First Birthday Party

The first Saturday in September was Caden's first birthday party. My mom and sister came earlier in the week and my dad drove up for the weekend. We invited some families from church. It was a simple party: food, balloons, presents, and cupcakes and ice cream. The theme was monsters: I bought the tablecloth and plates for 97 cents each at Wal-mart and made construction-paper monsters to put on the walls. Caden's outfit says "Daddy's little monster."

I made cupcakes and frosting from scratch. I rarely bake, and usually from a box, so this was a huge step for me. The cupcakes were dense and the frosting was too sweet. Still, I was very proud of myself!

Caden wasn't too fond of his cupcake. I forced some in his mouth, but he didn't like it. I can't complain about having a baby who doesn't like sweets. That's fine with me!

We got him him the hammer and nails and a felt toolbelt with tools from IKEA. He got lots of toys from my parents, lots of clothes from all Justin's family, and books, a DVD, and clothes from his friends.

Little Miss Indecisive

Remember my post on purse shopping? Well, shortly thereafter I decided I didn't like my purse. A few days later, when I finally had the car and time, I went back to Kohl's and looked at my second favorite again. I transferred items from one purse to the other to compare the feel. I still didn't like the small outer pockets of the other one, but liked the larger interior, cuter style, and cheaper price. I decided to get it. I went to customer service to ask about their exchange policy since I had used a gift card and coupon. The lady said I would have to return the purse and then buy the other one. The gift card money would be given back as store credit, but I still needed another coupon; the one I had gotten in my email had expired a day earlier. I left with the original purse. To my delight, a few days later I received another coupon. I went back to the store, this time Justin also with me and Caden, and did one last check before I bought the purse. Of course, I changed my mind again. I decided the purse I bought was definitely more comfortable and the big pockets were so convenient. After all that, I kept the original purse, and I love it now too.

I haven't been this indecisive in a long time! Ever since I got married, I have been really good about shopping quickly and only buying things I am 200 percent in love with. I don't know what happened this time.

"Provo, UT Girls"

Man, I miss BYU! I wish I had gone to more Divine Comedy shows.

First Birthday Photos

We decided to take professional photos of Caden for his first birthday since we didn't do newborn ones. We got them done at JC Penney. Here are the collages with the best poses.

He had a red mark on his cheek from a bump or something that he got the day before the shoot.

Don't like the way I look, of course. I love the kissing one.

Outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Nishimoto. The pants were a little big. Overall, a good experience and cute photos.

Purse Shopping

I had been looking around for a purse the last few months. The one I have I love, but it is four years old and faded, and the strap is about the break. And I wanted something a bit bigger.

I got in the mail a couple weeks ago a $10 gift card to Kohl's. I had checked a Kohl's recently not to find anything, but last Thursday I decided to check the one close to us since I had the gift card and a 15-percent-off coupon. To my surprise, I found many I liked. But not loved. While I am trying to be more stylish, especially in accessories, practicality is my weakness. None of the purses had all the features I wanted: size, style, organization (the biggest factor), and price. I got it down to four:

1. Chaps purse in leopard print. Gorgeous. Very sophisticated. Too small. Side pockets lacked a closure--items may fall out easily. Pricey.

2. Nine & Co. purse. Similar exterior design and shape as my current purse. Plenty of compartments. Great price. Zippered main compartment; wanted snap. Too safe in style. Not easy to retrieve items while holding Caden.

3. Nine & Co. purse in black, not silver, which is a little too out of my comfort zone. Very stylish (love the rouching), large, compartmentalized, easy to reach inside. Great price. Outside pockets way too small.

4. Apt. 9 purse in black, not ugly tan. Slightly smaller than aforementioned purse but same interior design. Outside pockets large enough for water bottle (I always have one with me). Very comfortable. Not as pretty and a bit more expensive.

I finally narrowed it down to the last two. They were basically the same in design, just slight differences, the biggest being the style. Of course, practicality won. I got the last one because it was very comfortable and could hold a water bottle and sippy cup. I'm still getting used to it. It's much larger than my previous purse. I still like the third purse better, but I know I would not have been completely happy with it either. I'd rather be unhappy with style than function, which is why I did not choose that purse. Which would you have chosen?