Baby & Co. Shower

I had the great pleasure of throwing a fun little baby shower in honor of my childhood best friend, Ashley, as she counted down the days until her sweet little girl, Ryan, made her grand entrance! I had so much fun putting together this little soiree! BUT before posting any of the cute pictures I must give credit where credit is due - I was inspired by the adorable shower my sweet blogger friend, Megan, threw for her friend with this theme. You can see her version of the Baby & Co shower here! What did we do before blogs and Pinterest?! I'm so thankful for the constant stream of fun, new, creative ideas that my internet friends supply!

Okay, on to the pictures...

I carried the Tiffany blue theme into the dining room by using wrapping paper to top the table. I have a new found love for wrapping paper used as table cloths and here's why - #1. It's cheap so you can use it once and never use it again without feeling guilty. #2. It comes in a variety of colors, patterns and styles! So much easier to find something that goes with your theme than a true table cloth. #3. One size fits all! #4. Really easy installation (just use double sided tape and stick it to the table) and even more easy clean up - thrash it! No need to wash, dry and iron! #5. Whatever you have left you can use to wrap your gift with and it will coordinate perfectly!

Since a party isn't too much of a party without food, let's discuss the menu! We had a variety of mini-cupcakes from the yummy new cupcake joint in Fort Smith - Bliss Cupcakes! I highly recommend them - they were super easy to work with, you don't have to put in your order years in advance and the cupcakes were delicious!

We had a variety of candies and fruit - rock candy suckers, teal and white Sixlets, and other little sweet treats!

The show stealer was MamaShawna's famous bread pudding with homemade whipped cream topped off with an adorable little tiffany blue jelly bean. Not only were they cute in the little individual Fostoria bowls, but man where they yummy!

We tried to pull in the Tiffany theme as much as possible with little touches of sparkly ribbon, fun straws and of course, loose pearls all over the table!

MamaShawna found a sweet little sign on Etsy and I picked up some fun blue and white popcorn from The Popped Popcorn! Who knew they had colors and flavors?! They serve everything from your classic caramel to fruit loop flavored! Super fun!

I failed to take a picture of the little white tree we used to hang little notes of words of wisdom for the new mommy! My sweet cousins had words of wisdom cards at Cooper's baby shower and it was so much fun to read the funny, sweet, thoughtful advice of my friends and family - so now I always try to include "words of wisdom" at any baby shower I help with!

We did our best to incorporate pearls whenever possible! The banner was strung on a string of pearls and we passed out dress up pearl necklaces as each guest arrived. After helping host a long line of baby boy showers it sure was fun to get extra girly! (I must take a brief pause to praise my husband for being the best man in the whole wide world. He is my behind the scenes party helper. He cut out all the banner flags, he stirred punch, he is a verrrrry good food sampler, he entertained the Cooper-man while I ran a million errands. Thanks Hubby, you are officially the best!)

On the first day of school from kindergarten on I had my picture made sitting by Ashley... I am beyond thrilled that Cooper and Ryan will be second generation best buddies! I couldn't be more thankful to get to be home to experience this wild ride of motherhood with my lifelong friend... Just think, there's a really good chance in the next few years we will be standing side by side crying together on the first day of kindergarten. Love you sweet friend!

Be Blessed,

Raegan

Cooper: Week 45

COOPER LIKES:

Climbing everything.

Snoozin' on the couch with Pops.

Picking out swimsuits for Daddy.

COOPER DOES NOT LIKE:

The pool floatie. HATES the thing.

Duncan kisses... 

Sleeping in the Pack 'n Play. 

MOMMY'S FAVORITE 

PICTURE OF THE WEEK:

WEEK 45 HAPPENINGS:

Day 309: We had lots of work to do getting ready to host a shower for our sweet friend Ashley's baby shower so we put Cooper-man to work! He is an expert with the vacuum.

Day 310: We hosted a fun little shower at Mama Shawna's house and it turned out too cute! {Details coming soon!} We had a great time celebrating Baby Ryan and her sweet Momma. Cooper crashed the party because, well, little boys like to party too!

Day 311: We kicked back and relaxed in Pops and Mama Shawna's pool

Day 312: Bought flowers

Day 313: Fed the "Duck!"

