Happy Birthday Lily!!

Dear Lily,
How can this be? How did a whole year pass so quickly! It seems like just yesterday we were driving to the hospital to get induced! I look back at how small you were then, and I can't help but be amazed by how much you have grown in such a short time! One day you are a tiny little baby, unable to hold you head up by yourself, and then I blink and you are somehow running circles around me!

Every month you never ses to amaze me with how much you are learning and growing. This past month has been no different. You've always had a big personality, ever since you were born. This month you really let that wonderful personality shine. You are really becoming independent, but you have also become such a sweet little thing! You love to give kisses (Big slobbery open mouth kisses like you are trying to eat our face!) and hugs all the time now, before running off on some new adventure. Your hugs a kisses aren't reserved just for Daddy and me though. You love to give your stuffed animals hugs, and you will hug the kitties at any chance you can! You also love to give our friends Becky and Kyan big hugs and kisses too!

Your really working hard on mastering stairs at the moment, so you are usually running off to climb a flight after giving me a hug. You're a smart cookie though, and will wait at the bottom of the flight until I'm right behind you before you start climbing. The last few days you've been attempting going down stairs too, with the help of Mommy or Daddy. You are so proud of yourself when you go down a few stairs!

This month you started drinking whole milk instead of formula. We started you out on the milk about 3 weeks earlier than most, but your doctor said at your nine month check up we could start any time, and you didn't have any problems with it at all. You really seem to like it! You've also been perfecting drinking from a straw. I think you love the freedom a cup with a straw gives you, because you don't have to wait for mommy or Daddy to hold a bottle up for you. You love to run around with your sippy cup in hand, taking a little drink whenever you want!

I can't believe how much we lucked out with you Lily. You really have been the easiest baby, since the day you were born. Thank you for being so good, so loving, and so healthy! I could not have asked for a better child. Thank you also for teaching Daddy and I how to be the best parents we can be. We've both learned a lot from you about patience and love.

I know we have so much fun to look forward to in the next year! I'm excited that this year you will enjoy Halloween and Christmas more! I'm also looking forward to you talking to us more, and following simple directions. I'm so sad though to know you are no longer a little baby. Though to your Daddy and I, you will always be our baby! We are so proud of you Lily! Keep growing and learning little one! We love you so much!

Love always,
Mommy and Daddy

Now onto the pictures! I thought I'd start out with a few pictures from the day she was born.
This is the very first picture ever taken of Lily:
Shortly after the last picture. Cleaned up a little more:
My little princess, less than 12 hours old:
These three are from yesterday. Good thing I took them, because I never got out today to do a nice photo shoot with Lily in her pretty birthday dress.


"Look at all my teeth!"
These are from a photo shoot a did this morning with a mini smash cake that we just let her go to town on!


"MMM...good frosting Mommy!"

Messy hand after she had enough of the cake:

Lily had so much fun digging into her smash cake! She was running around the back deck, and kept coming back to the cake for another handful of frosting!

After dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe (Yes, I powered through with being sick...yes, it was a bad idea!) , Lily opened her presents, and we had her real cake. We got Lily a couple books, a baby doll, and a Duck (or goose) hand puppet. She was so funny opening her presents, she would tear off a little piece of paper at a time, then switch presents to work on! In the end we of course had to help her, or it would have been dark by the time we finished! By far she loves the baby doll! As soon as she saw it she wanted us to take it out so she could play with it!

Here she is so proud of ripping off a piece by herself:
Again she loved the cake, and just dug right in. This time we gave her a much smaller piece though. We don't want her up all night!

So that was Lily's birthday! We had a nice time despite me being sick! Funny thing we realized today though...in the past year I got sick on my birthday, Sean's birthday, and now Lily's birthday! I hope that trend doesn't continue next year!

Check back tomorrow. I hopefully will have up something I've been working a pretty long time on. Sorry I don't have it in me to finish it tonight!

Please leave Lily your birthday wishes in the comments! I'll be printing this book out for her at some point, and would love to have your comments be part of it!