1st Birthday Inspiration Board

Well, it's the final stretch until Ledoux's very first birthday.  So hard to believe that last year at this time, Lee had just returned from Afghanistan, and we had NO clue how much our lives would be changing.  Whoa!

I am a bit behind in the party planning department (in fact I still have invitations that need to be sent out!) but thanks to my beloved Pinterest, I have crafted my Ledoux's perfect party!  I introduce you to the inspiration behind Ledoux's first birthday: Pink and Gold.  In all its bold, over the top, gaudiness. And I cannot be more excited.  

Her cake smash outfit is all from Etsy! 
Tutu here
Crown here
One onesie here

Garland is from here and here

And who wouldn't love a cotton candy party favor?  Are you serious?  Awesome.  Found here.

Perhaps my most favorite party purchase thus far is this print.  It will not only be in her photos, but also displayed as guests arrive.  What a perfect and awesome keep sake to capture her first year!  I was able to add everything she loves, into one awesome print!

Of course, I have been in present buying mode as well!  These are the gifts Lee and I have decided on:

The book is from here  I plan to have all our guests write a little something in it, and keep it for her for years to come!  I love that it is personalized with her name and birthday throughout the book!
The Teepee is from here.  I admit, the teepee might be a little more of my obsession.  I have been wanting to buy her a teepee for months.
The lunch box is from here.  Now that Ledoux is a big girl, she brings her lunch to school, and naturally needs a pretty lunch box!

I cannot wait to share pictures of the actual day- but since we have 2 weeks left still, its time to keep shopping and planning!  I am thinking of gold spray painting everything.  Too much?

Hey, I am a DIY-er!

Sooo back in April (or was it May, the months all run together!) we bought a house! Wahoo!  Since then, it has been craziness trying to juggle life, jobs, baby, and making the house our own.  That being said, Lee and I have a laundry list of to-do's a mile along.  If you are anything like me, you hate the feeling of 'unfinished.'  I am very much the type that has a list, and gets the shit done. I hardly am able to relax until everything is completed that needs to be done... in the case of buying a home though, I am learning to  have to be content with the 'list.' Dun dun dun. (Instert evil, sinister music here.)  The list is my own, personal nightmare.  I cannot rest, its all I think about, it is all consuming.

Snapping back into reality, the list will never get done.  There will always be things that we want to do, have to do, wish we could do to our house.  There is no amount of time or money that will ever get everything acomplished.  That being stated, we do what we can, when we can.  (It kills me to say that, because again... I want that list to be GONE and tasks completed!) Ugh.  We have prioritized our list into things we can realisticly do now, in 6 months, and later (the 'later' category pretty much meaning they are being filed into the "when we win the lottery or it will never get done" category.  So much for my home wine room. humph.)

The view from our bedroom

So, project #1: Our master bedroom.  We sold ALL of our bedroom furniture on craigslist when we moved, thinking we would buy all new stuff.  (Um newsflash: bedroom furniture is EXPENSIVE.)  Stupid idea.  So, when we moved in, we had to buy new- but had a pretty strict budget set aside for bedroom furniture.  Well, in true Becca form, I found a table for another room that I had to have, which meant the only thing we could afford to buy for our bedroom was a matress. OOps. (But the coffee table I bought with our bedroom money is awesome!)  I scoured my pinterest, and found an awesome DIY project to make a headboard.  I enlisted the help of my super handy husband, bribed him with a Saturday morning of no baby, a 12 pack of beer, and he was on board.  (Anytime I bribe with beer it works.)  Fast forward to today, here is our new room!  I am serisouly considering adding a wine rack next to the red chair... there is just something super cozy about this room that makes me want to pop a bottle of cab open and enjoy it.  In bed.  Is that weird?  Because I think it is totally sensible. And I think, now that I write this, I am going to do it.

I have been really challenged with decorating our new house, as the house itself is true southwest: from the colors to the architecture, to the acre of cactus we live on.  My style is more rustic/restoration hardware, which really doesn't work in alot of our home, so I am doing the best I can do! I will share other rooms as I make it down this dreadful list, next step: my baby bow crafting room!

Ledoux is 11 months old!

OMG! I am getting anxious just writing this... my baby is 11 months old!  And she is hardly a baby anymore... in the last month she has become even more un-baby than ever!  She no longer wants a bottle-in fact, we are down to 2-3 a day (a huge contrast to the 8+ she was drinking a few months ago!) and wants to eat nothing but "big girl" food.  She actually has a traditional breakfast/lunch/dinner meal now, which blows my mind.  Where did the time go?!?!?! 

Stats: No new stats this week since we didn't have any doctor visits.  One thing for sure is this baby is loooonnnnngggg- wearing 18 month clothes and size 4 shoes! Holy canoli!  I tried to squeeze her into a 12 month onesie yesterday, and it was busting at the seams!

