The Life of a Running Momma: Carter's 3rd Birthday

Sunday evening I asked Carter what he wanted to do for his birthday the following day. I was willing to let him choose anything and was surprised when he requested to go to the playground with Brylee, Hayden, and Grant. I explained why Brylee and Hayden wouldn't be able to go, but invited Grant. Carter was excited to find out that Grant would be able to join us. That morning when Carter woke up was one of the first mornings since Ty has started going into work early that Carter didn't cry when he realized his daddy was already gone and had eaten breakfast without him. That was a present to me because it has been heartbreaking for me! When we headed into the kitchen he was surprised by the streamers hanging in his bedroom door and balloons on the floor in the kitchen. I'd say we spent a good 30 minutes playing with balloons before ever eating breakfast. Carter would throw the balloons in the air and bat them around while Elise crawled toward balloons on the floor. It was so much fun! For breakfast Carter had a blueberry bagel from his Gma and Gpa. I put a candle in it, sang him Happy Birthday, and then he blew out the candle. He loved that I gave him the cream cheese and let him spread it on the bagel himself.

Playing with the balloons I left out on the floor.

He really enjoyed his blueberry bagel from Gma and Gpa.

After breakfast Elise went down for a nap. I ran on the treadmill in the garage so Carter wouldn't have to go on a run in the stroller since he hasn't been enjoying them lately and so we'd have plenty of time to bake his cake and make macaroni and cheese after naps. Carter played in the house a little bit and then came out to keep me company, riding his trike and climbing on Ty's workout bench. It was fun talking to him as I ran. Then Carter helped me pack our lunch to take with us to the playground. He was so cute, wanting to pack food for his friend. He packed a juice box for himself, me, Grant, and Grant's mom. Then he wanted to pack an extra container of blueberries for Grant. He also packed a yogurt for everyone and then wanted to pack leftover cupcakes but we had run out of room. The boys had such a blast playing together at the playground and the weather was amazing. It was sunny and 50 degrees with not too much wind. Carter declined a jacket and gloves and seemed to do fine although his hands appeared to get cold toward the end.

When we headed over to eat lunch I was lagging behind and Elissa, Grant's mom, told me as they sat down, Carter told them we had packed them lunch. He was so excited to hand Grant his blueberries and ask him which flavor juice box he would like. It was such a fun outing! Elise annihilated a banana, holding it herself and eating it without me cutting it up for her. I was so impressed! The playground Carter had chosen was right across from the hospital he was born at. I didn't think anything of it when he first chose the playground. As we were driving there I started reminiscing about the drive there with Ty after my water broke. I was timing contractions and wondering if labor was actually beginning. Then as we were playing I would look over at the hospital and think about what we had been doing at that time 3 years ago. We left the playground at about the time my parents had arrived at the hospital the day Carter was born. It was so sweet to remember those moments.

Elise went right down for a nap when we got home and then Carter and I headed into the kitchen for a little birthday treat. He chose to have some ice cream and we discussed pretty much the entire time why chocolate ice cream is brown while vanilla is white. It was so funny. Then I let him open one of his presents from me and Ty which was a Curious George book. We read the book and then headed off for a nap. We started in Carter's bed but he just couldn't fall asleep so we moved to Ty and my bed where I napped with Carter for about 45 minutes before waking up and tidying up the house after our crazy busy weekend as Carter finished his nap. He slept for about an hour and a half which is on the longer side for one of his naps these days.

One of my favorite things we did last year was let Carter pick out and then bake his own birthday cake on his actual birthday. This year he chose orange funfetti frosting and wanted a purple cake so we got a white cake and dyed it purple. For decorations he chose gummy minions, candy cane kisses (which he kept mentioning his Opa would like), and Kit Kats. I was glad he chose Kit Kats again because it made me think of his Kit Kat train on his cake last year. He loved that we mixed red and blue food coloring to make the cake purple and told everyone he talked to, including his Auntie Ang who Facetimed us to tell him happy birthday! I made my great grandma's macaroni and cheese recipe since Carter requested mac and cheese for dinner and then we had salads and blueberries to go with it. Over the weekend Carter had excitedly invited Jeremy and Thomas over for dinner and cake on his birthday. Jeremy came for dinner and Thomas came later for cake.

Making his purple cake.

He was excited for his special dinner of macaroni and cheese and blueberries!

At 5:58, the exact time Carter was born, we dumped out the confetti from the sensory bin on his head. I wish I had thought ahead and had Jeremy take a picture because I didn't catch Carter's reaction. Then he opened his presents from Ty and me along with a present our neighbor brought over for him and a present from my aunt and uncle which arrived in the mail that day. Carter ended up not eating much cake, saying his tummy was full and requested that everyone feel how full it was for confirmation. Then he was off to play with his new Cars play mat and cars on the floor. He asked his uncies to play with him and, of course, they obliged. After dinner Carter was excited to finish watching the Lion King, which he got as a present from Oma and Opa and had started the night before. He sat right between his uncies and when I came in after putting Elise to bed he was covering his ears because it was the climatic ending where Simba and Scar fight. He loved the ending and it was a great way to top off his 3rd birthday. Read about Carter's first birthday here and 2nd birthday here.