Bailey's First Easter!

For Christmas Bailey was so new and little that I didn't do too much for the holiday, we let the family do it all! Easter was the first holiday since Bailey was born that I stayed up late at night cooking and preparing for the big day! I LOVE LOVE LOVE holidays. They are the best bits of life. I dream about the perfect holiday where the family all gathers, eats an awesome meal, hugs, laughs and it's the amazing stuff memories are made of. One day I'll get there!! Haha. For now I do my best to make holidays memorable and special. Sometimes it's the little things that don't go right that make it the most memorable! I probably won't ever forget the year Betty ate all of the Christmas cookies and broke my platter. Or they year Isabelle screamed her head off because she was terrified of the fireworks on the 4th of July. Or the six Hallmark's it took me to find the "Baby's First Christmas" Ornament I had my heart set on last year. But... I digress.

Bailey's first Easter was a hit! I stayed up Saturday night making Key Lime Cupcakes with coconut frosting! Oh my goodness they were divine! I think next time I'm going to actually hunt down key lime juice (or maybe some fresh key limes)... but they were the perfect after dinner treat!

I also made my mom's specialty- the "Hopping Bunny Bread". Holy toledo this stuff is difficult. I swear it is much more difficult to be an adult on a holiday than a child. As a kid- I came downstairs in my pj's, chowed down on festive yummies, then ate myself sick on Easter candy, went to church and bounced off the pews, then came home, ate more candy and fell asleep with a tummy-ache. What a hard life.

As an adult- i stay up for hours and let bread dough rise 3 times so that I can braid it into little bunnies. Grate my thumb while preparing orange peel for the dough, knead the dough for 15 minutes, etc. etc. etc. THEN get to dinner and have everyone tell you they look like ducks. Sigh. I tried. Do you see ducks??? I see bunny butts!

Hopefully Bailey will look back on the pictures of the amazing meal (that I forgot to take, durn... I can only do so much!) at least the awesome pictures of her bunny not duck bread and know that her Mommy did tons of fun things out of love.

Next up: Easter Baskets!!!! I finally appreciate the thought and effort it takes to get one of these ready. And holy cow, when did candy get so expensive!! Bailey is the proud owner of a Build A Bear Lambie! :) We named her Bean just for our Bean. A lambie for BAA :) Get it? Yes- we are those parents. The cheesy corny ones that are starting a sheep collection for our BAA. Trust me- there's a little bit of it in all of us.

Mommy also made a homeade bow for the princess to wear with her Easter Dress! I thought it was so darn cute, and the perfect colors. Oh what fun it is to dress a little girl!

Doesn't she look soooo freaking cute in this picture? This is the picture she'll look at when she's 20-something with her own little on the way and say, 'Oh my gosh Mom- look how awesome you were!' Well... a mom can hope right?

Yummmmmmmmmm- DRESS!!!! Yes we're in the mouth stage. For the most part, I don't try to stop her. I like to let her explore. If the dog's ears or the dirty diaper end up in her hands though- you better believe they're getting taken away!

Dude... Mom- where's all the candy???

You got me a BATHING SUIT!??!? YIPEE!!!

Nom nom nom... sooo yummy!

And of course a little Easter mess had to be on the agenda. :)

I love my lambie! Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen? No. Well you're wrong. Because it is. :) Even if I am a little biased.

I, trying to be the over-acheiving Mommy that I strive to be- decided to take super cute Easter pictures of Bailey. So after church I set her down and ran to get lambie....

I came back to this. Fail Mom. I should know better than to interfere with naptime. I couldn't resist a few shots though... there really isn't anything more precious in the world than a sleeping baby. :)

Much cuter than a screaming, crying, spitting up, red-faced, poopie-explosion baby. Although that is just as adorable... in it's own ear-splitting, messy way.

I also conveniently missed out on snapping any pictures at our family dinner. Which went surprisingly well. The Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes were aaaaaaaaaamazing! (yes I roasted the garlic myself! see- more slaving away), the ham was delicious, the Corn Casserole was divine and lots of other yummies were simply- yummy! Elisabeth: 1 - Holiday Impossible: 0!!