The Birthday Girl Turns One... All Week Long!

On Ellie's first birthday morning, we did a birthday parade into her room around 8:30 (she slept late for her birthday & I couldn't stand it any longer and had to wake her up!  However, she did wake up during the night and I was able to tell her happy birthday around 1am...)

So...

R, Will, & I paraded into her room with cameras singing happy birthday.  We were supposed to have balloons but somehow I forgot them at the store.

This is how she was sleeping - too precious.

Ellie takes after her daddy in the mornings... bright and happy.

Someone else around here takes after his mama...

The singing continued while we changed her.  She isn't wearing any pajamas because our a/c broke again this week on Monday & wasn't repaired until Thursday!  Thankfully, our ac that controls the bedrooms was working but the rest of the house reached a balmy 91 degrees!  It was rather stifling!  So, Ellie went pj free to try to keep her cool.

For breakfast, I surprised her with a cake pop - her very first taste of chocolate ever & her first taste of cake ever.

This is the look I got in return:

I believe she may have been wondering where her hard boiled egg and yogurt were.

But, not one to be a spoilsport, she gave it a try...

She wasn't too interested in the cake pop for breakfast... but by her dessert cake that night, she was sold!

We escaped the heat both outdoors & indoors with a swim

And while I had planned on making one of her favorite meals - spaghetti & green beans & having a simple dinner & cake as a little family, the house was really, really hot & we were really, really cranky...

so my mom graciously offered her home & offered to cook so that I wouldn't have to raise the temp at all by turning on the stove or oven.

And being my mom, she outdid herself with a fantastic spaghetti dinner and rented a pink tablecloth & had pink roses.  Perfect!

Both Ellie & I felt very loved!

Ellie makes lots of funny faces.  I don't know why she is giving me this look but it seems she may have been mad at me

And then it was time for her first birthday cake!

She was in awe of the flames!

 And we repeatedly interrupted the singing to yell "no touch" as she wanted to experience the flame.

 And bad mama that I am, after we helped her blow them out, I didn't get the candles out quickly enough & she touched the hot wick. 

which led to lots of tears ...

and which were remedied by the taste of delicious cake

You know what I love?

I love watching someone experience life and all it has to offer for the very first time.  The rest of her life, she will eat cake and it won't seem as special as the very first time she tasted icing...

what an honor to be her mommy and bake her a cake & serve her.

And how flattered I am that she loved every last bite of icing.  The cake, she was ambivalent about.  The icing?  Loved it!

Ellie with her Cookie & Lovie

Sharing with mommy

Yum - those fingers never tasted so good!

(look at R's face - he is grossed out... but a mama never refuses a shared bite)

Our little family...

and one very happy, very sugared up ONE year old!

And then she opened a few presents...

with the help of her big brother who had to be frequently reminded that although she will share her new toys with him and he can play too... technically they are HERS!

Her daddy wrote her a precious letter and gave her beautiful pearl earrings in the hopes that she will someday wear them as he walks her down the aisle.

One of his dreams when we learned we were going to have a daughter was to be able to walk her down the aisle... for so long we were so uncertain she would live very long.

We know we have no guarantees... but we are thankful for every day we get and for the hope of a future with her here with us.

And the girl does love jewelry.

By Friday, we had a/c again!  And R's parents, Honey & G-Dad, came to town to celebrate!

Ellie & Will had fun opening more gifts (early b-day gifts for Will - 1 week to go for him!)

Ellie loves baby dolls and is so excited for her first American Girl "Bitty Baby."

I found her one day recently curled up sound asleep with a doll in her arms.

Saturday, the boys (Will, R, & G-Dad) went to the Children's Museum and had a blast while the girls got ready for the party.

I am so thankful to Honey, my mom, & my grandmother who helped make it perfect!

We invited family and neighbors and some close friends to celebrate Ellie's first birthday with us...

 (front of invite above, back of invite below)

(sorry for fuzzy invite images -  my friend Kelly at www.caproncollection.blogspot.com designed the invitations perfectly!

The Birthday Girl awaiting her guests

The table:

Petit Fours - with her monogram, of course

I wanted to create a really nice evening - kind of a "tea party" esque feeling... with delicate finger foods and sparkling pink lemonade and real glasses.  I wanted it to feel feminine and lovely.

I make no claims of being a baker... but I do like to do homemade cakes for my kiddos.  Here is Ellie's butterfly cake:

The drink table - lots of pink lemonade!

Ellie doing her "party tricks" - rolling all over!

The front door with lots of pink, silver butterfly wreaths, & the bubble machine going full force (thanks, LeeAnn!)

The entry table - for party favors I had pink and green jelly beans and peppermint sticks for children and roses for families.  With each rose bouquet, we attached a note thanking people for coming and letting them know a donation to Scottish Rite had been made in their honor.  We wanted to thank everyone (including many of you and our friends and family in West Texas) who have been so supportive and loving and who have truly celebrated Ellie this year and we hope that a donation to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in the honor of all of you who have had a significant impact in her life will be a more meaningful favor.

We are so thankful and blessed and we realize that your support of our family has often come at a great effort.

Showing Ellie the bubbles

Ellie gave her mama lots of sweet girl hugs

I ordered some beautiful pro cake pops (with "E" on them) & also made some of my own to supplement them.  I tried all week to master how to make them... I finally got the recipe down but I never could get mine to be this pretty!

Ellie & her friend, Ellie

Will was a great host & enjoyed making sure everyone got a cake pop!

I loved singing to our girl!

And she loved another serving of icing!

Ellie gave lots of love to her guests!

Our neighbors & lovely babysitters

I hung a few favorite pictures up from each month of Ellie's life

I used to take birthdays for granted.  I loved them and they were important and a big deal... but they seemed like a natural part of life.  I expected them.

I've learned with my precious kiddos not to expect birthdays.  I've prayed and hoped and for awhile believed I would never have this day... of course, I had planned that we would celebrate monthiversaries,  or maybe even dailyverseries... whatever I got with her I would celebrate.... but I didn't know I would get this - a full year and the hope of more.

I have been overwhelmed this week by gratitude.  My mom recently told me that she has observed that R & I seem to enjoy every minute of our pregnancies and children - I hope this is true... because we are too aware that it is fleeting and it is not guaranteed and we really are so very blessed and thankful.   I have been so thankful to celebrate her entire first year and to be able to share the celebration with some of the many people who have loved us and walked beside us this year.  

So, Happy Birthday to our Ellie Girl & Thank You to those of you who have Prayed and Supported and Loved and Celebrated her with us!