Day 314: Dinner with the Cast family

Day 315: Playdate with our friend Britton

This Little House

I have put off this post for months now. I have considered not writing it at least twenty times. Life is chaotic. There are boxes filling every room of our new house. I have a very busy baby. I have a lot of excuses... but it just doesn't seem right to move on without pausing to pay tribute to our first house. This little house was so much more than just a house, it was our home. We knew it was the one for us the moment we met it. It was the only we even looked at, but we felt it the second we walked into the door... And now, almost three years later, we put our little house on the market. One couple after another came to see it and when they walked through this is what I wanted to tell them:

To you this is just a master bedroom, but to us this room was our biggest project. We saved up for months and then put the money we received as wedding gifts towards a beautiful new bedroom set. We went to a hundred different furniture stores before we found the perfect one. I dressed up plain ol' lamps with broaches and ribbon. Brandon surprised me by painting the plain white walls a golden brown and then together we spent hours of exhausting work glazing the walls not once, but twice. The time we spent pouring over this room together was special - something that we worked together on and then felt so very proud of. That room was our refuge.

To you it might look like a typical closet, but to us it was a place of refuge where Brandon and I faced the world's problems. We laid in the floor of that closet to discuss the fears and frustrations of residency. We both hung up clothes while weighing out the risks and rewards of leaving a job that I loved for a bigger challenge. We sat facing each other, holding hands, when we decided it was time to start trying to expand our family. And then, Brandon held me as I cried in the floor when none of my clothes fit 8 months later. That closet was our board room.

To you I'm sure it looks like your typical front yard, not even worthy of "Yard of the Week," but to us this was our one attempt at a green thumb after another. This is the yard that my sweet husband planted a million pansies in that first year we were married. A yard where Brandon taught his country girl wife all about city things like edging. A place where we accidentally grew record setting sweet potatoes when nothing else would grow during the driest summer of Oklahoma history. That yard was our project.

To you it's just another kitchen, but to us it was the place where I poured my blood, tears and sweat over a big ol' turkey on my first Thanksgiving as a King. In this kitchen I experimented. I failed. I made really big messes. Every once in a while I hit a home run. I didn't start a single fire. I conquered my mother's chocolate pie. In this kitchen Blythe, Zoe and I made cake balls covered in sprinkles and then ate them for breakfast for the next three days. In this kitchen Brandon and I came home from OU/TX to find all my cousins cooking sushi. In this kitchen Rylee received a million baths despite her attempts to escape. In this kitchen we handed our son his first real food. That kitchen was our operating center.

To you it may appear to be your typical living room, but to us it was the heart of our home. This living room was where we: snuggled on the couch, rang in the New Year, entertained our friends, opened our Christmas presents, wrote a thousand thank you cards, crashed on the couch with our new little human, prayed with our small group, overanalyzed the mantle decor, cheered on our favorite sports teams. That living room was our gathering place.

To you one look at our guest room and all you would have thought was that it needed a paint job, but to us this was the room where our friends and family made our home their own. This is where we held all the slumber parties - friends, cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and dogs. If it hadn't been for this room our visits from out-of-towners would have gone without the late night talks or the early chats over breakfast in our pajamas. This room brought us lots of memories. That guest room was our families' home away from home.

To you this nursery may have been a little dark, but to us this was a room overflowing with love. This was the room we brought our baby home to. This was a room we had agonized over paint samples and fabric swatches. This was a room that Pops had torn to pieces and then put back together with the perfect boyish, rustic touches. This room was filled with photos of some of the great men in our family that we wanted our son to look up to. This room held treasures that we had collected near and far. This room heard the words of many, many books. This room was where we rocked and cuddled and soothed and just stared in awe of the little boy asleep in his crib. This room was the hardest to pack. This room held so many of my most beloved moments. That nursery held our hearts.

To you this garage isn't anything fancy, but to us this garage was the first thing we saw when we weren't sure if we still had a house or not. This is where I sat outside the door and cried because the tornadoes had spared our home. This garage was where we had a storm shelter installed so that we could keep our Little Prince as safe as possible. That garage was our safe place.

 To you our dining room was just another dining room, to us this was the spot for good conversation. This room is where we fed our friends, found out our baby was a boy and colored Easter eggs with Blythe and Zoe. This table saw many a project from start to finish. This room held the pictures from our wedding and our marriage license. This is the room where we spent a lot of time in prayer - not just over meals but also in our morning quiet times. That dining room was our place for entertaining.

