Whit's 1st B-Day Party, Sesame Street Style!

Please forgive me for not blogging in a really long time. We have all been sick in the Vasey family with bad colds, sore throats, ear infections, etc., but we seem to all be on the mend now, thank goodness. Whit's Sesame Street first birthday party was a roaring success!! At first, he wasn't so sure about his cake because he got very upset when I tried to put his birthday hat on his head (big mistake!), but as soon as I gave up and just gave him his mini cake, he loved it!! At one point, he realized that his hands weren't doing a fast enough job getting the cake and frosting into his mouth, so he just bent down and tried to put the entire cake in his mouth! It was hysterical!!! We had tons of family and friends join us to celebrate Whit's big day, and it was so wonderful sharing this milestone with the people who matter most to us. My friend, Katie, who has 2 small children, told me that I would get teary when everyone started to sing happy birthday to Whit, and she was exactly right!!! I just started thinking about all that has happened in the last year and how absolutely amazing it has been to watch Whit grow into this happy, healthy toddler! He is such a sweet, curious, adventurous, loving baby, and I know this next year is going to be even more fun and magical! Here are some pics from Whit's party. My friend, Mandi, who is a professional photographer, also took pictures at the event, but I haven't seen them yet. As soon as she burns me a CD, I will post them. For now, these are the definitely less than professional shots! :)

The Big Day is Tomorrow!!!!

Tomorrow is Whit's first birthday party, and Sunday is his actual birthday!!! I have been busy planning his party for a while now, and I am so excited that the big day is almost upon us!!!! I am going to keep the party pretty low-key because it is his first birthday; there will be plenty more in the future for me to go hog wild on, I'm sure!!! Guests are arriving to our Sesame Street themed party at 11:00am, and then we will serve lunch: Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets, high roller deli wheel sandwiches, pasta salad, cheese and crackers, and for dessert, Sesame Street cake, of course! I was going to attempt to make Whit's small cake and the cake for the rest of our guests, but I haven't felt great this week, so I broke down and ordered the cake from Publix instead, and they are throwing in a small cake for Whit free! After lunch, we will let the babies play for a while-besides Whit, there will also be Alexia (13 months), Mackenzie (10 months), Wills (8 months), Pippa (12 months), and Wyatt (almost 5 months) in attendance. There will be about 30 adults there total, so we will definitely have a full house, which is just the way I like it!! I bought all sorts of Sesame Street themed first birthday stuff-plates, napkins, an Elmo balloon, cups, a Happy Birthday banner, so I think we are set!! I can't believe my baby boy is turning ONE this weekend!!! Aaaaahhhhh! The best year of my life by far has flown by, and I can only hope that the rest of Whit's childhood slows down a bit because I don't want it to be gone in the blink of an eye!!! Besides Whit's birthday party, we also have a baby shower, a birthday dinner party, and a baby dedication for our niece to attend this weekend, so it is going to be CRAZY busy around here! Please check back in a few days for lots of Whit's party pics!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

Is 2008 really over already?!? This year has truly flown by like no other. I can honestly say that while 2008 was the best year of my life, I think 2009 will be even better! I do remember that the first 10 days of 2008 were extremely uncomfortable because I was soooo ready to have Whit!! I was huge, I had horrible heartburn, I couldn't sleep because I had to pee every 5 seconds, and my back was killing me. Once January 11th hit, though, the year suddenly got incredible, and it has continued to become even more wonderful every day. Having Whit completely changed my life, and he has filled me with such overwhelming love and joy. I remember a few hours after having him, I felt so overcome with love that I thought I was going to burst! This year has also been extra special because I got to see my husband transform into the most loving and amazing father, and that has made me fall in love with him over and over again! 2008 was definitely a year for having babies! Tons of people I know were also blessed with babies...Bree, and her husband, Doug, welcomed Whit's best friend, Mackenzie, on March 4th, Michele, and her husband, Will, welcomed precious Wills into the world on May 8th, my friend, Jenny, and her husband, Adam, welcomed adorable Wyatt on August 18th, Lizzie and Mitch welcomed Olivia on November 2nd, Stephanee and Ryan had Julia on November 18th, and Steph and Dan just welcomed Baby Daniel on December 28th, 2 minutes before Steph's birthday! Whoa! There are tons of people having babies in 2009 as well, so there is a lot to look forward to. Andrea is due January 23rd, Amy is due February 16th, Tania is due March 31st, Bree is due April 30th, and Linda is due June 11th. Hooray for a wonderful 2008, and I can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for our family! Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year! (By the way, if you are wondering, the pics at the top are just some random ones of Whit enjoying some of his new toys!)

Merry (Very Belated) Christmas!

