The big PARTAY!

March 28th was Kumeu's second birthday and Fraser's half birthday, and we MAY have had a party! Nana & Papa plus our small group pals along with their doggies and babies joined us for the pseudo-ridiculous fun.

"Kumeu, aren't you just soooo pumped for our PARTY??!!"

Fraser had the best half birthday cake ever- made by my friend Kathryn of "Kathryn's Cakes". Boy did SHE deliver...

Looks totally normal right? WRONG!

Thanks Kat & Steph- it was not only beautiful but SO DELICIOUS!!

Fraser was THRILLED about his half birthday cake that he wasn't going to get any of...

Kumeu was also excited about HIS cake- although it didn't look NEARLY as appealing to the human eye...

Mmmm.... there's nothing like tuna cake with peanut butter frosting! (I DID try it, and seriously... there's nothing QUITE like it).

Kumeu and his friends Maggie & Kali partied outside...

I can't believe we only have this one picture of Fraser with his baby friends. Nico with his mama, Hope with his Dada, and of course Fraser with his Daddy. Lowell is right ready to get rowdy in his "party shirt" (as he so proudly referred to it)...

While the dogs partied outside, we included Kumeu in Fraser's indoor party when we played a rousing rendition of "Pin the Tail on Kumeu"...

Another highlight of the party was INTRODUCING FRASER TO SOLIDS!

Mmmmm... yummmm...

Fraser handled it like a champ (using a hand-carved African spoon courtesy of Stephen & Tricia)!

At one point he started wailing, and I thought he was done, but he calmed down the instant I presented him with more rice cereal. I couldn't feed the kid fast enough! Here's the sequence:

"WAAAAAAH"...

"Oh that's better"...

"Mmmmm.... sooo good. Let me help you with that, Mommy"....

It was very brave of me to introduce solids without giving him a bib, no? Especially since he was dressed in his birthday outfit (not to be confused with his birthday suit (hehe))! In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't even think about it. Oh I have soooo much to learn!

Little side note. I was SO anticipating witnessing Fraser's reaction to food that I was completely blind-sided by MY reaction. We had a house full of people so I only showed my excited side... but really? I wanted to cry. Suddenly I realized how big he was and that he didn't need JUST ME anymore, and I was overcome with emotion. Truth be told, I DID shed a tear or two when everyone left... but I'm a big girl. I'll get over it. :)

And rather than ending on a sappy emotional note, I'll end with some crazy fun pictures because our friends are crazy awesome.

Fraser's 6-month trick reel!

SOMEONE celebrated a half birthday, and that someone has a video AND a party to show for it! More on the party soon, but for now... enjoy a quick summary of our wee Fraselnut's first 6 months of life!

Fraser & Friends!

Here goes the random list!

1. Three years ago, I bought this sweater in NZ for my future son. This week he wore it for the first time! I have become the hugest of saps at the most ridiculous of times, but I MAY have shed a legitimate tear or two as I basked in the complete surreal nature of the situation...

Speaking of NZ... this adorable possum wool vest was knit special for Fraser by Grandmere Gw in NZ. Thanks Grandmere!! It's sooo snuggly and gentlemanly-like!

2. These are Fraser's "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" shots. It's a good thing we know a few good dentists!

3. Fraser's been loving spending time with his little buds! He and Nico are going to be inseparable growing up (whether they like it or not!)...

Fraser seems quite pleased with the arrangement at least...

He's also a big fan of THIS pretty little lady...

Tummy time togetherness. "Go Hope Go!"...

"I am SO the man"...

I, for one, have been loving my time with other mamas, our babes, our doggies, and the great outdoors...

4. Fraser is proving to be quite the dapper young man...

But even dapper young men sometimes can't resist the taste of their own hand...

5. Our little Ginger appears to be aptly named. One of the meanings of Fraser is 'strawberry', and he has himself some strawberry blonde hair! Or rather... he HAD strawberry blonde hair. The new stuff seems to be coming in pure white blonde... love it!

6. Our sleeping beauty has been spinning around in his crib and is rarely in the same place that we leave him. Guess I need to come up with a new nighttime system of remembering what side I last nursed on!

7. Fraser has been rolling over front to back like a mad man, but it was just this week that he rolled COMPLETELY over from back to front for the first time! He didn't love it, however, and promptly returned to his back!

8. Fraser is soooo lucky to live less than 2 blocks away from Nana & Papa! He gets to spend heaps of time with them, and even went in a high chair at their house for the first time...

9. Fraselnut has been a pretty good little sleeper during church. And don't you worry... Lowell is not joining in the slumber, he's praying. I should have had my eyes closed too, but instead I was subtly taking pictures (hehe)...

10. Our little St. Patty's Day leprechaun...

Can't believe this kid is going to be 6 months old in TEN DAYS! Where has the time gone??!!!

THE END!