Anna's first birthday!

Dearest Anna,

Your momma was having all kinds of emotions on your first birthday. My baby! Becoming a toddler! How did it (really truly) go so fast? In a way, I am ready - I love your little one year old self and can't wait to see what you will do next! But on the other hand, we've grown accustom to having babies in this house and it is strange for you to be leaving that stage. To be piling up your baby bathtub, door jumper, boppy pillows, and slings to be...given away. All of those things have rotated through our home for 8 years...

But you are such a sweet baby, and we ALL love you so so much! (Well, Luke is coming around. He's 3, and you get into his stuff and he doesn't understand, but he still looks out for you if you are approaching danger). One of my greatest joys is seeing how much your older siblings adore you. I could not have imagined it - they are completely smitten. You can do no wrong in their eyes, you are the perfect baby, they ooohh and aaahhh over you like they really get it.  And even they were a little sad on your birthday because it means that you are growing up. And you love your Daddy - you go nuts when he walks in the door.

A snapshot of you at 12 months: you crawl at lightning speed and can climb stairs but can't figure out how to get down. You are so close to walking - you stand for 2 minutes at a time and even lean down to pick something up and stand back up. Close. I think you have about 3 words, even though they all sound like "da!". It's the context that let's me know whether you are saying "bye-bye," telling me you are "done" with your food, or calling for your brother David. I know there will be some skeptics reading this, but that is seriously what you mean. You love the dishwasher - come running whenever you hear it open. You suck your thumb a lot (as you can see in photos). You like to give kisses, especially through the railings as you go up the stairs for bed. We are in the process of learning to take whole milk from a bottle instead of nurse, and you are doing really well with that. You eat so many regular foods now - it started on our trip to Kentucky and you have never looked back. Maybe that's why you grew a little more for this well visit. Your stats at one year were 18 lbs 14 oz (35%'ile) and 28.5" (25%'ile). 

You've taken awhile to warm up to people other than your immediate family (everyone jokes that you cry when anyone except me holds you). But you are really getting better:  you just decided that you like the nursery at church! Just like that! No tears, just playing, 3 times in a row now.

Please don't think that just because you didn't have as big of a soiree as your older sister did for her first birthday that yours was any less important. That party back in 2007 was really more for your dad and I. We were really excited that we made it through the first year of parenthood and wanted to celebrate! For your first birthday, we just enjoyed being with you. (Unfortunately for a 4th child on a Thursday during the school year, that means we were working your birthday around sports practice, but it was still a good time.)

It's hard to come up with birthday gift ideas for a 4th child who also just had Christmas. But Grammy sent this and it is a hit! The big kids love it, too.

 

Not my best cake, but it tasted just as good.

Giving Oma birthday kisses!

We had this toy when we were little, and Oma had a Christmas ornament on her tree this year that looked like this toy, which you were obsessed with. You chewed the stickers right off of it and carried it around everywhere. So I thought this gift was a great idea.

I made you a family photo book for your birthday, with recent up-close pictures of your family members with nametags. I made a similar one in 2006, but it had gotten torn up and out of date. You just stare and stare at these photos - all of these people love you so much!

Singing

Grammy and Papa John watching the candle blowing via Facetime.

In support of your birthday

She likes it! (mostly the icing)

The next day the kids were off school (again! for professional development) so we continued the celebration with my dad and Sue. First we met them at the big Graeter's with the play area and the place where you can see how they make the ice cream. Very interesting process. Aunt Mel met us there and Daddy came on his lunch break.

Banana split see saw

First ice cream! You ate half of a scoop, I was really impressed.

But you were really grabbing for Luke's chocolate.

Oh, and did I mention that we pretty much had ice cream for lunch? It's just the way the timing worked out.

Then we came home for naps, dinner, and gifts. Dad and Sue got you this cute rocking chair that you were really giggling about when we showed you how to rock. Look at all of these kids - so grown up - how did this happen?

So it was a great birthday, baby girl! I can hardly wait to see what this 2nd year will bring. You will grow and change so much.

Love you,
Mommy