Not to start this post off on a negative point, but last year on my birthday I was recovering from a stomach virus. Nothing too crazy—it was just that I sat up on the couch from 2:00 a.m. on, fighting nausea. So it was a lazy sick birthday.

History Repeats Itself

Fast forward to 3:30 a.m. the early morning of my birthday last Wednesday. Olivia threw up in her crib. Now, I have a whole post in the works on an update on my anxiety and vomit phobia, but I’ll say here I handled it better than the other three times she was sick last year. She luckily only threw up once more, after she had demanded to nurse and clearly her stomach wasn’t ready. But then she had gone back to sleep until 8:30 and was actually fine after that. I was all freaked out because I had taken a flu shot shift for that morning and it was coming with a $250 bonus. It all worked out and I went to the clinic and both Chris and I ended up being fine. Still. Not how I wanted to spend my birthday.

But we still got a date night

Saturday night, my parents came over to watch a now fully recovered Olivia so Chris and I could go out and celebrate my birthday and do our monthly date night. We chose P.F. Chang’s because I had a BOGO entree. Always the penny pincher. We did go out for dessert and coffee afterward but refrained from staying out past ten. Let’s not go crazy now.

It was nice getting out. We missed last month to get out on a date, and I needed this time away with him. Plus, I love Orange Chicken. And earlier that day, my best friend came by and took me out to eat at my favorite restaurant ever, Granite City and I had my burger and waffle fries with their sour cream dip. I’m obsessed.

Apple Orchards Are For Toddlers

Sunday, we met my family at the apple orchard we’ve been going to since I was a child. Olivia was just a baby last year, and this year, as a toddler, she was way more fun to have around.

Especially with dat pigtail. And Gap plaid dress clearly made for a toddler going to the apple orchard.

She loved watching the apples on the conveyer belt. Chris and I were trying to decide if we wanted to buy a bunch of apples this year for canning applesauce, but laziness or procrastination won out. We did get some apple rollovers and apple butter though.

And we bought Olivia and her cousin some little gourds which they both thought was pretty cool.

Olivia loved the tractor ride. The long line beforehand not so much, but being in the tractor was pretty cool. Afterward, I waited outside with Olivia while the rest of the family got our food.

Picking Pumpkins

We had to forgo the corn maze because it was way too muddy, but there were a ton of pumpkins in the field to touch and attempt to carry around.

We found our pumpkin to carve for Halloween and I told Olivia if she could carry one of the little pumpkins all the way to Daddy, he would buy it for her. #challengeaccepted

We left around noon to go back home for pizza and card opening. And Mom got me some pajama pants because she knows what I like. Turning 32 wasn’t so bad. Well, minus the poor barfing baby and my anxiety. But at least I get this: