The Grown-Ups' Birthdays

With just five weeks and one day of the Juliette pregnancy to go, there is no room for the laptop on my lap anymore! Which, in combination with the fact that I am doing some work-from-home that has a deadline of BEFORE THE BABY COMES(!!!) and that I am big and tired and still a mama, explains my paltry number of blog posts for September. If you want more, you should probably come over and do my dishes so I can laze around and write things for you to read. ;)

Anyway I also realized that I didn't ever tell you about my birthday! So I thought I'd tell you about mine and Steve's in one post, since we are married and therefore technically "one." Right, hubs? (Don't worry--there are more pictures for your part of the post.)

So in June (ages ago, right?!) I turned 28! It was our last week of freedom before Steve started residency, and he really did it up right. I signed up for birthday freebies and we went out and got them throughout the week--the kids were big fans of Coldstone--and Steve set up a lovely lovely lovely day-long date for us that week, during which Christie (bless your heart Christie!!!) babysat our kids. All day. Yes, she is awesome. (And the kids adore her.)

So what did he take me to do?

Shop at Ikea of course!

We had been sketching and planning our very bare living/dining room for weeks, and he knew it was his last chance to be SURE he had time to help with any heavy lifting. So we drove out to Charlotte and walked as slowly as we liked all through Ikea, where we chose two cute, round little chairs to go opposite a sofa we found on consignment that week, and also finally purchased a gorgeous, ENORMOUS wave canvas we'd had our eye on forever. And a beautiful mirror we'd been looking at for over a year. We got some Ikea chocolate (don't miss it, friends--its yummy) for the road, too.

On my actual birthday (June 30--the DAY before he started residency!) I got to sleep in and read a book and relax. Steve made beautiful pancakes for breakfast, and I got to eat off the YOU ARE SPECIAL TODAY plate. We went to church. I didn't have to help with anyone's bathroom breaks. Steve grilled hamburger sliders--one of my favs, especially during this pregnancy. And Gracie decorated my birthday brownies with a plethora of sprinkles!

She also posed with me for my baby bump shot that day. :)

So I had a GREAT birthday this year, and I felt very, very loved, which is just the best part, isn't it? Also choosing dessert and reading a book in the middle of the day. Well, just most of it was pretty awesome.

And all summer Steve and I have been arguing about whether his birthday is in summer or not. I consider "summer" to happen basically during summer break, and it kind of ends when school starts. But technically, the autumnal solstice isn't until September 21st (Oh, that's today! Happy Autumn!), and it is his birthday, so I will give it to him. Here we go.

We wrapped up summer with Steve's 29th birthday! He had to work on the actual day (oops) so we kept it low key, but made up for it in full force that Saturday since he had it off. He got to sleep in, and laid out his birthday menu just as enthusiastically as Gracie did (strawberry toaster strudels for breakfast, homemade pizza for dinner) so I did some serious shopping to get everything he needed.

Gracie decorated his chair and hung the HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner over the fireplace, and made him cards and gave him "double kisses and double hugs" all day because it was his birthday-day. It was so cute. Her excitement totally MADE the day for him.

And after dinner he presented the birthday cake he'd made for himself (I offered, but he said he was better at it, and that's true so I didn't argue haha)--a fruit cake as all fruit cakes should be. The base is watermelon, and he decorated with peaches and sliced strawberries. We all ate way too much of it, and it was very delicious.

...though Grace thought there should have been frosting involved. And Charlie ran away until the candles were out (he really doesn't like candles) and then came around the corner applauding as if he'd been there the whole time. :)

And I had a happy, watermelon-filled husband, so I'd say the day was a success, wouldn't you? Happy Birthdays to us!