Sunday, July 7, 2013

A Birdie Birthday Party...Complete with Big Girl Dress

A long, long time ago... like 3 or 4 months-ish... Kaki became obsessed with Birdie and her fabulous series of books, Birdie's Big Girl Dress, Birdie's Big Girl Shoes and Birdie Plays Dress Up. After taking a HUGE liking to Birdie's Big Girl Dress we ordered Birdie's Big Girl Shoes and checked out Birdie Plays Dress Up from the library. Kaki literally destroyed the first copy of Birdie we had because she read it SO much. She would sit and read it over and over again in her room, in the car and she INSISTED that we read Birdie before her nap and before bed EACH AND EVERY day. So we all began to know and love Birdie just as much as Kaki. 

As the time came to start thinking about Kaki's birthday party I decided that we HAD to do a Birdie Birthday party. It was really the only "thing" she was in to. In the book Birdie is in the search for the perfect dress to wear to her birthday party, but alas... she cannot find one that will work even in the fanciest boutique, but when she gets home she heads up to the attic with her dog Monster and pieces together a fabulously fun party dress out of her grandparents old clothes and accessories. So, Birdie really does showcase her own sense of style and encourages her readers to do the same.

I decided it would be fun to duplicate Birdie dress for Kaki... she would become Birdie and we'd have a smashing party all for her!




Thanks to Kk and Aunt Emily who hit the jackpot at a re-sale shop in Nac, Kaki's outfit came together pretty easily... while it wasn't EXACTLY the same, we were pretty darn close. The hat was a project that Hobby Lobby made very easy and the rest was just the details... 

Kaki did end up looking like the curly-haired version of her friend Birdie... at least we think so! :)


My friend Gina, cake and cookie maker extraordinaire took one of our copies of the our favorite book home with her to begin dreaming up all of the wonderful things she would create for Kaki's party. I included the pictures of her friends, Coco, Charlie and Eve so that the comparison is fair... Gina's creations literally look like the illustrator of the book would have been the baker... it's just crazy how talented she is! I am so thankful to have her as a friend for SO many reason, but the fact that she is over the top talented in this department sure doesn't hurt our relationship ANY! :)


Before the birthday party got started we took Kaki's picture... ahem...Birdie's picture by the birthday sign that Kk brings to all of the grandkid birthday parties... such fun!


Kaki and I did a trial run the week before her party with her hat and outfit... just to be sure we were good... and she LOVED it... that hat... who would have thought she'd have worn it ALL day... BUT she did! :)


Then we took her picture with the set-up before the cake and the cookies arrived...

There was some serious Pinterest inspired crafting going on leading up to the big day! :)


And after the cake and cookies got there... it's complete! :)


TWO!!!


Monster... Birdie's dog... and his dapper, dapper top hat! :)


Another pic...


I have been WAITING for an excuse to make a DIY Marquee I pinned many months ago... and what could a girl love more than her name in lights???!!! :) 

It was super fun to make and it did require a little help form the birthday girl's sweet Daddy! :)


Drillin...


Getting closer...


I started off wanting to do a hot pink marquee but then thought that Kaki might want to use it in her room which is light blue and pink... so three spray paint cans later we got us a light blue "K" marquee!! :)


And the cutest girl in the world to pose beside it... :)


Cookie bouquet... see the friends? Monster? And Birdie's birthday cake with Kaki written on it instead... and of course we can't forget Birdie!


The cake...I don't even have words for how amazing it looked!


The Kaki sign... :)


We decided to keep it low key and just have a small party with family... it was perfect! And there is nothing that that girl would love more than all of her favorite people in ONE place! Of course, we did miss her aunts and uncles and her sweet cousin G-dawg! BUT... those grandparents, great-grandparents and special college cousin sure do trump most anyone! :)

Kaki and her main man, Bop!


Big bro...


KK and Caden watching Kaki open presents!!


You would think that with a small party and all sorts of time on our hands we would have snapped a few extra pictures... but once again I'm lame... and I missed Albi, Nana, Gran and Poppa... and shoot... I didn't even get a family shot! :)

Oh well, our Kaki girl had a super fun day and it was special to celebrate with her!!





After presents we had a big southern lunch, all of us sitting around the table together... it was lovely! :)

Kaki was READY to dig into her cookies... before we even cut the cake... :)


The girls... fuzzy, but at least we attempted! :)


After we finished up with our lunch we let Kaki-girl blow out her TWO candles on her special Birdie Birthday cake!! :) Thank you GINA... it was more than we could have ever hoped for!!


After stuffing ourselves with cake it was time to let it settle... and hang!

I thought I'd try my "head" at being Birdie... :) I think only Kaki-girl can pull off a Birdie Birthday Dress though... it takes a special girl!! :)


What a fun day celebrating our Kaki-Lou-Lou-Lou... 

We are so appreciative to everyone who was able to make it to our Birdie Birthday Bash!! We missed those of you who weren't here and are thankful that we had the opportunity to celebrate with everyone at some point... Kaki's birthday was two weeks long!! And how perfect for her second birthday!

We love you, Kaki-pants!! TWO!!!! 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Kaki-Lou Turns TWO!

Katherine Murray Cox... 

YOU are TWO today!

I can hardly believe it myself, and I think we shocked the PANTS right off of social media by our Happy Birthday wishes today... everyone thought the same thing... are you sure she's ALREADY two? Didn't you JUST have her??

