Matthew's 1st Birthday {Part 3}

I did a smash cake photo shoot with Matthew a week before his birthday party.

Here is the smash cake someone at church made for Matthew.

Cute little monkey on top!

Matthew showing you how old he is...

The whole photoshoot lasted about 5 minutes! 

(That's how long it took for him to get over the whole cake smashing thing).

This is my favorite shot....daddy going in for a piece of cake. 

He wasn't about to let it go to waste!

Okay, back to pictures from the party.  I think we had about 80-90 people (maybe more/less) who came to celebrate Matthew's big day.  But based on the lack of pictures that were taken of guests, you would think no one came to his party! 

Here he is with my mom, Steve parents and some friends.

We love our baby boy! I just love his little face in this picture.

As you can imagine, all that partying wiped us Matthew out! 

He was too tired to open presents so we did it the next day.  Matthew loved all his toys (can't you tell in that first picture below??)  He also got some cute clothes for church and Spring/Summer.


This concludes the final installment of the best 1st birthday party ever for the cutest baby ever!
The first year of raising Matthew has been such a blessing.  Thank you all for joining us on this journey.
(Matthew's next BIG party will be when he turns 16!  I've got some time to plan).

Click here for {Part 1} and {Part 2}

Matthew's 1st Birthday {Part 2}

And the party continues....(click here for Part 1 ).

I saw this sign online a while back and loved the saying.  I think it fits us perfectly.  I had a friend make the vinyl for me and I painted the piece of wood to match the color scheme.  I love it!

These tissue pom poms are the easiest to make and the quickest way to add a splash of color.

(Thank you to our friends Mary and Steve for helping us get ready for the party! They came over and helped us finish last minute cleaning and details.  I showed Mary how to make the pom poms and she finished them for me.  They truly were such a BIG help! I can't thank them enough.)

Here's the monthly picture banner I made for the mantle.  This one showed case the pictueres we took of Matthew and the entire bear.  The other banner had Matthew's face close up (no bear in the picture).

In the Vietnamese culture, for the first birthday, the custom is to place the baby in front of an array of objects and the first object they reach for is thought to predict their future.  

Here is the tray we put in front of Matthew.  It consisted of a comb (meaning he will be well groomed), Money envelope (wealth), Pen/note pad (Writer), Rice Ball (that's the sweet pink rice ball below-represents prosperity), scissors (a tailor?), calculator (business man). 

I was so crazy busy running around and doing stuff that I forgot to add some things to the tray! I wanted to add a book (smart/scholary), a key (traveler), and a computer mouse (techie). Oh well.

So what did Matthew choose??

The Calculator!!

(I hope he inherit's his daddy's math skills because momma is SO bad in math!)

CAKE TIME!! 

We got a smash cake for Matthew to do his smash cake photos (more to come on that later), but decided to just make one BIG cupcake for him at his party. 

(Thanks grandma Whitcomb for making all the cupcakes!)

First things first....gotta strip the birthday boy down to his birthday suit. 

And we couldn't forget the bowtie!

While we sang Happy Birthday, Matthew did NOT want to give up his calculator (see it in the background below?).  I helped him blow out his candle and then let him go at his cupcake. At first he wasn't so sure about it, then he squished it between his hands and started eating.  He didn't even blink when I put on his birthday hat!

My mom ordered a Vietnamese cake for Matthew too.  It's one of my favorites, but Steve's not a fan of it. It's kind of like sponge cake with coconut gel in the middle.  Yummy!  Matthew didn't get any because he was all caked out by this time.

After cake, he had to go in the tub for a quick clean up!

Click here for {Part 3}

or {Part 1}

Matthew's 1st Birthday {Part 1}

I know this is long over due, but our home computer was having major issues.  Anyways, here are pictures from Matthew's big day last Saturday.  The party was perfectly FABULOUS!

I ordered the invitations, cupcake holders/toppers and water bottle labels off of Etsy.  It was a great deal on the whole package (there was way more that came in the package, but I didn't use it).  It was sent to me in pdf format and I printed the invites at Costco and the rest at Officemax. 

Here is the balloon wreath I made. 

Got the idea off pinterest. Super easy to make.

Just a word of advice if you decide to make this lovely wreath...if you make an 18" wreath, it will take at least 300 balloons! (I think I ended up using 350, but I lost count). And, you can get the floral pins for cheap at walmart for $1 (for 100 pins).  The straw wreath can be purchased at Michael's or Hobby Lobby.  I got the 'm' from Hobby Lobby and mod podge scrapbook paper over it (How am I just now discovering mod podge??!! Love it!) 

Here is the dessert table.  Sorry for the glare off the backdrop.  More close up pictures below.  For the back ground, I just used wrapping paper and silly putty to stick it to the wall.

 I loved how the cup cake holders and toppers turned out. We had chocolate, strawberry and vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting.  Someone commented and said they looked too pretty to eat!

