Happy First Birthday!

One Year.

Already.

Maybeline has become quite the character.

What does that entail?

She loves people!

She still waves at everyone she sees.

Always ready to give smiles.

Sometimes I notice her trying to get someone's attention

as I see her waving at them walking by.

When they don't notice,

she moves on to the next person walking by,

and waves at them hoping they'll wave back.

It's adorable.

She also loves babies!

Always taking the opportunity to hold them and kiss them.

She's become very fond of her baby dolls and stuffed animals.

Giving them "loves" as we call it.

Which are super tight squeezes.

She loves doing peek-a-boo by herself.

She loves dragging around a shirt, tank top, or onesie wherever she goes.

Either that carrying something in her hand like chapstick.

She still loves jewlery and lipgloss.

She can say "dog" and gets excited when she hears them.

But...petting them?

She says... no thanks!

I got her this shirt for her Birthday party.

Sadly it didn't come until after.

But she wore it all day on her actual BIG day!

I got it here on Etsy.

It was super cute! & super soft!

The party!

I have to show off my hand-sewn banner.

Love it!

Brent's family came down the weekend before her BIG day.

So we decided it would be the perfect time to celebrate!

Maybeline loved opening gifts.

One at a time.

Very carefully.

And gently.

I love this proud face!

One of her favorite toys was the purse we got her

filled with all the girly things she loves:

lipstick, cell phone, debit card, & keys.

What kind of daughter are we raising?

Now time for cake!

The supposed and assumed climax of the party.

Where you get to eat SUGAR!

and a lot of it!

Without Mom saying a thing...

Right?

Well... not for this Miss.

She did not love the cake part.

As you can see...

Not too many smiles.

She is not the most adventurous eater.

Anything new we give her, she acts like it's canned spinach.

(Which she'd probably like more!)

So we left the cake and fed her lunch and an organic sucker.

Did you know they make organic suckers?

Pretty funny!

Well, she loved it.

Towards the end of our rope of forcing-cake-down-our-child's-throat,

her 6 month old cousin, Madeline, decided to dig in,

like a Birthday girl should!

As soon as we gave her the open door, she was all over it!

That was the actual climax of the show.

One thing I've learned being a mom for a whole year,

and Bill Cosby said it best...

the kids are in charge.

I don't want to sound like a passive mother,

but when it comes down to it

we can do anything and everything to schedule, plan, and organize.

But...in reality

she has the final say.

As was her party.

It wasn't my dream-perfectly-planned-out party.

I didn't even get ready for heavens sake!

But... when all was said and done,it was a perfect day!

Happy Birthday,Miss Maybeline!