In May, Miss Eliza turned 3! Three!? My baby girl is three now. These pictures make me smile so much, because you can see every bit of color that this girl brings into our lives. She has so much personality, it literally bounces around the room. Everything she does is a production, carefully thought out and full of theatrics. She performs at every possibly moment, and loves to create and add sparkle to anything she can. With such a big personality, comes big love. She loves with all of her heart, and is the most loyal and caring three-year-old you will find. She loves each and every one of her toys, and every single picture she has ever painted. She loves her family and she loves her friends, and would do anything to make them happy. She flashes that smile, and scrunches up her face with excitement, and you know that she's loving life.
We love you, baby girl!
Eliza decided, months in advance, that she wanted a mermaid birthday party. I decided to make it easy this year, and just throw a little get-together at the beach- minimal decorations, a bit of food, a piñata, and an entire beach to entertain the kids. I was so proud of myself! But, then the forecast said rain and we were forced to move the party to our (tiny) house. So, I had to pull together some last-minute mermaid magic. And, if I do say so myself, the party ended up being pretty darn magical.
Except for the pre-purchased items, we pulled this things together in one night. We fit 18 kids, and their parents, in our little home and it was straight up wild. I stressed a little the night before about not having enough to entertain these kids, but in the end they just needed each other. Eliza was just so incredibly happy to have all of her friends under her roof. She wore her Halloween mermaid costume to greet her guests, and immediately dragged them off to play.
I found some random balloons for the mantle, and added some branches I clipped off of a nearby tree. I used the piñata as a centerpiece. Eliza really wanted a mermaid piñata, but I just couldn't find anything around that wasn't really creepy. When I came across this "3" piñata with shiny, pink fish scales on Amazon, I felt like it was fate. I painted a few signs to put around, and couple of gold scaled table runners. We displayed the Anna Bond mermaid print, which was a birthday gift for Eliza. And, I splurged for the Meri Meri mermaid plates and napkins, because- how could I not? I even strung up a ton of iridescent bubbles to make a hanging curtain above the food table, but we didn't manage to get a picture of that.
Sam was in charge of the cake, and quite possibly took 8 hours to make it. (A little detail-oriented, much?) But, oh! It was so pretty, in the end! So thank you, honey. We also served croissant sandwiches (because Eliza said they looked like "she-shells"), and a few fruits and salads.
I put together a little mermaid make-over table, which was just darling to watch unfold. We painted nails, and applied face sparkles. There were pearl necklaces and sequin crowns. But, the biggest hit were the metallic tattoos! These kids (boys and girls!) were covered in shiny tats by the end of the party. Eliza had an armband on each tiny arm, and one around each ankle. It was so much fun to see their eyes light up when you peeled back the wet paper. And, those suckers are strong! Her friends were decorated for weeks, and I had to use baby oil to get the remaining bits off in time for Sam's brother's wedding photos a couple of weeks later. They were so cute.
We sang to Eliza, and I loved watching that little grin as all eyes were turned toward her. After the song, she was hesitant to blow out the candle and so Vance, the little boy sitting next to her, did it for her. She looked at him, slightly upset, for about 5 seconds before she decided that cake was more important and yanked off the candle, ready to cut that cake open.
Since it was still raining, we couldn't even take the piñata outside. So, Sam and Chris strung it up on a broomstick and we let the kids whack at it in the living room. Toddlers/pre-schoolers hitting in a piñata is pretty much the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen. In the end, Sam had to take it down and smash the daylights out of it, before stringing it back up and letting the oldest kid hit it open. All the tattooed mermaids/boys came a runnin' and filled their bags with candy and goldfish crackers. Such pure happiness!
We sent our guests home with favor bags- always my favorite party item to make. I gold-embossed muslin bags, and Eliza helped me fill them with seashells, mermaid stickers, bubbles, and a seashell candy necklace. It was the craziest couple of hours, and when the house cleared out it looked like the after-math of a toddler frat party- empty juice boxes in every corner of the house, sparkle tiaras littering the ground, pink cake crumbs trailed across the floor, and a very happy-drunk birthday girl.
