B-I-R-D day cake

Just a little taste of sweet icing to get her going...

A pause to think about the deliciousness...

Okay...time to dig in!

 

Here was the whole cake beforehand.  Lily ate the beak and we ate the rest of the bird.

It was special first birthday.  A few of my favorite moments had to be Lily "dancing" while everyone sang "Happy Birthday," the way she leaned back and smiled to herself when her cake was all gone, opening her piano from Pop and Sush, hugging her new baby doll from Grammy and Grandpa, and Uncle Mike almost knocking over the bird tree during the gift opening.  Thanks to all of our family for making it such a memorable one!  I've said it before, Lily is one lucky little girl. 

Oh, and a special thanks to Trey.  Thank you for sharing your birthday with Lily.

One year later

It really is hard to believe that a year has already gone by.  Before Lily was born, Tim and I spent months and months just wondering what she was going to be like, who she was going to look like, and longing for the days that we could just hold her in our arms.  All of our hopes and dreams could never have lived up to what we have been given.  Lily is more beautiful, more sweet, more loving, and more fun that I could ever have imagined.  She brings joy to the ordinary, surprise to the obvious, and challenge around each and every corner.  She's persistent, she's funny, she's smart, she's strong, she's resourceful, and she is oh. so. curious.  She is a little bit of me and a little bit of Tim, but has a blossoming new personality that is all her own.  We are truly blessed.  Thank you, Lil, for a wonderful year and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Your birth day last year...6:18 pm.

 

Your birthday this year!

I took a picture of Lily in her rocking chair this morning. She now climbs in and out of the chair herself.  It's too cute.  She will sometimes sit there and rock for a minute, well, maybe more like 10 seconds.  She is a busy girl :).  We will be celebrating Lil's birthday tomorrow with our families. I cannot wait to see what she thinks about cake.  We've been trying to test out her sweet tooth lately.  So far, she likes frozen yogurt, snow cones, and cherry icee, so I am thinking she is going to like cake and icing.  More to come!

The View

I've been telling people how Lil (yes, one of her many nicknames is Lil) just seems so aware of herself and her surroundings these days.  She is making connections all the time and just plain figuring things out.  It is hard to really explain, but this morning was a perfect example.  I had the tv on in the bedroom and she was cruising around the tv stand, playing with the remotes, and pulling out baskets as usual.  I really didn't think she was paying any attention to the tv, when she paused, and starting clapping.  I thought is was sort of a random clap, but then I realized they had just introduced a guest on The View, and the audience was clapping.  So, Lil had decided to clap, too. 

I certainly got a little laugh out of it.  Guess I better turn that tv off, huh?

She's a climber

Lily has taken to climbing the step ladder in the kitchen...guess that one is going to have to go!  She practiced this afternoon, and by this evening, she could climb the first step faster than I could get over to "spot" her.  The battery on the camera ran out before I could get a shot of her face, but you gotta love those chops. 

The birthday countdown is on...hard to believe our baby is going to be ONE!