reverently, quietly

she just decided to start folding her arms one day.  she also decided to show us what she was eating.  great example of quiet dignity. 

winner, winner, chicken dinner

minnie found some of my old race medals and couldn't get enough of them.

happy birthday little miss minnie mae!

happy happy birthday minnie! 

 

i think we were all much more excited about the cake than she was. 

we were really careful with the candle.  

that tutu and fire would not have been a good pair. 

stripped down for the main event. 

just getting a feel for things.

trying to figure out what to make of all this.

a little coaxing from daddy to help the get things moving. 

all the kiddos were so excited to see what minnie would do with her cakc. 

we moved in to the high chair to see if

we could commit minnie into getting down to business. 

the move to the high chair was successful...

especially if mess measures success.

presents! 

i don't think tate liked minnie's game. 

even though this post is a month late, minnie's first birthday was a blast.  we had family and a couple of friends over for pizza, cake and ice cream.  minnie had her first cake and ice cream.  last, but not least, there were lots of fun presents.  it was also a time of reflection for christian and i.  it is crazy to think that this little person has been in our lives for a year now.  in some ways, it seems like she has always been a part of our lives.  when i think back on the last year, it seems like such a whirlwind.  i started remembering how amazing it was when she was born, and how uncertain we were as first time parents.  i remembered how hard nursing was.  i remembered just staring at her and being amazed that this little beauty was ours.  i remember how much she disliked getting her diaper changed and taking a bath.  then came the memory of the fog of the first few months.  that lack of sleep was a real challenge.  then came the memory of many a blow out and always having spit up all over the clothes i was wearing.  it has been amazing to watch her grown and develop.  it was so exciting when she started rolling from her stomach to her back...and then from her back to her stomach.  or the when we first fed her rice cereal.  we were so excited, and nervous, when she started crawling, then lifting herself up on things, then walking.  these are life changing things people.  all this to say, we've loved having minnie mae in our family and it truly is a celebration that she has been blessing our lives the a year now.