So while it may just look like your run of the mill, typical three bedroom two bath brick house, it was really so much more. It was the place my husband brought me home to after our honeymoon. Its walls heard many hours of laughter and its floors are forever marked by the pitter patter of one tiny little set of feet. This is the place where we went from a young married couple to a family. It was so much more than paint, and flower beds, and decorations - that house was our home. Boy, was it good to us. There will forever be a special place in our hearts for 15904 Stoneview Drive. Thank you sweet little house for all the wonderful memories.

A Letter To My Son {Month 10}

Little Prince,

Another month has flown by in record time... The hours turn into days, the days into weeks, and the weeks into months in what feels like a wink of the eye. I want to make time stop. I want to hit pause. But much to my dismay, and despite my best efforts, every morning you wake up a little bigger than the day before... This month has been different than the  previous months, this month my emotions progressed from the sadness over no longer having a tiny baby to a new level of heart griping fear. I have never been fearful of much of anything so this new found anxiety is a surprising one - definitely not what I expected to be feeling. But precious boy of mine, everything about you makes me question everything about me... Let me explain...

There are different types of fears that mommies face. There are the obvious ones - 

Exhibit A: The thought of a bad guy snatching you away from me! If I really sat and thought about someone taking you from me and your daddy I would never leave the house, but honestly the danger of you being kidnapped doesn't seem very real. You are virtually always within my reach and never out of my sight. I always park in well lit areas and if I do feel some "stranger danger" paranoia looming over us, I hold you so close to my body that I worry I might be squeezing the breath out of you. Bad guys are very scary, but they aren't the type of fear that keeps me up at night. 

Exhibit B: Bodily harm. The other night we were at your Grammy's house with your Uncle Caleb, Aunt Ashlee, Brooks and Kamryn. Brooks has a new toy that prepares him for a big boy bicycle by teaching him how to balance - it looked just like a regular bike but without pedals. Ol' Brooksy could make that thing FLY! He was whizzing around on Grammy's driveway, leaning the bike over right to the point of tipping at every turn, but never fell! He rode it effortlessly and we were all incredibly impressed... While the boys were oohing and ahhing over Brooks's athletic prowess, I stood in awe at Brooks's mommy. While everyone else watched our little nephew, I couldn't help but watch Ashlee. People always tell you when you have kids its like your heart walks around outside of your body - I couldn't agree more. I wanted so badly to ask her what it felt like to watch your baby, your heart, your everything, whiz by you all while knowing sooner or later the crash would come. Eventually the tilt would be a little too much, or the corner would be a little too sharp, or the bike would go a little too fast and Brooks would meet the pavement... How was she being so brave? How could she stand there smiling and clapping? Was she screaming "Slow down! Be careful!" in her head? Does the courage of the mommy grow with the child because right now I get a pit in my stomach every time you pull open a drawer or cabinet because I know you won't leave it alone until your little fingers have been smashed at least one time. At this rate your daddy will have to put me on Xanax for me to be able to watch you ride a bike! But when I take a deep breath and a step back I remember that in all my growing up days, no bike wreck left a scab that I didn't outgrow. As much as I want to make you wear a helmet 24/7 and wrap you in rolls of bubble wrap, I know that bumps and bruises are part of growing up, they are a necessary evil, a part of how we learn. So, even though I dread the day of the big boy bike, I sleep in peace despite the fear of bodily harm.

Exhibit C: Real, true health issues. I know way too many people with really sick babies. From brain tumors to heart issues to "the doctors don't know yet," the thought of you getting sick is really, really scary... like more scary than I will let my mind imagine. But, realistically, there is nothing in the world I can do to prevent or protect you from a serious health ailment and if, Heaven forbid, you ever had one, there wouldn't be a thing in the world I could do to fix it other than pray. So that's what I do! Every day I cover you from head to toe in prayer and I know that God's got you! He is in control of all things and he loves you more than even I do - and with utter and complete faith in Him, I can sleep well at night.

I walked into this whole "Mommy gig" fully expecting to be afraid of A, B and C. Those I was ready for... Those aren't the fears that keep me up at night... Much to my surprise, the fear that makes my stomach turn is the fear of my own insufficiency and this month I realized just how damaging my short comings could be for you. This month I saw that your only limitation in life right now is me. ME. I'm it. I'm your hold up. And that's absolutely terrifying...