Sleep: Like a little champion!  No sleep issues with this little doll.  Lee and I were just talking about this the other day- we have been so lucky with her sleep habits pretty much since she was born... that if we ever have another, we are certainly screwed.  The next baby, with our luck, will never sleep!  Doo goes down about 7 pm every night, and sleeps til about 6:30 or 7 every morning.  She also takes 2 naps- one in the morning around 9:30 am, and another in the afternoon around 3:00 pm.

 

Eating: Like I mentioned, she really wants nothing to do with a bottle.  She gets one before her morning nap, one before her afternoon nap, and one before bed.  That's it.  She now eats real food- and loves raspberries, strawberries, avocado, string cheese, and bananas.  She goes ape shit (no pun intended) over nanners.  Holy cow!  She sees a banana and screams until she gets it.

Health: No problemos!

Milestones: We have a WALKER! Shiz just got real...she is legit walking.  Technically, she started yesterday, but took her first real steps about a week ago.  Lee and I were blown away to see her just start cruising.  I don't know if I am ready for this next chapter of little mobile Ledoux.  Slightly terrified! She also got a top, front tooth (finally!) so her tooth count is at 3.

Likes: She loves to play in her tunnel! She goes back and forth through it, over and over and over.  She also loves feeding the dogs her food (she laughs and thinks its hilarious!)  Other loves include anything with water (drinking it, playing in it, etc.), pulling the cat's tail, peek a boo, Raffi (the children's singer- especially Baby Beluga!), and her curious George monkey.  Actually... monkey anything.  She has a strange attraction to monkeys.

Dislikes: Strangers.  She has major stranger danger still (unless mom/daddy are holding her.) She doesn't like the swimming pool still (which majorly sucks because she has about ten suits to wear!) but I am hoping over time she will start to like it.  Its odd- because she loves to play in water, but there is something about the pool she doesn't enjoy.  (Maybe because it is cold water?!)  Ledoux also doesn't like when other children try to play with her toys.  Ledoux will go to school, crawl right over to a baby, and take their toy...but when they do it to her, she loses it.  Case in point: Ledoux had an extra bow at school, and one of her teachers put it on one of the other little girl's head.  Ledoux noticed the other baby had one of her bows on, and she crawled right over and snatched it off.  Thinking this was a fluke, her teacher's tried it again, with a different baby wearing the bow.  Ledoux did the same thing. Since babies this age are far too young to be "mean", I think of her as an emerging leader :)

Trips: We went to the Grand Canyon!  It was so much fun to take picture of Doo there (even though she won't remember it!)  If you haven't been, you need to.  It is ahh-mazing. 

Mom and Dad updates: We are doing great!  This new house keeps us busy- trying to make it our own.  We are slowly but surely making progress on that!  We have a list a mile long of things we want to do eventually, and are slowly nicking away at the list.  Mom's new job is cray- so busy and it never seems like there is enough time in the day...but adjusting to it.  Daddy is doing awesome, his job is great and he is a natural leader (duh!)  We miss our home in San Diego, but are slowly getting used to this new city.  Such a huge change!

Happy *Almost* 4th of July!

 

 

Hi!  So first, let me start by apologizing for my inconsistent posting!  Gosh!  With this new j-o-b, I have found myself busier than ever!  Add to that I am getting ready to start teaching a college class in August, and doing training so I can be an online faculty member, life is bananas. Oh, and I have sweet Doo who is **this close** to walking. And my darling husband. Oh, and making my baby bows! Excuses aside, happy almost 4^th of July! I feel so behind, I haven’t even decorated for the 4^th yet (major FAIL!)  The 4^th of July is one of my most favorite holidays, but you wouldn’t know it by walking in my house right now.  Regardless, I plan on making up for that today and tomorrow!

Step 1: Dress the part. Nothing makes me feel more patriotic then rocking the duds.  Not going to lie, Ledoux has been dressed up like a little American Firecracker all year week.  I have a different hair bow made for each patriotic outfit she wears.  I just can’t stop buying red, white, and blue.  I firmly believe it doesn’t have to be the 4^th of July to dress like a flag- we rock our patriotic side pretty much year round.  I am making a bee-line for Old Navy when I am off today so that I can find some stuff for Lee and I (ideas below!)… I was thinking matching flag shirts, but he will kill me if I try and get him to match.  Humph.

 

Step 2: Celebration!  What are y’all doing for the 4^th?  We are packing up and heading out of this god-awful, 115 degree heat!  We got a room in the Grand Canyon, and I am super pumped to head up there (I have never been!) and have a little family road trip.  I am going to pack our lunch, and a few beverages (of course!) and we will spend the day sightseeing and the evening sipping cheap wine from our solo cups..classy!  Check out the view from our room in the park:

 

Whatever you find yourself doing, I hope you have fun!  Please remember to take a quick moment out of your day to reflect on the real meaning of the 4^th of July, and then raise a glass (or a can!) and celebrate!