Another BUSY week!

Our power was finally restored early Monday morning so we loaded up and headed home from Birmingham that afternoon. Chris’ work still didn’t have power Tuesday, so he got to stay home with us an extra day, which was nice. Then Wednesday we were busy getting ready for the birthday/ Mother’s Day festivities for the weekend. My mom arrived Thursday afternoon to help out and I’m so glad she did! Chris and I even got to go on a date Friday night while she watched Caroline – it was SO nice!

Then Saturday morning, my mom and I gave Caroline a bath and trimmed her hair (she hadn’t had a hair cut since last June!) just to even it up a little. Here’s the before & after:

We put her in this little birthday shirt from my mom that morning until Gigi arrived with a birthday outfit she had made:

Caroline was too excited about her party and didn’t want to nap, but she finally managed a short 45-minute one. Then she was up and ready to PARTY! We had cookie cake with Elmo decorations as well as punch, fresh fruit, chips and salsa, and other munchies:

Here she is with her cake while we sang to her:

…blowing out the candle:

…digging in to the cookie!

She loved it!

Here we all are enjoying the food (my Aunt Evelyn even made it for the party this year!):

Then we took more pictures with the birthday girl:

Then it was time for presents! Chris and I had gotten her a new rug for her room and a table and chairs set. And my mom got her a play tea set so we got it all set up in her room and she LOVED it!

After that we went to the living room to open her other presents. She got books, toys, several outfits, and her baby doll even got a new outfit!

One of her favorites was a chef’s hat, apron, oven mit, pot holder, rolling pin and wooden spoon set:

She also got a name puzzle and promptly sat down and worked it in no time while we all watched in amazement:

Another favorite was playing with the balloons:

She was so tired from having a short nap and all the excitement of the party that she laid down with her baby and then in her chair:

But that didn’t last long and then she was up and running again!

I know this is a lot of pictures but if you didn’t get enough, I’ve posted the rest on our picasa site! More on the actual birthday and Mother’s Day tomorrow!