Twenty Four Birthdays

So a few days ago I was having a sad, melancholy, emotional pregnant-type day and I started writing this blog post on turning 24. Thing is, it turned out pretty sad, melancholy and emotional and I'm excited about turning 24 (today)! So instead, take a trip with me down memory lane and check out my awesome birthdays and the reason my husband has to work so hard to live up to my mom's birthday throwing skills.

Birthday the First

I can't say I remember this birthday but my mom made my cake, and it had a bunny on it!

Birthday the third

Don't so much remember this one either but I know I got a lot of Barbies, and that cool Barbie convertible car in the background.

Birthday the Fifth

This was one of my coolest parties. It was Cinderella themed. In the photo above I'm holding a mini broom. We had a relay race where we all had to sweep 'trash'. It was awesome.

Then the fairy godmother (i.e. our neighbor) came to get us ready for the ball. She brought a fancy dress for me and plain dresses for all the party guests to decorate. I was super jealous that I didn't get to decorate a dress.

^^Check out those homemade dresses!

Birthday the Seventh

On my seventh birthday, I didn't have a party (we only got them every three years or so) so instead my mom hid my presents all over the house. The ultimate present was my my size Barbie doll. It was hidden in my brother's closet. I was into Barbies for a long time.

^^Check out those buck teeth! Thank goodness for braces!

Birthday the Eighth

I wish I had more pictures to show you from this awesome party. It was a fashion show. Everyone brought their own outfits to model but my mom had a ton of her friends to do nails and hair and make-up. Then we had a runway made of a couple tables that weren't set up and lots of lights and tulle. Plus at the end was this awesome Barbie painting. (still into Barbie).

Birthday the Ninth

At nine years old, I was finally old enough for my first slumber party! Since I had a birthday party the previous year, this one was just tiny. No decorations but I got to have 4 friends spend the night! I was thrilled.

Birthday the Twelfth

I don't have pictures of this one. When I turned twelve, traditionally the girls from church would surprise me in the morning on a Saturday and take me to breakfast in my pajamas (to welcome me into the older girl's class and out of the kid's class). But at the time I was in a play that performed on Saturdays so it didn't work out. They did decorate my room though. 

Instead, on my actual birthday, my mom woke me up and rushed me to the front door where my best friend and neighbor was waiting, also in her pajamas. I was so confused as to what the rush was and what was going on, I assumed nuclear holocaust of some kind. Come to find out my mom just took us (and my siblings) out for a pajama breakfast before school. Unfortunately, following the shock of assuming nuclear war, I became violently ill in the Ihop bathroom. A for effort though, mom.

Birthday the Fifteenth

I finally had another party! I had all my friends over and we had cake, decorated like The Little Mermaid, and then went to see Tristan and Isolde. Then we made fun of Tristan and Isolde.

On my actual birthday, my mom sent me to school with a bag of gifts. Each one had a sticky note on it that said things like, "Open after first period", so I got to open presents all day!

Birthday the Sixteenth

All I wanted to do on my sixteenth birthday was go on my 'first date' with the guy who definitely wasn't my boyfriend because I wasn't allowed to date until I turned sixteen. We had a lovely evening and when he dropped me off at home I found that my two best friends had been driving around town looking for me, (well they went to my work and then my house) to bring me cupcakes. They also decorated my bedroom. I think there still may be remnants of streamers in there.

Birthday the Seventeenth

My seventeenth birthday day was just a little family gathering with some gifts. But that weekend I was set to take the SATs. I came home late from my shift at Outback Steakhouse, tired and ready to get in pajamas and call it a night. Once I got comfy the doorbell started to ring. One by one my four best friends and then my boyfriend showed up for a little surprise party. And then my mom pulled out the Barbie cake. That's right. I desperately wanted a Barbie cake like I had when I was younger (maybe birthday the sixth??). It's a Barbie doll stuck in cake and the icing is decorated so it looks like her dress. I told you I liked Barbie for a long time.

Birthday the Eighteenth

By my eighteenth birthday I was obviously big into the selfie movement. Although back then it wasn't called a selfie and I used a digital camera, not my crappy flip phone. I had to spend my birthday at a scholarship weekend for a university in Atlanta that I did not end up attending. But my mom made a big trip of it and we stayed in a hotel and ate at a fancy rotating restaurant. 

Later, my best friend (the one with the cupcakes on birthday the sixteenth) took me to see Stomp at the Fox theater. 

Birthday the Nineteenth

My nineteenth birthday was the day I bought my wedding dress. And I tried on a whole pile of ugly ones before I decided on the one. Chris was in Colorado, stuck because of a snow storm, but he had some lovely flowers delivered to my dorm room.

^^That's the one!!

My mom had arranged for me to get a cake from my dorm office. But obviously whoever took down the message was not paying attention. I picked up my 19th birthday cake with a little note that said, "Your 20th will be the best, Happy 19th." Not sure what that's supposed to mean but I laughed a lot and I still have that little note.

Birthday the Twentieth

My first birthday as a married woman. We just had a low-key get together in our apartment and I ate a lot of cake. (A LOT).

Birthday the Twenty-First

You guys remember the disastrous surprise party that Chris threw me, right?? He was so cute about it though. That was him trying to make up for all my mom's awesome parties. 

Birthday the Twenty-Second

This one was in Hawaii. We went to the Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki and Chris got me a pick a pearl necklace.

Birthday the Twenty-Third

I was so pumped for my birthday last year. It was my golden birthday! 23 on the 23rd! The plan was to go to the Cheesecake Factory for my actual birthday but we hardly got to order before Evelyn threw a conniption fit and we had to get our food to go and leave. Kinda lame. 

But I did go all out with gold decorations for my gold themed birthday party!

^^All those balloons have pictures of yours truly hanging off the bottom.

^^So much gold everything!

Birthday the Twenty-Fourth

And that brings us to today, my twenty fourth birthday!! My plans are pretty simple. We're going to attempt the Cheesecake Factory again this year but this time we got a babysitter! 

Wanna know how it feels to be 24? Well I've finally realized that I'm not 16 anymore. I feel like I'm actually an adult now. Apparently the getting married, having a baby, graduating college, buying a house, and getting pregnant with baby number two weren't enough. It wasn't until now that it's really sinking in. 

So here's to adulthood!

What a scary thought.