Planning for Parties

I've been a bit down for a day or so. Something got into me, a random thought that struck me as Katie and I were going for a walk the other day. In my head, I couldn't stop thinking of the baby, of things I wanted to do when it's born, ideas for Christmas, and just excitement in general for this new life to be expanding our family. And then it hit me anew, to realize how devastating it was to lose Elizabeth. I was like this with her, but even moreso. I was even more eager, more happy...because I knew her. In a way I can't figure out how to express, I knew her closer than anything. I knew she was a girl, I knew how her personality would be - from the type of infant she would be like to the type of adult. I knew the things she would like, and how our relationship would be together. Even from such an early on time, I knew her, probably better than I even know Katie. It was just this overwhelming sense. It wasn't my imagination, it was her telling me who she was, because she knew I wouldn't have the time with her to learn day by day.

It hurts to remember how much of a life I had planned for her, how much I knew her and then lost her. Being excited for this baby, getting so thrilled at the idea and making plans, makes me think back on the hurt of losing Elizabeth.

Tonight, I decided not to focus on that. This baby is it's own life, and while there's pain there, plans need to be made and excitement needs to be had over this little one. In contrast to Elizabeth, I feel like I don't know this baby at all...but that's exciting too. I decided that holy cow, it's mid MAY. I need to start planning full force! Katie has a birthday party coming up really soon, and at the end of that party is a big gender reveal! (You know, hopefully...as long as baby decides to show us...if not it's going to be a very lackluster gender party! "As it turns out, your guess is as good as ours. Oops?"

So today I sat down with a notebook and two windows open in Pinterest and went to it. I wrote down every idea that I wanted to do inspired by Pinterest, I wrote down everything that I wanted to do from my own ideas, and then drew the whole thing out. I figured out how to do both parties in one day but to keep them separate, what the menu will be (a Minnie Lunch and a Gender Reveal dessert menu), all the decorations and color coordination, I figured out the exact way to announce the gender (there will be gender cake, but that'll just be for eating!), what will go in the goodie bags, and figured out some fun things for everyone to do.

I wish I could type it all up here. I could write it all where it's easily accessible and with pictures to describe each thing...but how fun would that be on party day? So I guess I'll just keep this paper, hope I don't lose it, and start to work on the decorations (because there will be A LOT of stuff to do for both of these parties! Last year I started getting ready for ONE party in March, and here I am trying to do two in much less time!)

Now to figure out...what will I dress Katie in?? I can not begin to settle on an outfit!