Hello, 29.

Yesterday was my birthday! I've officially entered the very last year of my 20's! When did I get so old!?   In previous years, we've used my birthday as an excuse to vacation (we were in St. Lucia this time last year)  but between taking care of a 9 day old baby and recovering from surgery, staying home seemed more suitable this year.  Thanks to my sweet little family and some of my awesome friends, staying home didn't stop me from having a wonderful day!  

For starters, my tiny daughter gifted me with a little bit of extra sleep the night prior.  I was still up feeding her and changing diapers in the middle of the night, but she settled quickly and woke less frequently... I'll take what I can get these days.  Morning rolled around and Ryan took both kids downstairs and made breakfast while I lazed around in bed a little bit longer. 

I eventually forced myself to get up and get ready so that we could get out of the house at a decent time of day.  My birthday would revolve around food, as most occasions do in this household.  Still a bit full from breakfast, we decided that we'd have ice cream before lunch.  I love being a grown up and making such decisions.   I didn't get Aaralee her own cone, but she was happy to share with mommy and daddy. Thank goodness for baby wipes... toddlers aren't the cleanest of eaters.  It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for ice cream, baby snuggles, and being outside. 

Next on my birthday wish-list was lunch.  I'd been longing for sushi since Briley's birth, despite the fact that I still ate it a bit while pregnant.  I wanted sashimi... real, delicious, raw fish. No guilt, no fear, because I'm finally no longer pregnant.  Ryan bought me a huge portion of it and we headed home to eat it while Aaralee napped.  

After lunch I cuddled my sleeping baby while Ryan went to Starbucks to get my free birthday drink.  Free obviously meant that it was necessary to get the biggest size possible, so I happily sipped my giant caramel macchiato and watched a movie.  A few friends came to visit and meet Briley, so we chatted for awhile before the left and it was time for dinner.  It was too hot to cook, so we ordered pizza.  I'm pretty sure that 2 weeks ago I vowed to eat healthier once my baby was born, but birthdays are an exemption. 

If you know me well, you are quite aware of the fact that I'm shamelessly addicted to the show Big Brother.  When I found out that the first episode of the new season premiered on my birthday, I knew exactly how our evening would be spent.  I invited over some of my best friends and fellow reality TV addicts and after Aaralee was tucked into bed we indulged in snacks, watched our show, and ate delicious chocolate cake!  It was a fairly low-key birthday, but it was absolutely perfect.  I have some of the best friends and family in the whole world and I couldn't have felt more loved.  Thank you to everyone for all of the birthday wishes! I can already tell that 29 is going to be a great year.