this baby. I can't wait to meet him or her and give them a name. I want to meet the little one that completes our family. Anyone out there in the blogosphere ever feel like I do?

Okay, now don't go feeling all sorry for me, I'm FINE. Sometimes it's just good to get things off your chest. I'll go back to being the happy me in just a few minutes.