Baby Daddy got Old.

Author's apology:  All the pictures I seem to have from these events are child-centric.  I promise to start doing a better job of capturing adults.  I recognize not everyone is as obsessed with looking at my child as I am.  My bad, yos!

On April 18th my darling hubby hit the dirty 30 mark.  Feels somewhat ironic that he officially became a "dirty" old man 6 weeks after having a daughter but life is funny like that, isn't it?  Speaking of that little princess- she's still keeping her mama biiiiiiizaaaaay.  This fact combined with Ryan working the weekend of his birthday meant that we didn't really get to celebrate it in quite the fashion that I'd have imagined a few years earlier.  Rather than having one big carefully planned celebration- we had a few smaller ones that required slightly less planning but every bit the effort that a huge shindig would have.

Let's start with the first of the celebrations of Big Daddy Long Legs, shall we?  On his actual birthday, Emery and I braved the outside world to try to procure a cake and some balloons for our beloved.  At the beginning of the day I had grand plans of trying to make dinner, bake a cake and decorate the house.  As little Miss dissolved into a fussy pants of epic proportions, so did these illusions.  By 2 o'clock I figured if I could get to and from a store with neither of us maimed, we'd call the day a success.

It seems simple enough to take your child into a store and pick up a cake, doesn't it?  Well.  Not this one.  She happened to be asleep when we got to the grocery store (a rarity when it comes to her car seat voyages these days- more on that in an upcoming post).  So I decided to snap her car seat into the stroller and give it a whirl.  Not 2 minutes into the store screaming commenced.  So I took her out and popped her in the Moby wrap.  This resulted in me pushing a stroller with a large cake box in it around with one hand while holding a pacifier securely in the mouth of my wiggling, wimpering child on my chest with the other.  Also, the store was out of helium.  Seriously?  Who's out of helium?  I did happen to snag a pre-blown up balloon that wasn't too girly.  For those curious... Attempting to buckle a helium balloon in a stroller does not work.  Make sure to bank that knowledge.

Anywho- so on Papa Bear's actual birthday we just hung out here at the house.  I made a dream dinner (check out their website if you are a working mama- this stuff rocks), we ate store bought cake and sang Happy Birthday.  Like I said- not quite the shindig I'd have dreamed up if you'd asked me a few years ago, but somehow to us it felt oddly perfect.

Not bad for being jostled around in a stroller one handed, huh?

Did you think this obligatory birthday pose picture stopped at like 12?  You were wrong.

She has no idea how many years like this she has in her future.  She also looks about as into whatever was on ESPN as I typically do.

The next night, April 19th, was a Friday and I secretly cued up Pawpaw and Granny Martin to watch the booger so that Ryan & I could go out to dinner alone.  They happily obliged.  I told Ryan he could pick any place he wanted and he chose El Gallo.  You can take the boy out of Spring Branch but you can't take the Spring Branch out of the boy.  We wrapped the evening up with drive through McFlurries from McDonald's.  Our classiness is truly overwhelming, isn't it?  Yet another pretty fabulous birthday celebration.

I'm very glad to see that Kylie is learning the delicate art of babysitting.  We'll be cashing in on those finely honed skills sooner than she probably hopes.

My precious princess holding Tiffany's hair hostage.  No one sets her down without losing a good bit of hair in the process.  She's wise beyond her years (weeks?).

Milk coma: every mama's favorite facial expression.

The last birthday soiree was the one that required the most effort.  The weekend of Cinco de Mayo, we had a couple of people up to the lake for the weekend to partake in some celebrating of the birthday boy... this time with beer.  Ryan, Emery, Lola & I got up to the lake on Thursday evening to do the shopping for the weekend.  Friday evening Jen, Brendan, Julie & David joined us.  On Saturday Melanie, Jonathan, Jake, Austin, Shawna, Jimmer & Beth came up as well.  Melanie & Jonathan had the incredible foresight to ask if we wanted to split a sitter for the day.  Thank the stars in heaven that we did.  They brought an incredible sitter who held my sweet child for the entire afternoon/early evening.  Mama actually got to have two margaritas.  Can I just say that  11 months margarita-free is too long?  They are every bit as tasty as I recalled.

Anyway- the entire weekend was exactly what Ryan wanted.  A quiet, low-key weekend filled with a few of his favorite people, his favorite beverages and partaking in his favorite activities- beer pong, talking sports and generally acting like he's still in college.  A huge thank you to everyone who participated and helped make him feel young even though he's now babied up.  :c)  We love you all!

Boogie happily riding in the car.  This lasted approximately 4 minutes into our drive.

Our eldest daughter.  Even after nearly being knocked out by a falling stroller during a sharp turn- she continues to love us.

The birthday boy and her highness.  It's anyone's guess who's mouth that pacifier fell out of.

The one picture of an adult I have from the weekend.  Shawna, I hate for you to find out about Austin & I's love affair this way.

Jake putting the paci back in Emery's mouth after it fell out.  Such a sweet moment.  Definitely going in their wedding slide show.

Last but not least, happiest of birthdays to my hubby.  I sincerely don't know what I'd do without you.  My life would be so much less fun without you in it.  Thank you for all you do for Emery & I.  Next year maybe I really will get to make you that cake.  ;c)