Palmer's Pumpkin Patch

This post has been in the making for a month and a half.  #momfail  I started it on my phone, had to stop, lost it, started it again, didn't like it, erased it and am now on try 3.  Third times a charm, right? So planning Palmer's 1st birthday was something I looked forward to for umm, a year.  When we found out I was due early November, dreams of Fall & Halloween themed parties bounced in my head for months!  Then when Palmer decided to come a month early, I had to regroup and come up with different plans.  I could still do fall, but once I started looking on Pinterest for ideas, I was overwhelemed and decided to narrow it down.  My *Favorite* theme during the fall was pumpkins when I was teaching.  We had a week dedicated directly to pumpkins and I LOVED it.  Not to mention, other than pumpkin pie, I love pumpkin everything.  Don't judge.  So Palmer's Pumpkin Patch was born!  With the help of some friends, the whole thing came together and was a great success!!  My good friend at Prissy Fish Design made his birthday shirt, another great friend at InkTopiary took that design and created all of the stationary for the big day, my old neighbor did the cake and cake pops, my Brother and Sister in Law let us use their new home, and my best friend, Pinterest, helped with the food!  After months of planning, Palmer's Pumpkin Patch was created!  I loved how everything came together and minus the rain.  We didn't get to have the hayride photo shoot outside, or anything else outside but if there is one thing I learned teaching its monitor and adjust.  Even though Palmer didn't know what was going on, for momma, it was the perfect first  birthday party for our Sweet Little Guy!

My AMAZINGLY talented friend created this for Palmer! I can't bring myself to erase it so it's currently in his room.

Smash Cake Pumpkin made by yours truly!  

Happy 1st Birthday, Palmer!

Wow. We have been at this parenting thing for a year (plus a week). The week leading up to Palmer's birthday was bitter sweet. I reminisced about that week all week long. As much as I love this stage, I would go back to this time last year in a heartbeat. Yes, I am crazy. But I LOVED it. Was it hard? Ab.so.freaking.lutely. But I loved it & I miss the days when he was so stinking small and would just lay in my arms and we would snuggle all day long. Because those days are LONG gone and my heart literally aches for them. I *LOVED* having a Fall baby. LOVED it. If we are blessed enough to do this again, I hope it's in the fall. So needless to say, even though Palmer was all smiles the night before he turned one:

I was not. 

The morning of his birthday, he woke up about an hour after he officially turned 1. Mike had already left for work so I walked in and wished our one year old a very happy first birthday! Then it was the beginning of his birthday day!

For breakfast, we had Pumpkin Donuts

Then we played with spoons for the first time (yes, I know). After our nap, we met Grandma, Grandpa & Mason at Chick-Fil-A for a birthday lunch! Mason was so excited to be the only kid at "Palmer's Birthday  Party." Got to love 4 year olds. After lunch, Palmer had his first taste of ice cream!! 

Yum, yum!!

After lunch we went to the park for the first time (I know!) with Grandpa & Mason! He loved the swings!

That night, we finally had our 1 Year Pictures. They had been rescheduled twice because of the rain. 

      The Smash Cake was a success. 

After pictures we had dinner at Charandas, came home got a bath and lights out! This sweet one year old had a busy, fun first birthday!

AND a quick one year summary:

The last month has been so busy and you have been so "go with the flow!" Mommy left you for the first real time for 4 whole days. Your new things consist of TOUCHDOWN!, Big Boy, and being into literally EVERYTHING. You love testing your limits, are sweet as can be one minute and pushing the limits the next. You have begun throwing small fits when you don't get your way (yay), babble NON STOP, and love letting people hear you, especially in stores and restaurants. You live to torture Lizzie but are learning to be "gentle" and are obsessed with trying to eat her food and empty her water bowl. You LOVE to eat, and will eat anything we give you, and would eat all day if we let you. Watching you eat is still my favorite thing, that & your squeezable cheeks! You stand alone and will cruise everywhere but are still scared to take that first real step alone. You love to play, chase is your absolute favorite, and you are pretty easy to entertain, except for when you have your mind set to do something you're not supposed to do (cats food, liter box, push buttons on the cable box,  play with plugs & cords, play in the toilet, I could go on). It has been a busy, exciting month and year and I can't wait to see what the next month and year bring!

Happy Happy Birthday Sweet Boy! We love you as big as the sky!

Our First Week Home

So I know I'm doing a lot of "past" posts. But I really want this blog to be our family documentation. So I've decided to pepper in Palmer's first year of life with his second. And then next year, we'll be all caught up :) Bear with me, folks. {Most past posts will be picture drops}

So here was our first week at home. Our first night, Mike had to go to Durham for job interviews {insert reason #52739 why I hate Duke & despised the MBA program, regardless of what came out of it.} So it was just Mom, Palmer & I. And y'all, that first night was rough emotionally. Postpartum is REAL and it comes in SO many different shapes and sizes. I think if every woman to give birth were to be 100% honest, we've all had some form of it. Mine came from not having ANYTHING ready, I had to pump, had no clue how to put the pump together, the pump was dirty from sitting in a bag for who knows how long (yes, I bought a used pump, it worked, I got new parts, leave me alone), sleep deprivation, and my husband was gone. Oh, and my newborn was a freaking glow worm. Jaundice showed up our last day in the hospital & an hour after being home, the jaundice blanket guy showed up. Right when it was time to feed Palmer. Here's the thing about "36 weekers", which I wrote about here, they have a hard time latching & sucking. So getting Palmer to nurse was a task. Add in that I had to pump and the pump needed to be cleaned & I didn't know how to put it back together, and once I did, I leaked everything I pumped and mom spilt almost all of what didn't leak, I was a hot mess. And all of this happened as this stranger tried explaining this blanket to us. Oh that day was horrible. My neighbor came over & I cried. And cried. And cried. "I'm a bad mom, I have nothing ready, Mike isn't here, this is NOT how I expected our first night to be." Sob, breathe, sob. Postpartum isn't always not wanting to hold your baby. It is a big result of exhaustion, too. And at times you are so tired, you can't eat. So then your hungry. I got it together, eventually. I figured out the pump, the rest of the night and days to follow went well. I leaked a few more times, everyone came to visit on one day, the nursery got painted and got as put together as possible, I cried some more, figured out the adjusting of the tank top & pump to keep the pump from falling off my tank tops, Stacie showed up a week later to continue to help me really figure out the freaking dang pump, I got the right sizes for the pump, and eventually, we got rid of the Billiruben blanket & settled into life. Oh that first week was hard, but just like every week from then on, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. 

Glow worm: He learned all about sitting criss cross applesauce, spoons in your bowl in utero. 

First doctor's visit. We LOVED Dr. Whitaker & miss him so much!

Like Mother, like Son. #tanning

Getting our tan on. #jaundicebegone

Meeting Aunt Amanda! The Newells and Aunt Tina came to visit, meet Palmer & paint the nursery and do yard work! And watch football.

First Clemson game as #Newellpartyof3 & Clemson won!

First bath before our newborn shoot. 

Baths are tiring.

He was SO tiny.

Newborn pictures!

My Little Man

First time in his crib. It swallowed him.

Love

I just can't sometimes

Another Dr checkup for our jaundice. It didn't go well. Mommy cried. Liz trying to figure this thing out.

First day alone.

Wub snuggles.

The previous two Monday's were spent in labor at the hospital. On this Monday, we were home, cozy and cuddling. 

Mommy snuggles

All smiles for being a week old!

Love this book. We read it every Tuesday for his first month or so. HIGHLY recommend it!

Checking out this tiny thing that glows and had taken over all of the humans' attention.