Par-tay

Collin's birthday festivities are officially done...& so am I. I'm exhausted.

My Mom & Step-Dad allowed us to hold Collin's birthday party at their house. Large backyards are hard to come by in VegasLand & their yard is huge. They did so much more than I could have ever hoped for. Collin has some seriously cool grandparents. I mean it. An obstacle course jumpy house AND a cotton candy machine!?!? Thanks again to Nanny & Granddad, from the bottom of our hearts. We are truly so blessed to have parents like them.

As a kid, I remember getting goodie bags filled with candy & I always looked forward to it...Mom & Dad, not so much. I thought it would be fun to fill Collin's goodie bags with small toys that would be friendly for small kids as well as older ones. Let me tell you, these were some kick a$$ goodie bags. I'm a grown woman & I wanted one of these goodie bags. I filled them with stickers, sunglasses, miniature squirt guns, Ring Pops, glow bracelets & my favorite, animal noses!

My Mom ordered a cotton candy machine for the party & it was the biggest hit! Plus, we had so much left over, we were able to hand out Ziploc bags filled with extra for the guests to take home.

Collin did so well throughout the afternoon. No meltdowns & he was all smiles...well, aside from the trauma of Mama shoving him in the bounce house to see how he would react. It couldn't have been more perfect...we even saw a monarch butterfly when we pulled in the driveway that morning. Hello, Liam.

kick a$$ goodie bags

Collin's cakes, courtesy of Nanny & Granddad

the birthday Prince

cake smashing time

check me out in front of the camera

presents

a family friend snatched my camera...I'm so glad he did

the guys were having more fun making the cotton candy than we were eating it

Granddad & Nanny, seriously cool grandparents

Everyone left smiling & happy, with my kick a$$ goodie bags & a Ziploc full of cotton candy in hand. Collin is pooped & fell asleep the moment we got home. I'm feeling pretty confident that my family & I nailed this whole first birthday party thing.

He's a Toddler

Fair warning: The following may be a jumbled bit of words thrown together. I can't seem to gather all of my thoughts about Collin's first year. My brain is all over the place with sadness & excitement, both at the same time, for him. Apologies. I'm normally a very witty, organized blogger.

It's official. I am the mother of a toddler. Collin turned one on Wednesday, November 3rd. I have been a nostalgic mess for the past week. I've been pulling out his old baby clothes, pausing during a chore to stare at Collin while he played & exclaiming, "This time last year.." & going on about how I was a huge, swollen, pregnant beast, but still so excited to meet my baby boy to anyone who'd listen.

I hate to sound like the typical, "I can't believe how much my bitty baby has grown," Mom, but I've quickly discovered that all of that cheesy Mom talk that you swear you'll never do when you have your baby, quickly goes out the window once you have your own. It all happens entirely too fast. Appreciate every day. Even the poop-splosion, projectile vomiting filled ones.

Collin has accomplished so much in one, short year. His torticollis is nearly defeated, he's walking, "talking," learning & growing. It's completely surreal watching a baby grow & learn & discover, becoming a little person, with their own personality traits, likes & dislikes.

Collin hates peas, just like his Dad. He scrunches his nose when he's excited, like his Mama. His feet are ginormous, also like his Dad & his adorable dimples...those are aaallllllll Mama. His first words were, "cheeessseeeeee," (I know, how completely cool!) &, "uh-oh," which I hope isn't a foreshadowing of what's to come.

I finished Collin's one year video just in time for his birthday. I tried so hard to limit myself to one song, but I couldn't bring myself to remove any more photos, so I extended it to two songs. You've been warned.

This little man has yet to learn how much he was wanted; how much love he's filled his Mama's heart with; how much joy his little face has brought into this world. I thank the Lord every single day for this blessing; that he's granted me this unfathomable gift: to be Collin's Mama. This first year has been a crazy struggle. I've learned, I've laughed, I've sobbed & it's all helped form me into a Mom.

Happy birthday, Monkey!