My best birthday yet!

I don't know what got into me but to say I was pumped about my 31st birthday is just the understatement of the century! I love birthday's always, but something about this year felt so fresh and young and exciting and it just screamed to be celebrated, so heaven knows we celebrated.

I started by throwing myself a birthday party. I told the ladies at park day a few months ago my idea, and another friend told me her birthday was just two days before mine and asked if we could do a joint gig. IT WAS THE GREATEST! We held the party on the 6th, right smack in between our two big days, and spent hours eating Mexican food, scarfing down cake and laughing until tears were flowing. I originally thought I'd be home by ten-ish, but it was after midnight before any of us even considered leaving. I just can't explain how great it felt to be partying with friends, and Kayce and I decided we were going to make this a yearly production. Happy birthday to us indeed! (And ps, is her kitchen the dreamiest or what?)

My actual birthday was just as much of a party as the night before. I slept in until 8 am (James actually took the kids to get donuts 30 minutes away so that I could get some sleep, bless him!), had a prenatal massage, took a nap, got a haircut and eyebrow wax, read my book, had a party with the kids and Grandma Winnie (complete with 31 flavors of ice cream and a 30-ONEderful years cake) and then went on a date with James that night. If it could have been one ounce better I really, truly, whole-heartedly don't know how. I kept saying that this was my best birthday ever and I know I sounded like a broken record but I was being totally serious! Every detail was perfect and appreciated.

Weeelllll....the part when Quinny got into the boys brand new rainbow stamp pad and ate a good portion of it while the boys just sat there ignoring her, not completely appreciated. But the rest of the day was so great even I could find the humor in it!!!

Dinner with James was magical. One of my greatest pregnancy cravings has been bruschetta, I just can't get enough, so he surprised me by making reservations at the most romantic and charming Italian restaurant called Bruschetta. It was a white tablecloth, fancy outfit, dim lighting and lots of fancy wine bottles type of place (except for us, ice water only please!) The bruschetta, gah the bruschetta! It was divine!

We weren't going to order dessert because after multiple courses of delicious Italian food we were stuffed, but when the chef surprises you with a gorgeous Tiramisu and a candle to boot you blow that thing out and dig in. It was so light and creamy and the perfect finish to the perfect dinner on my perfect birthday. And where did that gorgeous long stem rose come from? Halfway through dinner a woman walked from table to table selling them and hello, happy birthday to me, I pretty much willed James to pull out his wallet and buy me one! This little scene above will definitely go down as being one of the more magical moments of my 31st year, of that I am already sure!

We walked home with full bellies, full hearts and huge smiles. Happy 31st birthday to me! This year I will welcome my fourth little baby and I couldn't be more thrilled.