Cool Baby Clothes: The Circus

A few months ago I saw an ad for The Greatest Show on Earth, the circus, of course! I immediately decided that we must take Isabelle. I hadn't been since I was very young, and I had vague memories of this ultimate childhood experience, so I was anxious to relive it through the eyes of my own child! My parents decided to take our family (minus Collier) as a birthday gift to me since it fell on the weekend before my 34th. Little did I know the irony of the situation.

I knew that life would be much different with 2 young kids. I remembered those sleepless nights, the frustrating, confusing days with a newborn. Did I eat something bad to make him act this way? Is he hungry? Overtired? Gassy? Reflux? Well, he's just a newborn! Comes with the territory. They say 6-8 weeks is the peak of fussiness. And a 2 1/2 year old is possibly at the peak of her "bipolar" craziness (although I hear 3 is really when we'll really get a run for our money).

A few years ago I envisioned my years with young children being focused solely on them. I dreamed of spending days worrying only about meals to cook, diapers to change, tears to dry. Cakes could take the backseat for a couple years because this time with my babies is so special and fleets by so fast....and it's demanding in itself!

But when you own a business, no matter the size, you rarely take a day off. I have wonderful flexibility, and I am so thankful that I am my own boss, but it really never lets up. I was scheduling cake tastings while in the hospital because I didn't want to lose potential customers. I had 3 meetings with clients just 3 weeks after Collier was born. And I immediately felt the pressure to start making cakes because customers wanted my cakes, and I have medical bills to pay!

So, surprise, surprise, here I am back to full-time work, 8 weeks after my 2nd baby's birth. It's not what I had originally planned, but that's life.

There are evenings when Isabelle is running around, being a wild child, Collier is crying and can't be consoled, Brian and I are trying to cook dinner, and the house is really like a 3 ring circus. But, the real circus is in my brain. I have a million business things on my mind...cake designs to work on, proposals to send out, marketing, create an updated portfolio, improve the website, decide if I am crazy to take on 3 wedding cakes in one weekend this Spring with a 5 month old and 2 year old (will Brian have a job then? if so, yay! if so, yikes! how will I manage it all?)...the list goes on and on and on. And along with the business clutter, I am thinking about what childcare I need to arrange for the following week so that I can get work done. Brian is home now, and he is a huge help (he is such an amazing father!!!). But he needs his own time to work on the job search, and there are very few quiet moments in this house. He is having phone interviews and setting up meetings with contacts, sometimes in between cleaning the house and picking Isabelle up from school. We are constantly juggling back and forth...I am trying to give him his own time without kids (like wild lions) to tame and he knows I have to retreat to the bakement a few times a day.

At the circus last weekend, I was captivated by the acrobatic ballerinas, floating in bubbles hanging from the ceiling, and the crazy people hopping around on horses...even the motorcyclists had me mesmerized as they all sped around inside a globe.

But right now we are living in our own little circus, conducting our own death-defying acts! I realize that we are not alone...most families with an infant and a toddler would probably call their household a circus too. When Collier is refusing a bottle for the 6th time that week, Izzy is having a meltdown because she can't get her shoe on herself, and I am on the phone with a customer, I have to remember that this juggling act will soon get easier. The circus is wild (and even scary!) at times. But it can be quite fun. And always entertaining!

Isabelle thorougly enjoyed her popcorn while we sat waiting for the show to begin. We all had a ball!

Collier is just as cute as can be. He is smiling up a storm!

Love that hair.

Sissy loves her baby brother!

Isabelle's buddy, Laine, came over last week. These 2 girls LOVE babies!

Isabelle made sure Laine knew Collier is her baby. He's "mize".

Ring around the rosie with Laine and Louise.

I had a very special birthday last Monday. It really was a perfect day. Brian and I got away for 3 whole hours that afternoon to see the incredible movie, Les Miserables. I am a huge fan of the musical and this movie lived up to my expectations....I had a hard time keeping myself from belting out On my Own in the theater!

Later that night we celebrated at my parent's house with my brother and Laurie and Brian's parents. It was very festive. However, I think Isabelle was convinced it was her own birthday.

My mom dared to make a delicious cake for me! I LOVE my mama's cakes:)

Got a little help with the candles...

And with opening gifts...

And trying on gifts...whose birthday is this anyway?

The past few weeks I've been easing back into baking, taking a few orders every week. A couple of the cakes were for very special people in my life. This one was a baby shower cake for my dear friend Elizabeth ("Sanders") Walker, and old highschool friend.

Her husband is obssessed with air jordans. I didn't think he'd approve of these classic baby shoes, so I decided to make him a mini version of (one of) his favorite shoes, in cake form.