Here's how this went - we were in our hotel in Spain and your daddy and I were trying to get ready for the day, taking turns entertaining you while the other got dressed. Daddy was holding you and you very clearly reached for me and said, "Momma." I blew it off as a fluke,  but you were persistent. You would say a "Momma" here, and a "Momma" there and each time they made sense in relation to what was going on. You would want me to hold you or I would go around the corner, each time you would respond with a perfect sounding "Momma." So, with great pride and joy we acknowledged "Momma" as your first word and then once I had decided you were capable of saying words, we started practicing other words... and within two days you were talking! And while I was celebrating your new found words with you on the outside, my inside was cringing and questioning and worrying about what you could have been saying months ago if I had practiced with you. 

I had fallen short for you. I had underestimated you. Throughout the month, I saw examples of this over and over. A play date with a friend who did all of these adorable hand tricks which you watched and then repeated immediately... How did I miss that you were so ready and eager to learn?! Was I so caught up and absorbed in your physical growth that I had completely overlooked the fact that your little mind was constantly stretching and expanding as well?! Was I so hung up on meeting your physical needs that I failed to challenge you mentally? Oh, how I had dismissed your little mind because "You were just a baby." 

This Momma-fail hurt worse than the time I let you fall off the bed. This Momma-fail made me feel like I was missing my big picture purpose. This Momma-fail left me lying in bed at night wondering what you were capable of and whether or not I was capable of doing you justice. 

Precious son of mine, I am so sorry. I am sorry for the times I underestimate you. I am sorry in advance for the times I will push you too much. I know there will be days when I demand more from you than you think you are able to give, but sweet boy, you are capable of anything under the sun. I am sorry for my failure to teach. I am sorry for the times when you don't want to learn and I insist. I am sorry that it will be a constant struggle to find the balance. I am sorry that you got stuck with me instead of an early childhood education major who could most likely turn you into a child wonder. I am sorry for the moments when I treat you like a baby and I am sorry for the times I treat you too much like an adult.  I am sorry for the things that you will face that I failed to prepare you for. I am sorry that even when you are a full grown man I'll most likely still be imposing my thoughts, insights and opinions on you even when you don't ask. The list of "I'm sorrys" will never end... when you are old and gray I will most likely still have sleepless nights of worrying that I didn't do enough. Please know, that when I fall short and when I go to far, I always want what is best for you. I don't want to be your limiting factor. Even today when you aren't even a year old, I can stare into your eyes and be wildly intimidated. Someday you will be some precious baby's daddy and you will understand. 

I love you Little Prince. I promise to always give you my best and you can bet that each night before I go to bed, I have a long talk with God about you... and I thank Him for filling in the gap when I am not enough.

All my love,
Mommy

TEN Month Milestones:

Eye Color - Looking like darrrrk brown.

Weight - 20 lbs 2 oz (45%) I feel pretty confident that you lost weight while we were on vacation... you ate a LOT of bread, but didn't really care to eat much more past that except gelato of course. Haha! 

Height - 30.5 inches (97%)

Your head is still coming in at an impressive 100%

Clothing - 12 to 18 month clothes.

Nicknames - Little Prince, Coop, El Toro.

Hair - The fact that I haven't taken you to get your hair cut is borderline shocking. It's time. It's starting to curl on the ends. Even Uncle Awesome told me I need to take you to get a trim and he's not exactly known for having the most well kept hair! Hopefully we will slow down soon and get that marked off our to-do list.

Teeth - You have six! Four on top, two on bottom.

Crawling - Full speed! You are one fast little booger - you crawl everywhere and pull up on everything! 

Walking - Still not walking on your own! While in Barcelona, you were pushing your stroller (by yourself) and stopped, let go and took three steps to reach the park bench that you instantly started drumming. Daddy and I did our best to recreate the scenario so you would do it again, but you were no longer interested. People everywhere tell us, "Oh he'll be walking in no time!" but we've heard that for months now... and we are fine with it! You'll walk when you want to and we'll enjoy this time of only a semi-mobile baby!

You added a few new tricks to your bag this month: Talking. While in Spain you officially became verbal. You say "Momma" very clearly - especially when crying - "Mom-maaaaa!" Daddy took the fact that you said Momma first very well and to reward him you started the "Da-ddy, Da-ddy" two days later! 