Didn't she just come out in this tiny (or not so tiny in baby terms) little body?! 



Oddly enough, I didn't even see this picture... her FIRST picture post-womb, until a few weeks ago when Kaki and I were looking through Justin's phone. He had about 5 pictures that he had taken the day she was born that I had NEVER seen! Including one where she had a nasal cannula in her nose... I didn't even know she had to have oxygen after she was born!! Ha!

The things those drugs can do... right?!

Anyway... our sweet Kaki-Lou turned two today, officially at 12:37 but we started celebrating long before the midday chimes tolled.

Saturday we are having a small, family party for our girl that we are SUPER excited about! So today we just had a fun day around town... doing all things Kaki! And celebrating every last ounce of her two year old self!

Last night everything was ready for Kaki... like Christmas morning!!


I got up early and headed to Shipley's and Starbucks to pick up the necessary goods for the morning celebrations! When we were all set Kaki was ready to get up and so we all three snuck into her room, singing the Happy Birthday song and starting her day off in style! :)

Then when we got her out of bed and took her into the kitchen she said, "WHOOOOOO" as she rounded the corner and saw the table! She loved the balloon and her birthday cup most of all at first. 

Aren't her PJs lovely? Justin put her down last night while I was at the store gearing up for our weekend fun... I have no words...


Her hair was cray-cray this morning so we shoved a bow in it real week, but normally she does NOT sleep in a bow! :)

Taking a drink of her milk from her special cup...


YUMM...


Two candles in her donut... ready to sing!!


Caden wanted a pic with the birthday girl... sweet boy! 


Milk is so good...


After breakfast she opened her cards and look at her new books we bought... she LOVES books! And played with the stickers... in fact I think she may have used three entire sheets of stickers on her ensemble this morning...


She is proud...


And now they are all over our floor and driving her Daddy crazy... well done, Kak-ster!! Well done! :)

After breakfast we talked to our KK and then got ready for our busy day!!

BUT first... a proper birthday photo shoot! Of all of the pics I snapped, the ONE I took with my iPhone was best... :) Go figure! Fancy cameras are last years' news!

She grew up overnight... 


I love that this outfit accentuates her pudge... I love it so much and it is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Her dresses don't show off those great legs and full belly... she is squishy and lovely and too precious for words!!

Next up... TARGET!!

We took Kaki to Target to pick out ANYTHING (within reason) she wanted for her birthday!! WHOOO HOOO! And brother also got a special treat for being a brother for TWO YEARS... that's a big deal! 


Although he didn't get a choice, Justin and I had decided what we were going to get him and he of course was thrilled... right now he uses the laundry basket or the top of the door frame... now he has a hoop! :) He played until he was dripping sweat today... multiple times!! Obsessed!

Kaki chose a Baby Alive doll that walks and talks... she thinks it's the coolest thing. She says, "NOISE!!!" She loves things that make noise!


After Target we took Kaki to a salon to get her hairs did! She hadn't had a haircut in 10 months and has been asking for one the past few months, especially after Caden got his two buzz cuts and people made such a fuss about his hair, or lack there of... so I saved this special treat for her birthday!

She was psyching herself out a bit before we got there saying, "Kaki cry? Hair cut?" But we reassured her and she ended up doing great... not one tear!

Waiting her turn...


Big girl, ready and waiting...


ALL DONE!!! Bow back in hair! 


We just took a bit off the back and cleaned up some layers... I was scared to do too much... but I have to say I probably could have had her cut a bit more off of the party in the back! :) But those curls are too perfect to get too drastic!

After our trip to the Salon I attempted to get a sweet pic of the kids on a bench downtown... BUT... Kaki was too concerned about all of the bird poop on the bench to look up! :)

And I do not know what Caden is doing... interesting choice of pose!


Next up a trip to the cupcake shop...

Kaki's choice... chocolate... of course!


Caden got cookies and cream!!


Both of them are icing first kind of eaters... SO unlike their Mommy who is a scrape the icing off and eat the cake kind of eater! Are we sure they are mine???!! :)


After cupcakes we came home and played with our new toys, ate lunch... Kaki had one of her favorites, Mac N Cheese and cream cheese and crackers... my kids think every meals should include an appetizer! Oh my!

Then it was nap time...

After nap Kaki wanted to wear a shirt form her dirty clothes basket, so I encouraged her to pick a clean outfit instead out of her closet... she came out with this dress and her "nice shoes." And wanted a new bow...

She got all dressed up for her afternoon...


And still had it on at dinner when we ate her other favorites... pizza and chips and queso! When I asked Kaki what she wanted for her birthday dinner she kept saying, CAKE!!! But we finally got chips and queso out of her and threw in the pizza for good measure!


And the nice shoes made it through dinner too...Bless her sweet little heart... the girl loves her some shoes... and I can't help but love those little legs, ankles crossed, just like a lady! A lady who is awfully messy... look at those floors... better vacuum tomorrow!! :)


Oh Kaki girl I cannot believe you are TWO! You make us laugh SO SO hard... just tonight we were all in stitches watching you try to "walk like a monster" down the hallway after baths... your white little booty and tan legs clomping the entire way!! You are a nut! And we love you... to the moon and back way more times than just two!

Thankful the Lord blessed us with YOU and will always cherish every second He gives us to enjoy you! You are a blessing beyond all blessings!

Happy Birthday, my Kaki-girl!!