I cannot believe it is now New Years Day, and I have not even blogged about Christmas yet! In my defense, our internet was down for over a week. Anyway, the Vasey family had a wonderful first Christmas with Whit! On Christmas Eve, we headed over to Scott's parents' house for the annual Christmas Eve dinner with the whole Vasey clan, my sister, my sister-in-law's mom, and my brother-in-law's new girlfriend. My parents were unable to attend b/c my mom came down with a nasty 24 hour bug the day before Christmas Eve. It was so cute watching Whit and Alexia play together as always, even though they always seem to want the same toy at the exact same time! We had a yummy dinner of ham, macaroni and cheese that I made, cheesy pineapple casserole, green beans, and bread. Whit loved it all, too! On Christmas morning, Whit slept until 7:30am, and then we took him downstairs to show him what Santa brought! Whit must have been a very good boy this year because Santa was extremely generous! He got Whit a Radio Flyer wagon with a canopy on top, seatbelts, cup holders, an extra seat for another passenger, the works! I can't wait to take Whit for lots of rides when the weather turns a bit warmer! Whit also received several pairs of Carters fleece footy PJs, an adorable outfit from Gymboree, finger puppets, tons of books, Tonka cars, a huge container of Mega Bloks, a dump truck to put the blocks in, a truck that makes all sorts of sounds, nesting cups and cubes, and more stuff that I just can't remember now! We made the mistake of leaving out his favorite toy in the world, his Thomas the Tank ball, so he was more interested in that than in his new stuff for a while! He did help us tear open a few of his gifts, and he liked playing with the wrapping paper when we rolled it up into balls for him. After a morning nap, we headed over to Pam and Wes's house at around 11am for brunch and Christmas Part II. We opened up stocking gifts first, then ate, and then opened up the rest of the gifts. Once again, Whit really cleaned up! He got his very first train set, a Little People animal farm, a Little People racing garage, a Little People ferris wheel and amusement park, 2 pairs of adorable "big boy" shoes, a Learning Puppy, a Little Tikes car and train, a Little People Tow and Pull tractor, and once again, more that I can't recall. It was wonderful! We left at 2:30pm to head home for a nap because Whit was exhausted. After an hour and 20 min. nap, we went to Christmas Part III at my aunt and uncle's house at 4pm. Whit got this great ball pit and tons of extra balls, a Bounce and Spin pony, a Winnie-the-Pooh choo-choo learning train, a Leap Frog musical table, Leap Frog farm fridge magnets, and a gift card to Babies R Us. We left at 7pm to take a very tired Whitster home. So far, he has LOVED playing with all of his new toys! Because he got so much and will be getting even more at his birthday party next weekend, we decided to put away 4 or 5 gifts and give them to him one at a time later. All in all, it was the best Christmas for Scott and me because we already had the best Christmas present we could have ever imagined! I did not take many pictures this year because I was too busy having fun and enjoying the moment, but here a a few from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I hope your Christmas was magical as well!

The Cookie Monster!

Friday was Scott's last day of work until January 5th, and Whit and I are LOVING having him home with us! Weekends have been so crazy lately, so it is super to just be able to relax and enjoy some quality time together. This weekend, I have been a cookie making machine!! Scott says I am turning into a domestic diva! While that certainly is not true, I have been loving having time to bake. Yesterday, I made chocolate chip cookies using a new recipe we found from http://www.recipezaar.com/. If you are a cook or a baker and have not checked out this website, I highly recommend it. I love the ratings system and the easy-to-understand recipes. I also made pound cake cookies and my very own frosting. I had never made my own frosting before; I had always been lazy and just bought Betty Crocker at the store, but not this time. I divided the frosting in half and dyed one part red and one part green. Unfortunately, because the frosting was white and the food coloring was red, they ended up more pink than red, but at least there were red and green sprinkles on top to make them look more festive. Today, I made Joan Lunden bars, which is my favorite dessert that my mother-in-law makes. They weren't quite as good as Pam's perhaps, but I was still proud of how they turned out. They were very labor intensive, but worth the extra time and energy. I also helped Scott make molasses cookies, and they were also yummy! Boy, do I love the cookie baking time of year! Scott knew I was pumped about baking yesterday and today, so he took me to Williams-Sonoma and bought me a red, white, and green apron, an elf oven mit, a red, white, and green oven mit to match my apron, red and white striped kitchen towels, and a green frosting spreader/spatula. I just love Christmas colored gear, and I am obsessed with Williams-Sonoma! That store is incredible, and I love going in there and just browsing. It was one of the stores on our registry when we got married, and we got lots of wonderful things from there, including our 5 quart stainless steel Kitchen Aid mixer, which is absolutely essential for true cookie making. By the way, I know the picture up at the top has nothing to do with the subject of my post, but I just love Whit's expression as he checks out this plastic Santa in front of a store. It is priceless!

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!!