We are so grateful for amazing friends who make Eliza feel so special and loved! Happy (late) birthday, Eliza Roxie!
Ps. Eliza is now obsessed with birthday parties. The spring/summer around her are packed with party invites. She loves to pick out gifts, and see what the theme is. She has already decided what her party will be next year- a pineapple birthday party. (I don't know where she gets this from?) She meticulously makes requests for the details of this pineapple party- it's apparently going to be good!
My beautiful friend, Christyn, threw me the most gorgeous baby shower back in April. It was beautiful and delicious, and I really can't remember the last time I felt so incredibly special. I feel so grateful to have such supportive and loving friends. Two of my ex-Berkeley friends even surprised me and flew in from Salt Lake for the shower, and a girls' weekend of shopping, exploring, and eating our way across the Bay. I really can't imagine living here, so far from family, without the support of my friends. I see these girls sometimes daily, and I know I can count on them for anything.
Christyn is a party planning expert with an eye for beautiful things. She is one of the best friends I have made since living here in Berkeley. She's thoughtful, so giving, and we are always on the same note- whether it's a good joke, or sugar-filled sleep-deprived nights. This girl knows me. And, it was her impeccable style that shaped this beautiful "fiesta" themed shower. She went all out. I mean we are talking hand-made, hand-delivered mini piñatas with a pull string that revealed confetti and the invitation. The real deal. After some last-minute scheduling conflicts, we actually ended up having the good fortune of holding the party in my friend, Koseli's, beautiful backyard lined with bistro lights and ivy arches. Many of my friends helped out, making the fun decorations and bringing food. We had street tacos and Jarritos, and Christyn made an amazing three-layered Mexican chocolate cake. My friend, Amanda, screen printed the cutest cactus tea towels as favors (you should check out her shop- Mochi Kids!) And, I was showered with the most beautiful gifts for baby sister, surrounded by the best women. Love you, ladies!
Speaking of pregnancy, I've been thinking a lot about how this pregnancy has differed from Eliza's. I feel I can safely say that this run around has been easier than the last. Oh, there can be so many, many reasons for that- the biggest being that I have an idea of what to expect, and my mind isn't racing with every new little change in my body. But, I've been trying to narrow it all down to a few useful tips to remember for next time (yikes!). So, if you're interested, here goes:
The top three reasons why I am surviving this second pregnancy,
with an overall feeling of OK-ness:
1) My Pillow- If you have been around me at all in the last few months, you have probably heard me gush about my pillow. You may have even seen it in person, laying in our bed and taking up 3/4 of the sleep space. Or, perhaps you saw me shoving it in our car for overnight road trips, or lugging it the length of 10 campsites at China Camp, while eight months pregnant and sweating like a pig. Yes, this pillow has saved my life. It has saved my back, my sanity, my relationship with my family, and my overall willingness to continue this thing we call child-bearing. Let me tell you something- I am a short woman. I have absolutely no room in my torso for this child. I'm not one of those cute moms whose baby becomes absorbed into her long, slender torso, whom you wouldn't even be able to tell is pregnant until she turns to the side to reveal her adorable basketball shaped bump. No, my baby is crammed into that shortened space, and then expands out over the months until my ribs are splayed and my back suffers the torturous consequences. So, when I was pregnant with Eliza, I had really, really horrible back problems starting as early as month 5 or 6. I couldn't sleep well because I would wake up with sharp pains in my back, even after using five pillows to support me at night. The last few months of my pregnancy I was so sleep-deprived I could hardly function. It also took months, following the birth, before my back started to correct itself as I regained my strength. I couldn't sit in the car for longer than 10 minutes, I couldn't sit on the coach. My back was jacked up, people.
So, this time I went pillow hunting- and I bought the. most. ridiculous. pillow you have ever seen. I will forever stand by this pillow and recommend it to any expecting mama- go big or go home (or be in pain!) It is "u-shaped" so it supports your entire body while you are sleeping. I am due in nine days, and I never wake up in the night (except once to go the bathroom, duh). I can move back and forth, and I don't have to drag a body pillow, or multiple pillows, around the bed with me. It feels like the most beautiful and comfortable nest of double-spooning happiness.
