One (Revised)

Let me tell you what having a one year old has turned out to be like in the last week. She is still as cute and lovable as I remember. However, yeah....she's suddenly one. Some switch must have flipped in her brain after eating that birthday cupcake and she suddenly realized, hey, I can do what I WANT TO DO. She developed this fierce WILL OF HER OWN overnight! Milestones...

So, here is what is becoming a typical scene:

G: playing with...anything she wants to play with, books, kitchen utensils, pots and pans, videos, dvds, napkins, stuff on all the shelves at Michael's and the Giant, possibly even toys...

Mommy (or Daddy): Oh, G, we have to go check your diaper out.

G: NOOOOOOO! I want to play! (In baby language, this is much less civilized)

Mommy: This will be quick and then you can come back and play.

G:NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I want to play!!!

Mommy: But, G, you are a little smelly, no offense. You don't want to play in that. It will be quick, I promise.

G: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You are killing me inside! I will not stand for this outrage!!! NO NO NO!!

Mommy: G, really, you need some perspective here, it will only take a minute. Hey, please don't kick Mommy. And could you stop yelling in my ear?

G: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NO NO NO NO. I MUST PLAY!!! YOU ARE MEAN AND NOT NICE. I WILL DO WHAT I WANT TO DO.

Mommy: Oww, G, don't kick. Let me get this diaper off you...hey, don't crawl away, you'll fall off the changing table..wait! don't stand up yet. Please stop yelling. Geez, can I just get your pants back on? Then you can go play....There, all done. Go play.

G: "Alllllll dooone" Smile (as cute as can possibly be!), crawls back to book shelf to rip more books down...

(By the way, in the span of writing this post, here is what occured:)

ACK!
(Oh, and in the time it took to upload these pictures, G turned the stereo on at volume 40! Somehow, of course, to a heavy drum solo. I think she may be deaf now. She likes to stand directly in front of the speakers...)

Scenes From a Birthday

Ok, a few days late, but here is the recap in photos of Giuliana's very first birthday party! We had a very good time and it went off with nary a hitch. Giuliana was still a little bit sick and she was a little moody at the beginning as she had just got up from a nap...but she overcame all that and ended up having a ball! Yay!







And, for fun, a few before and after party pics, too.

Enjoying her DRUM SET!!!

That smirk says it all: I'm ONE! people, watch out!!


Cute toes on her bench.

Thanks! I had a great birthday!

One

I really can't even begin to tell you what it feels like to be a first-time mom of a one year old. Where the heck did all that time go? Every other year of my life, in varying degrees, has seemed long. But this year? How do 366 days go whizzing by in a lightening fast blur that feels like minutes?

Giuliana went from a cute but helpless little package (7lbs, 4oz, 21 in long) to this little girl (22lbs, 9oz, 29+ inches long) who can crawl, climb, take steps on her own. She can speak, feed herself, pull her socks and shoes off, hold out her feet and arms to help get dressed. She laughs, makes jokes gives kisses and is learning to give hugs. She plays make believe with her baby doll, kissing and hugging it, feeding it. She has favorite books, toys, people, animals, tv shows, foods, blankie. Her smile lights up my days and can instantly change my mood around. She is such a blessing to my life. And to the world.

And she is now 1. She's not a newborn anymore. She's not even an infant. She is not quite a toddler yet, but she is moving closer every day.

If you want to read Giuliana's birth story, I added it to the left side of the page. I know some of you might not be into that sort of thing, or may not be yet...so I put it off to the side just of those who are interested.

Here are some of my favorite snapshots of the (unbelievable!) last 12 months.

15 minutes old
Christmas 2007Daddy's Birthday, January
February
MarchAprilMayJune
JulyPlaying with Monroe, AugustSeptemberHalloween, OctoberEating a purple popsicle, November

ONE!"Opening" her birthday gifts from Mommy and Daddy. (We didn't wrap them...they have kinda been sitting out for about a week.)She loves her new table...why sit on the benches when you can climb on top?Mommy and Daddy got their Christmas presents today...new phones (our "new every two" plan with Verizion was eligble today! Hurray!) They gave Giuliana her very first cell phone because it was her birthday, and because she is just exceedingly cute. It is just like Mommy's phone, only no phone guts. She loves it!

More birthday celebrations tomorrow when we have G's birthday party!