The monthly pictures were mounted on scrapbook paper and pinned to the ribbon, which was secured with silly putty.  The minature clothes pins can be bought at Michael's in the scrapbooking section.  I got lots of comments from people about his monthly pictures. It's great to see how he's grown each month. 

Now we move on to the candy buffet, which was a great hit with all the kids!

The canvas picture was done at Costco (there was a $10 off coupon).  Great deal!

The best thing about having a birthday party so close to after Valentine's day??...all the candy was on sale for 50% off!!  Can't beat that.  And I bought a TON of candy. 

Can you spot the birthday boy amongst all the candy below??

One of my fears when it comes to throwing parties is not having enough food for everyone!!  Needless to say, we had more than enough and those who stayed until the very end got to pack up some to take home.

I wish I had taken better pictures of the food!  (It's SO hard to try and be the photographer at your own party!)  The menu consisted of Egg rolls, Spring rolls, fried rice, pad thai, Beef panang curry, lotus salad, minced chicken salad, shrimp bean thread salad, papaya salad, pasta salad, little sliders, turkey rolls, chicken wings, chips and fruit kabobs.

A big Thank You to all who helped made food for Matthew's party!!

Matthew's high chair (that we borrowed from grandma's house).  The birthday hat and the high chair banner was part of the Etsy package I bought.  I just glued it to a regular party hat (from the dollar store), made the pompom on top, and hot glued that and the ruffle to the hat and ta-da!  Easy peasy!

Stay tuned for part 2 (and maybe part 3) from the party!

Updated: Click here for {Part 2} and {Part 3}

Motherhood: The First Year



I remember the first time I laid eyes on my sweet baby boy.  My heart grew ten times larger and was filled with a love that I had never felt before.  His sweet spirit immediately filled the room and I knew my life would forever be changed.  If he could have talked, I imagine he would have said, "I'm finally here momma."

The first few months of motherhood was the hardest!  Oh, so hard! Nothing really prepares you for it.  The sleep deprivation that goes along with recovery makes it seem impossible at times, but then I hold Matthew and feel his soft skin against mine and I know all will be well. I prayed for this child and God answered my prayers and He would get me through the hard times.

Watching Matthew grow each month and reaching each milestone has been such a blessing. Hearing him laugh out loud is music to my ears.  Seeing him smile makes my day brighter.  I miss him when I'm out running errands without him. I even miss him when he's sleeping!  He is constantly on my mind all day long. 

Motherhood has taught me a love that goes deeper than any words can describe.  It has taught be to be patient, to be kind, to be more cognizant of the whisperings of the spirit.

Motherhood has increased my faith tremendously.  Anyone who has been on the infertility journey knows that it is a faith building journey.  In my deepest moments of dispair, I turned to my Heavenly Father because I knew that He was the greatest comforter.  My faith has never been tested as much as it was during those years of waiting for God's timing. 

Motherhood has strengthen my marriage.  I have the best husband!  We had 10 wonderful years together before Matthew came into our lives.  Being parents has not only increased our love for each other, it helps remind us to always strive to be the best example we can to our son.  We are the front line for how he perceives love and marriage when he gets older. 

I waited so long to experience motherhood. Years.  And so far it has been one of the greatest experiences in my life.  It is not easy.  And I know it will get harder.  But it's still one of the greatest callings in the wold.  I am honored to be called 'momma' by Matthew.

Matthew is ONE!!!

Happy Birthday to my baby boy!

I can't believe that it's been a whole year since you've entered this world and changed our lives forever.  What a blessing you have been to your daddy and me. 

It seems like it was just yesterday that you were this small!

I am guessing you weigh around 23lbs. (but we will find out at your 1 yr check up next week).

You are wearing a size 3 diaper during the day and size 4 at night.

 You are SO close to walking now. I love seeing how fast you can go with your little walker. You are exploring all over the house and keep us on our toes. You are getting into EVERYTHING and we are seeing a glimpse into the terrible two's because you will sometimes throw a fit if you can't get something.

You are slowly eating more table foods.  I have this fear of you having an allergic reaction or choking on new foods so we are proceeding with caution when it comes to eating.  You have switched over to whole milk pretty smoothly (thank goodness!).  The savings alone is a cause for celebration!

You started to have stranger anxiety and very clingy to mommy and daddy. 

You still love your books and it make me so happy to see you with an open book.
I hope it continues forever.

You have blessed our lives SO much this past year.  Our hearts have grown exponentially all because of you. We thank Heavenly Father every day for your sweet spirit.  It has been an AMAZING year for our little family and we hope and pray that we can continue to strive to raise you in a way that is pleasing to Heavenly Father. 

After many weeks of practice, you are now able to answer when we ask how old are you?! You hold up your little finger and make mommy so proud.  I love you sweet baby boy. 

Please know that you are SO loved!

Love Day

We celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday by going out for Sushi and Hibachi with some friends (and Matthew of course).  Love me some sushi (the cook kind, not a fan of the raw stuff).

