In just 3 months

My youngest baby will be a year old.

That is insane.

Seriously. Like beyond hard to believe.

Want to know the craziest part?! Well, two things. I'm kinda, sorta ready for her to be one year old. To be more of a little person and less a baby. And I'm not pregnant with a subsequent sibling, ha! Guess that's how we know for sure that our family truly is {finally} complete. After each of our boys, even in the hospital snuggling my newborn, people would jokingly say ''so you want to have another?" and I was quick to say ''Yep" in a serious tone. I just knew that we weren't done. I love my boys to the moon and back a million trillion times but I always felt like someone was missing. Like we weren't done.

Then Sissy joined us.

Now we are done. I no longer feel like we are missing someone...It is a wonderful feeling!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love everything about having a baby {except spit-up, ha!}. I love the snuggling (even in the middle of the night) I love the sighs and coos. The big stretches and yawns. Their smell. Nursing a newborn. Their peach-fuzz hair. Teeny tiny nails. Itty bitty diapers. Pretty much everything.

BUT (you knew it was coming), I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that it's behind us. I am ready for the next chapter. Will their be tears? Sure. (Bubba starts kindergarten on Aug 22...No joke folks). But I am ready to see my kids gain confidence and independence. I love seeing how Bubba and Pooks are already sounding out words and excited about reading and school. I have to stifle a giggle every time Peanut yells "Me do!" while attempting to put his shoes on the wrong feet or trying to undress himself. Even seeing Sissy pull herself up to stand and go completely hands free for that split second, is thrilling. Their smiles, the grin and satisfaction of them realizing that they are capable of doing things, it's amazing. I can't even explain it.

So yes, in 3 short months my baby will be one. She will offiically be a ''toddler'' for all intents and purposes. So, like the crazy type A mom that I am, I started mentally planning and putting together ideas for her birthday party. It's going to be full of firsts! First girl birthday party and first party that I've planned from 750 miles away for the main two. Yep, we've decided that since B's work is taking him back "home" in October, we'll take some extra leave and have Sissy's party with our family and friends up there. I am thrilled because this means that all FOUR of my babies will have had their first birthday party in the same building, the same room.

Bubba...

Pooks:

Peanut...

Considering that since Bubba's birth we have lived in my hometown, then a bigger city 2 hours away, then back in said hometown and now in Texas...it's quite a feat that they were all born in the same hospital and will have had their first birthday at the same place.

So in an effort to make this the longest post in history what theme might Sissy be having? Well Bubba had Elmo, Pooks had ''Barnyard Dance", Peanut had Robots and in true girly fashion Sissy will have a girly rainbow theme. Not traditional ROY G BIV rainbow but more of a "Pixie Stick" rainbow of: pink, light orange, butter yellow, bright green, soft blue, light purple. I intend on going girly! Lots of ruffled streamers, balloons, tissue paper pom-poms, she'll be wearing a tutu...agh, I could go on but I'll stop. Okay well I lied, there is one more thing. The final deciding factor that pushed me to these ''rainbow'' theme....

Yeah, that's vintage 1983 Care Bear cake pan. My mom made me that exact.same.cake on my 1st birthday and I thought it would be fitting to make the same cake (or have her make, I should say) the same cake for her grand-daughter. I stumbled across the pan almost over 5 years ago and have held on to it ever since. I didn't want to do a full on Care Bear theme but thought the rainbow was a fun twist :)

The nice thing about having it in the same room, albeit 750 miles away, is that I know how many tablecloths I'll need, I know where streamers will go, etc. I think Auntie Michelle and I have to down to a science. Actually we had our wedding reception, 2 baby showers and 3 birthday parties in this room. It is definitely our go-to local for parties.  Watch out October 15th, we're coming for ya! So as emotional as a 1st birthday can be, I'm pretty excited! At least for now...