Swoon & Sigh: 1 year old

Dear Veda,

I can't believe a year has past since the day you were born! Everyone says it flies by, and they're right.. It amazes me how much you've grown and changed in that short year- from a tiny helpless infant to a walking, dancing, babbling baby. You've changed our lives completely in the best way possible. You are pure love and joy and I have so enjoyed seeing the world anew through your eyes!

*You are full on walking these days and only crawl once in a while. You're pretty coordinated and seem to always have something in your hand as you're strolling along - usually your sippy cup. You are loving all the space we have in our new house and wander from the kitchen to the dining room and into the living room. There's so much to explore and you have little stations in each room with a few of your toys and books. You're also a pretty good dancer and love our mini family dance parties.

*You've mastered going up the stairs and even gave us a scare the other day when we accidentally left the door open and you crawled all the way to the top! You are working on going down still. Fortunately, you are a cautious girl and don't really attempt things until you are relatively certain that you can achieve them.

*Besides "dada", the word you say the most is "dat"- as in "what's that?" as you point at an object or person in question. It amazes me the things you have become aware of and can differentiate.. You sometimes will make animals sounds like "moo" when prompted. It is always surprising to me the things that you understand. We're still working on signs besides "milk" which you use regularly.

*You are becoming a good helper. You have helped me to load the dishwasher and put your toys away. You've also gotten really into sharing. It's just amazing to see these skills emerge!

*You're doing really well feeding yourself, though you still are relatively finicky as to what you will eat. Fruit, as always, is top of your favorites list, as well as pasta, eggs and cheese. Vegetables are the hardest, though I've snuck a few in to muffins and soups that you seem to like. You're definitely a peanut- probably somewhere around 17lbs. But you're a healthy, active girl on the go!

*We are loving our new home and all the space and rooms to wander around in and explore. We've also been having an unseasonably warm winter and have been able to spend a lot of time outdoors, exploring our yard and going for walks down the block. You take your little push cart and we collect leaves and sticks. And of course you point and ask me what "dat" is to everything!

*We had a fun little birthday party for you yesterday. Some of our friends made the trip over from Brooklyn. It was so wonderful to be able to have a get together with lots of friends and family all comfortably gathered under 1 roof. It's just such a novelty. You were a trooper- and really enjoyed the company, especially your wee pals who came. Nana and great grandma were here which was very special. You had your first taste of cake and it was a hit! All in all it was a lovely day and we felt so grateful to be able to share this special event.

*All weekend I kept thinking about where we were 1 year ago.. waking in the morning and knowing that the day had come.. laboring at home and then heading to the hospital.. all the while knowing that soon we would get to meet you. I remember the moment you came into the world and were laid upon my belly. In that moment I was changed forever- I became a mama. Thank you for the privilege little bird.

All my love,
mama
xoxo

the birthday girl!

the birthday cake: vanilla cake with swiss meringue buttercream frosting was a labor of love.. it took me 3 days! I'm not a very experienced baker (though I really enjoy it, I have zero self control, so I don't really like to keep baked goods around the house), so I'm really pleased that I was able to pull this off. It's far from perfect, but it was fun and most of it was gone at the end of the day- the biggest compliment of all!

we are blessed..

party hats!

sparkling lemonade and sparkling berry

lovely garland

a glitter banner

carnations should not be underestimated (even when up against the mighty anemone)

a bit of glitter and some fun streamers

what's a party without balloons!

me and my favorite girl

so I had this brilliant idea that I would have sparkles that spelled out Veda's name for the cake....

here we are attempting to light them just inside the front door (apparently sparklers are for outdoor use only. duh.), but they were duds and we could only get 1 lit. party foul.. ; )