Today is Scott's and my two year anniversary, so I am dedicating this post to him. Because we found out I was unexpectedly pregnant 5 months into our marriage, I think that is why it feels like we have been married so much longer than two years. I truly feel like I have known Scott a whole lifetime, not just four years. I can honestly say whole heartedly that I am so much more in love with my husband today than I even was two years ago on our wedding day. He really is the absolute greatest husband and father I could ever have imagined. I know it is cliche to say, but in Scott's case, it couldn't be any truer. Because I am a list maker, I feel I must list my Top 10 reasons why I love this man so much, and why he is the best person I have ever met in my entire life.

1. Scott is the most selfless person on Earth. When I got pregnant, he decided right away that he would do whatever it took to make sure I was able to stay home with Whit. In order to make that happen, he teaches 7 classes instead of the traditional 5, and he tutors for 12 hours after work and on weekends. He is the hardest working person, yet he never believes that what he is doing is out of the ordinary. He seems to think that everyone would do what he does in his situation, which is definitely not true.

2. Scott is the epitome of the term "family man." He places spending time with Whit and me over everything. I am the happiest when I am with my two favorite boys because Scott always makes sure that the time we spend together is filled with fun, laughter, and lots of love.

3. Scott is the best father I have ever seen. As soon as he comes home from work each day, he races inside to see Whit, and he never leaves Whit's side until Whit goes to sleep. He plays with him constantly, and he tells Whit he loves him all the time. He is so tender with him, and he always makes sure he comes in to say good-bye to Whit in the mornings before he leaves for work.

4. Scott has basically no time to himself because of his busy work schedule, yet he never complains one bit. He says that all he wants to do when he does have free time is to spend it with his family.

5. Even though he works 60 plus hours a week, almost every Saturday and Sunday morning, when I finish nursing Whit, Scott takes care of him so I can get an extra couple of hours of sleep. I often try to reciprocate, but he says that he wants one-on-one time with Whit and that I deserve extra sleep because a stay at home mom works so hard, too!

6. Scott is the most generous man I know. Before we got engaged, he took me ring shopping, and I (unfortunately!) fell in love with a very expensive designer ring. I never thought in a million years that Scott would be able to afford it, but somehow he did, and whenever I look down at my ring, it reminds me how generous and loving Scott is.

7. When I was pregnant with Whit, I had a lot of back pain, and every night before we went to sleep, Scott gave me an amazing back rub that put me to sleep. These back rubs always lasted at least 45 minutes, and they were just what I needed. Even now, when I have had an extra long day, Scott will give me a back rub without expecting anything in return.

8. When we were dating, engaged, and first married, Scott whipped up many elaborate meals just to show me how much he loved me. I am talking four and five course home cooked meals. He is quite the chef, and these days, he doesn't have nearly as much time to cook, but he will still make me a feast on special occasions. As all women know, a man who can cook is a very sexy and wonderful thing!

9. Scott is a big believer in the little things. He shows me how much he loves me on a daily basis by doing things for me that seem mundane and every day, but they mean so much to me. For example, I hate taking out the trash, so Scott always takes it out, even Whit's stinky diaper trash bags! Scott also often takes Tilly outside to go to the bathroom, especially when it is cold outside. I do almost all the cleaning of our house because I am at home, but Scott will often sweep the floors for me because he knows it hurts my back to bend down like that.

10. Scott is an amazing poet. When we were dating, he wrote me beautiful poems on a regular basis. When he proposed to me, he recited a lovely poem that he had written. When we got married, he wrote me a poem about how wondeful our life was going to be together. When I got pregnant with Whit, he wrote me a tear jerker of a poem about what a wonderful mom he thought I was going to be. When Whit was born, he wrote a poem about how much he loved our little man already. He is such a talented writer, and his words always move me beyond belief.

I love you so very much, Scott, and you have made me happier than I ever thought was possible. Thank you for all that you do for our family every day. I look forward to celebrating many, many more anniversaries with you in the future.

Whit's First Haircut!!!

Yesterday, Scott and I decided that it was finally time to take Whit to get his first haircut because his hair was getting to the unruly stage. It had gotten so long that it was completely covering his ears if we didn't tuck it behind his ears. We went to "Snip Its," this really cute, kids-only hair cut place, and Whit was an angel the entire time. At the end of the haircut, the kids get to go up to the special haircut machine, put a lock of hair into a slot, and out comes a special surprise! Whit got a ruler, so it wasn't exactly an exciting treat, but that's okay. There were all sorts of fun things for kids to do there, like play with puzzles, sit in the Thomas the Tank little engine, watch children's shows on these really cool TVs, and read all sorts of fun books. The haircut was $18 plus tip, which really shocked us, especially since it took the lady less than 5 minutes to complete the cut. Oh, well. It was fun to take him there for the first haircut, but we will probably go somewhere else next time. He even got a "First Haircut" certificate with his name and the date on it, and they stapled a little bag with some of his hair as a keepsake that I put in Whit's baby book. It was definitely a fun "first!"