Daddy is also getting kisses now! He bribes you, you kiss him, he acts like a crazy happy fool, you laugh and the process starts over. Pretty darn cute.

You attended "Music Camp" this month and I could not have been more amazed at how you did! They moved us up to a older class (2 and under) and you just jumped right in!! Mrs. Ginger would say, "Okay, everyone come up and get (insert musical instrument here)" and all the kids got up, walked forward... Cooper hops out of my lap and starts crawling toward the front... the kids get the instruments... Cooper waits his turn... the kids are very careful not to step on his fingers and walk back to their moms... Cooper gets his instruments, starts crawling back, stops to clap for himself! This was one of the most fun things I've watched in a very long time. The Little Prince loved music camp. He loved mimicking the big kids. He loved staring in awe at Mrs. Ginger and the fun she brings. He loved glow in the dark day. He loved the puppet show. He loved every single bit of it and I loved watching him have so much fun. 

Food this month has been kind of tricky. Spain definitely complicated things. You would crush breakfast (per usual), then we'd eat a light lunch (so you'd just eat bread), we'd get you some fruit snack (grapes or strawberries) and then dinner... The Spaniards don't even open restaurants for dinner until 8:30pm! So as we waited for our dinner, you'd throw a crazy-wild fit because you were starving and then you'd either (a) be too mad to eat, (b) fall asleep or (c) crush so much bread leading up to dinner that you were no longer hungry. Then of course we'd finish the night with gelato because it was vacation after all. Did I mention that nowhere in the entire country of Spain do they have high chairs?! Most bizarre thing ever. Finally we found one at breakfast at the last place we stayed - we sat you in it and you were sooooo happy and clapped and clapped! You did not like the fact that your independence was hampered by sitting in our laps one bit.

I can not stress what an incredibly good baby you are. Our travel day home from Spain took exactly 24 hours and you literally did not cry the entire time (with the small exception of when daddy slammed your finger in the tray, but even that little cry was only for about two seconds). We literally dragged you around the world and you were nothing but agreeable. You smiled, you flirted and you insisted on being breastfed in the most awkward places (bullfight, Prado museum, the Palace... I could go on...). It was an absolute joy traveling with you - you engage people everywhere! And the most amazing thing is that they all smiled, waved, and talked to you... from the little old ladies, to the business men, to the people I would have been a little afraid of normally - you held no bias and they returned the courtesy. It was really rather amazing to me! As always, you made us extremely proud...

Cooper: Week 44

COOPER LIKES:

Playing with his cousins!

Swimming!!

Swinging with Grammy

Mowing Pop-Pop's yard

Checking out the new house

Pizza!

COOPER DOES NOT LIKE:

When Mommy interrupts the play time for a picture.

MOMMY'S FAVORITE 

PICTURE OF THE WEEK:

There is not another man in the world who I would rather have my son grow up to be like... Cooper is so incredibly blessed to have such a godly, kind, generous, patient and loving father. Thank you sweet husband of mine for making all of our dreams come true. Cooper and I love you and are forever grateful for all you do. 

Happy First Father's Day!

WEEK 44 HAPPENINGS:

Day 302: Our last day of Music Camp was so fun - Farm Day! Cooper was in awe of the talking animals! We are going to miss our fun class with wonderful Miss Ginger.  That night was Pop-Pop's Retirement Party! After 25 years of service, Pop-Pop is hanging up his fire gear. We are all so proud of him and the hard work he has put in to take care of Oklahoma City. All the cousins stayed at Grammy's so that we could go celebrate with Pop-Pop. It was a fun night for all!

Day 303: Daddy had to work on Father's Day so we celebrated a day early! We randomly ended up swinging by Dillards for their big sale and Cooper loved the cute kid in the mirror of Daddy's dressing room!

Day 304: Cooper turned TEN months old! How did that happen?! When Daddy got off work we headed to Grammy's for dinner and swimming!

Day 305: Cooper loves when Daddy comes home from work! It's always the happiest part of his day!

Day 306: Playdate with Jackson! My goodness we sure are thankful to have such a fun friend!

Day 307: We are hosting a baby shower for my dear friend, Ashley, and Cooper's soon to be friend, Ryan, next week so we spent the day running errands in Ft. Smith!

Day 308: Pops is out flying around Yellowstone National Park in a teeny-tiny supercub airplane so Cooper called the shots today at the new house! Look out world!