We knew that this week was going to be a crazy busy week as we finalize all the details of Matthew's birthday party this coming weekend. 

So on this LOVE holiday, I will be hugging and kissing on my baby boy all day, for he truly has his momma's heart!  Maybe I'll save some hugs and kisses for the hubby too.

Happy Love Day!

Steve went out early this morning and got me roses and caramel apple cider from Starbucks.

(The little box of twix below is from Matthew and I to Steve).

See if you can find our picture in this Valentine's collage.  Such a cute idea!

Out for a Stroll

These pictures were taken three weeks apart. 

The one on the left was on a day where I didn't want to clean so I suggested we go for a walk.  Little did I know just how cold it was.  We made it to the end of the cul de sac and turned back around!

The picture on the right was taken  yesterday as we on our way to the playground. 

Today it was snowing!

Crazy weather.

As long as it doesn't snow on Matthew's party next Saturday!

We walked to the playground and Matthew had fun on the swing and slides.

Then it actually got chilly so we had Steve come pick us up.

It was nice to just get out of the house for a little bit so Steve could study.

Hard to believe my baby will be 1 next week!

You know it's a successful dinner when....

....you don't have to take turns eating while the other one takes baby outside of the restaurant!

We went out on Saturday for some Thai food and Matthew was being SO good.  There were some teenage girls at the table next to us and Matthew was charming them with his smile.

It was nice to eat in peace and enjoy our family time together.

After dinner, we went to get some FroYo for dessert. Yummy!

Matthew's first time trying frozen yogurt.  I think he likes it.

There were some girls a few tables away checking Matthew out and waving at him.

He's such a chick magnet!

In the Toilet

This little cutie pie has been keeping us on our toes around here. He has taken the baby chores to the next level by trying to clean play in the toilet. I was sitting in my office and I could hear him crawling toward me, then it got really quiet. I went to check to see where he went and I found him splashing his hands in the toilet. Gross! I quickly grabbed him and scrubbed his hands with soap. Now we have to keep the bathroom door closed completely.

And he has discovered the stairs too! Ai-yah! He'll be walking soon, then we're really in trouble. We tell him firmly 'no' and it doesn't phase him anymore. Where as before, when we would firmly say 'no' he would look at us with his sad face and teary eyes. Now he just looks at us, then continues to do whatever it is he's not suppose to be doing! Such a stinker.

We love every minute of watching him grow and exploring his surroundings. He makes us laugh and sometimes pull our hair out, but he is simply pure joy! He makes me smile every day and makes my heart grow bigger.  Love you baby boy.

Baby Chores

It's never too early to assign chores right??

Hopefully he's still this happy about doing dishes when he's a teenager!

Next up on the chore list?....learn to take out the trash!

Stay tune for that one.

Monkey Business

I am stressing out about Matthew's first birthday party next month (3 weeks left to get everything done)!  I've been pinning ideas and trying to get some things done in anticipation for the big day.  Aside from consuming your life, Pinterest is dangerous when you can't make up your mind and every new idea you find, you want to do!

One of my blogging friends, Erika, knitted this cute sock monkey hat for Matthew!  I LOVE it!!  I think we will use it for his cake smashing pictures (if he'll keep it on). 

I wanted to use the hat for the invitation pictures, but it came a day late and I was pinched for time.  Below is one of the pictures from our (very quick) photo shoot for his invitation pics. I wanted to use this picture for his invitaitons, but the one we went with, he had a cuter expression. 

Happy Friday! 

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Enter The Dragon

Happy Chinese/Vietnamese New Year!

Also known as Tet (Vietnamese version of the Lunar New Year).

This is the year of the dragon. 

Matthew wore his cute little chinese outfit to church on Sunday and got lots of compliments.

After church, we went to celebrate the new year with family.  It is customary to hand out little red envelopes with money inside to all the little children.  The value inside the evelopes range from $2 (for the babies) to about $10 (for the older kids).  But on average, it's about $5.  Matthew had no interest in his little red envelopes, but momma made sure she put it in a safe place for him.  He ended up with a total of $25.  Not too shabby. (Do babies pay tithing on their 'earnings'??)

The house was filled with lots of noise and laughter as the children played and 'gambled' away their newfound fortune. My wonderful husband was such a trooper because he can only handle the noise level for so long, but he endured (as usual).

There was lots of yummy food and treats!  Another custom is to pay respects to the ancestors by lighting incense and leaving food out on the alter.  The picture below, in the bottom right, is the alter my aunt set up for my maternal grandmother (who passed away a few years ago).  My mom has a similiar alter set up for my dad, who passed 15 years ago.

I also called Vietnam and talked to my aunt and uncle to wish them a happy new year.  Oh how I wish I can go back and visit again.  Maybe when Matthew gets older I can take him back to his motherland! (haha).

We had a great weekend celebrating the new year with family.  I hope and pray this year of the dragon will bring many more blessings to our family.