Little Miss Gracie turned one last Friday! Holy buckets, I cannot believe how fast the year flew by. It really does feel like such a short time ago that we brought her home from the hospital. Ryan and I were remembering the events that took place a year ago as her birthday came and went. We thought about our big dinner at Hereford House the night we went in for the induction. We recalled the night she was born and remembered the exhaustion, beyond exhaustion, we felt that night. Sleeping for and hour or so and then being awoken by the nurse to feed Gracie. For the first several weeks, we lived life in short 2 - 3 snippets. What a difference one year makes. Gracie is on a much more predictable schedule now and we are both more comfortable in our roles and Momma and Dada.
Ryan took the day off for her birthday. We set out her presents and she noticed them right away. She opened them before she even got dressed for the day... kind of like Christmas! Her froggy rocker was definitely her favorite, although tearing wrapping paper into tiny little pieces was a highlight, too! We celebrated with ice cream after dinner, saving cake for the party on Saturday. She liked the ice cream okay, but would much prefer blueberries, watermelon, or some other fruit. Hmm... now that I think of it, maybe we aren't related!
Gracie is a busy, growing girl. She's begun walking holding onto only one hand. Last night, she even took a step to me on her own. She is developing her own opinions and quite a personality. She likes to tickle Dada all the time. She closes her eyes and scrunches up her face when she's really happy. She's super ticklish and giggles with glee every time she plays with Tysie. She cries when we come inside from swinging and stands at the back door to point at her water table, saying "mamamamamama" or "dat, dat, dat, dat" which translates to "Momma, I want that!" She pushes around her walking toys and crashes into everything. Ryan and I have learned how to strategically place ourselves around the living room to help her steer the track around the coffee table. Before naps and bed we read books. No matter if we read one book or ten, she always cries when we put the last one away. She loves her baby bear lovey and can't fathom night-night time without her paci. When we eat out at restaurants or go to church, Gracie flirts with whoever will look at her. She smiles and waves, but does not want anyone to come near... just admire her cuteness from afar. She is, most definitely, our pride and joy.
Her birthday party was on Saturday. A sunshine themed event for all of her family and a few close friends to enjoy. It was a perfect day for celebrating Gracie's first trip around the sun. We ate sandwiches and opened presents under the maple trees in the backyard. She wore only her diaper as she ate her birthday cake. I anticipated her making a giant mess of things (see the spaghetti post a few days ago) but the whole experience was a little overwhelming for Gracie. She began by trying to grab the fire on the candle in her cake. She wasn't burned, but startled by my sudden reaction. Everyone watching her brought out her shy side... which is not too abnormal these days. The party was so much fun for our family, though. She was spoiled beyond belief and I have since had to reorganize her toys. It was a memorable day and a fantastic way to celebrate our Little Sunshine.
Here are a few pictures of her actual birthday and then her birthday party!
Super Sleepy Birthday Girl
Birthday Cake, looking overwhelmed!
Startled by Momma's quick movement when she grabbed the flame!
No burn, thankfully!
That's about as messy as it got! Boo!
