Favorite Weekend Highlights

I am just sitting down for the first time today. The weekend flew by and we had a blast enjoying the 70 degree weather. Caroline's nap time is fleeting as she is fighting her second nap of the day now. So I wanted to pop in and quickly share some of my favorite highlights from the weekend.

The weather was gorgeous on Saturday. We spent the morning at Pullen Park with friends. This is the second weekend in the row we had went to Pullen Park and I see us going there all the time during the summer. It is not your typical park and has several different amusement rides including kiddie boats, paddle boats, a carousel and train along with multiple playgrounds and sand activities for different ages. Caroline is not quite walking yet but we still had a blast on the swings, carousel and train.

Joe had the great idea to grill out one night for dinner. I just love veggies on the grill and devoured some corn on the cob and grilled onion. I also rediscovered these chicken sausages which are amazing on the grill.

While this may not seem like a big deal for most, we finally installed a baby gate! We have been on edge since Caroline started crawling toward the stairs with purpose. We always try to keep her corralled upstairs with the sectional sofa and away from the landing. She finally had figured us out and became frustrated with our barriers. After much research, we installed this retract a gate using a banister kit. It's so easy to install and use. It's not a complete eyesore either which is great! 

The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying long walks as a family and enjoying ice cream on the couch. 

How was your weekend? What were some of the highlights? 

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100th Birthday

Last month, we headed to Georgia to visit my grandmother and celebrate her turning 100 years old. My grandmother and I were close growing up. I only lived 5 blocks from my grandparents house until I moved away for college. My grandfather passed away from Altimeters 10 years ago. My grandmother continued to live on her own until just 3 years ago.

She lives in an assisted living facility in Peachtree City, Georgia. It's about a 45 minute drive south of Atlanta. This was Caroline's third visit to Peachtree. We drove down once at Christmas when I was pregnant and again when she was 1 month old.

This time we skipped the drive and flew into Atlanta. The trip was very easy and painless thanks to the direct flight out of Raleigh. Carrying all the extra necessities for baby was a hassle but with my parent's extra helping hands it was not too bad.

The flight is only about an hour. Caroline did great on the trip down. She loved chatting with everyone around her and staring out the window at take off and landing. The trip back was not as smooth because she had not napped all day. She only cried for a few minutes before settling down for a nap. However, those few minutes on a tiny plane felt like an eternity. Being on such a small enclosed space makes you hyper aware of others and the fact that your  baby is screaming. Even if it was only for a few minutes. 

We had a great time visiting grandmother each day. One day, we went for lunch and birthday cake in the dining room. My family also planned a big party for Saturday celebrating her 100th birthday.

We spent the rest of our trip enjoying trips to the park and doing some shopping. I would love to make it to Atlanta once to visit the aquarium. 

I am so thankful that Caroline has gotten the chance to meet her great grandmother twice now. Caroline is so sweet and gentle with grandmother almost like she knew her immediately. The resemblance between the two is remarkable. Caroline got her bright blue eyes and curly blond locks from her great grandmother for sure. 

I'm also extremely grateful that Joe was able to make the trip with us. This was his first time visiting Peachtree with my family. 

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Sweetheart First Birthday

Last weekend, we invited friends and family over to celebrate Caroline's first birthday. While she is not old enough to understand what having a birthday party means, Caroline still had a blast seeing all of her favorite people and tearing up some wrapping paper. This party was really a celebration for all three of us making it a year together as a family. 

All things pink and Valentines Day was the party theme. Perfect since she is our sweetheart through and though. My inspiration was lots of hearts, gold and pink. 

Decorations were a cinch thanks to Target's dollar spot. Including the huge pink tassel balloon that I found one day in the bins. Several of the items I used were repurposed from her bedroom as well. I printed out her monthly photos through Amazon's photo service which was a breeze to use and cost under $2. 

The milestone chalkboard was a labor of love as I am not crafty at all! The smash cake and cupcakes were homemade using this recipe from Courtney. The icing was delicious and beats store-bought 100%.

The weather was unseasonably warm for February so we were able to enjoy the patio and lawn games outside. We also had beer and punch for the adults to enjoy. 

Sweet Caroline was not a fan of the smash cake. She was very timid in picking at the icing at first. Then we we tried to have her get messy, she became upset with the stickiness of her hands. This photo captures her frustration in trying to get the icing off her hands but not knowing what to do. 

Overall, it was a perfect party celebrating our little one. This year has flown by so quickly it is astounding. So many great memories have been made and I am sure there are plenty more to come. 

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