So, ladies- just get it. I promise it will be worth it. The only possible downside is that I literally can't sleep without it, no matter how many pillows I build up around me. So, traveling was a bummer. But, that's pretty much how I felt last pregnancy every single night. Also, your husband might hate it. Well, he will hate it. It literally takes up 3/4 of our queen-sized bed. But, hey, I'm incubating his child... And, he can't pretend I don't notice him spooning the other side of the pillow.
Here it is, ladies: Leachco Back N' Belly Contoured Body Pillow.
2) My Daily Burn- These guys have some pretty cheesy commercials. So, you may or may not have heard of them, and completely ignored them. Or, maybe you are a super motivated person who makes plenty of time to hit the gym- who doesn't live in an urban area with crazy, expensive gym memberships and no (affordable) in-gym childcare options. This pregnancy I was teaching six dance classes and caring for a toddler full-time, and I am happy to say I found my answer to fitness. I feel like it's one of those magical things that is so different for everyone, and when you find it you have to stick with it and enjoy it.
Daily Burn is a subscription that offers tons of fitness videos online, including a daily class that is live-streamed (and available all day). I love the daily class because it is different every day, because I can get tired of doing the same videos. I'm not going to say much more except that this works for me. I can do it in my living room, while Eliza plays, without having to factor in extra fees, parking, childcare, etc. Eliza had a tough time at first, wanting attention while I was working out. But, after awhile it became part of our routine and she's totally used to it. I also got her a kid-sized, pink yoga mat to make her feel special. I'm including Daily Burn on my list, because I feel like this pregnancy has been way easier due to the fact that I have been way more active than the first. I know that's a given, but it was hard the first time. We moved to Berkeley half-way through my first pregnancy. So, I was without a job and sitting around my house, while my body was going through some crazy stuff. I was so exhausted all the time, and basically just slept all day long. Which leads me to my final note:
3) My Child (or "something to keep you busy")- Like I said, I wasn't doing anything the first time around. I slept all day, or set up house. But, mostly I had plenty of down time to think about how hard it all was. Every single side-effect was noticed, and every single emotion was felt. I would sleep way too much, and find myself in some deep funks. It was too much time to dwell on the fact that being pregnant was really hard and that I was about to do something that is supposedly and famously REALLY hard-- give birth.
This time, I had Eliza. She saved me. I always thought being pregnant with a toddler was bound to be even harder. But, it wasn't. Sure I was probably more exhausted from having to keep up with that girl. But, I was busy and time flew. She kept me active, and she kept me from dwelling on my self. She definitely made me worried about adding a second, while simultaneously reminding me why I was doing it. She showed so much love and affection for the baby that it made my heart melt on the daily. And, she honestly, really took care of me. She would let me rest, and brought me things when I couldn't get up. Once, when we were camping, Eliza and I were climbing logs while Sam was a little ways away with my dad. I was walking across this log when it rolled, and I fell really hard on my back (thankfully). My little, barely-three-year-old came running over, with the most sincere worried look on her face, clutching me and saying, "Sorry, Mama! Sorry, Mama!" And, immediately, without me even asking her to, she ran over to find Sam yelling, "Papa, Mama fell down!" I had the wind knocked out of me, it all happened so fast. I still tear up thinking about how I just witnessed my baby girl grow up in a split second- becoming so responsible all on her own. I love her so much. Caring for Eliza, and allowing her to care for me, kept me busy and filled my days with happy times so that the months really did fly by.
My advice, if you don't have a child already, is just to stay busy. I know that every pregnancy is different, and some women are not able to. But, if you are able, stay busy. I wish I would have found a temporary job or something last pregnancy to fill those last four months. It would have saved my mental and physical health. I found that my body and my mind can do amazing things.
So, there you go. My top three, take them or leave them. And, good luck, mamas!
Miss smiley, curly-top turned four, and we got to throw another party while we were in town! Lucy loves donuts, and sprinkles, so Desi and I got to have a lot of fun with this one.
The night we party-prepped was the funniest. We put all the girls to bed in one room, and listened to them chatter and play until all hours of the night... and then slowly start to cry and whine when they got so, so tired. It was so sad and pathetic, but pretty darn funny, too. Samantha would cry, and you would hear the saddest, "Sammie, stop crying... Sammie be quiet!" After awhile, we had to move the baby to another room- and that's when Eliza got freaked out by the big girl bed and needed to be put in the crib, after crying on the bottom bunk for an hour. So, Eliza fell asleep in the crib, Sammie in another room, and Lucy was officially going crazy from exhaustion. She would suddenly yell out that Eliza was being creepy and moving in her sleep. But, when when we went in to the room Eliza was totally asleep. I think you had to be there to get it, but it was so ridiculous and funny, and also made me really nervous about having both of my girls in the same room pretty soon!
So, while the girls were experiencing cabin fever, Desi and I were up all night with a movie marathon and junk food- painting banners and party prepping. We used this board to pull together some ideas, and went crazy- "Life is better with sprinkles!" We drew naked donuts on the back porch for the kids to decorate, hung lanterns from the trees, and filled a donut piñata. Instead of a cake, Desi filled three tiers with donuts that Lucy got to go pick up with her Dad the morning of the party, in her pink sprinkle dress. We also set up a donut decorating station, with colored glaze, all kinds of toppings, and plenty of milk to go around.
The kids had so much fun! It was such a fun and pretty theme, that didn't take a lot of effort or money. I mean, every one loves donuts. I think I ate five. For real. Eliza ate a ton, while holding onto the hem of my dress most of the time- she was a little shy around Lucy's friends. But, not too shy to grab her fair share of the piñata loot.
Happy (late) Birthday, Lucy! I still can't believe she is four. Lucy was my first love- there's nothing like a niece to make you realize how beautiful a baby is. She was the one who got my clock ticking, and pretty shortly after Lucy was born, was when I suddenly felt a very real urge to have a baby of my own. And, that's why Eliza was born a year later! I love that they are close in age, and good friends.
Lucy got a real, big-girl bike for her birthday, and after the party all the kids played out on the driveway and street in front of the house. Desi lives in the house that we grew up in, so it's always so crazy to see this new generation of kids playing in my yard and my driveway. It also makes me a little jealous of suburban life, and the ease of neighborhood play- so much fun.
We had a lot of fun in Texas. The first half of the trip was all party fun, while the second half was filled with good family times. I got to stay up late chatting with my sister several nights, and we went to the best Selena sing-along at Alamo Drafthouse- complete with maracas, drunk women cursing in Spanish at Yolanda, and a real candlelit vigil during the final scene. Eliza got to spend a lot of time with her cousins, playing in the yard, splashing in the neighbors kiddie pool, and running around McDonald's clutching a chicken nugget. She spent much of the time at Grandma and Grandpa's chattering away as she played with my old dollhouse, and watching new shows on the big screen. She very intently cared for the cats that live in the backyard, always being the first to put their food out in the morning. And, she even helped Grandma make a little pink, sparkle skirt in the sewing room. Grandad took us to Fredricksburg for a day trip, one of our favorite places. And, Eliza made herself a little secret play area upstairs in the closet with a curtain, where she sat and read herself books.
We won't be traveling for awhile, obviously. We traveled a lot this past year, and I have loved it. From March of last year we went out of the country once, to Texas three times, and to Utah four times. It's time to step back and take care of this growing family at home for a bit. I can't see us going too far until Christmas, when baby sister will be five months and ready to make the trip. As much as I love our opportunities to travel and see family, I think I am looking forward to the remainder of 2016 to be a little less scheduled, and a little more relaxed. Isn't it funny that I can say that, knowing that I am about to have a baby? But, we Grays are a crazy, overly ambitious bunch. And, I think this baby might actually slow us down a bit and force us to focus on what's right in front of us. And, that will be Rox and Sam, Eliza, and baby sister. I can't wait.
