Happy 1st Birthday, Graecyn Nicole!

Happy first birthday, my sweet baby girl!  One year ago today, at 7:14 a.m., our lives were forever changed.  It is so hard to believe that you're one!  One year ago today, I never could have imagined the silly, spunky, independent, beautiful, blue-eyed girl you have become.  I never could have imagined how happy you make me and your daddy.  You have changed our lives for the better in a million and one ways!   We love you so much, baby girl!!

Over the past month, you have started walking, taking several steps on your own - sometimes provoked, but often you'll just decide on your own to stand up and walk a few steps.  However, you do still prefer to get around by crawling...I guess you figure you can get where you need to be a lot faster this way.  You can also go up stairs lickety split (coming back down, not so much) and just learned how to give high five.

You absolutely LOVE puppies!  You make your barking sound (which sounds more like "ooh, ooh" than "woof, woof") every chance you get.  You cannot sleep without your dolphin stuffed animal near by - you tuck it up under your arm when you're falling asleep (this has been a saving grace for Daddy and me).  You're favorite word is still "uh oh", but you've also mastered mama, daddy, nana and are starting to say hello and puppy.  You are such a sweet girl and love to give hugs and kisses.

Anytime you hear music, you start "dancing" (it's more like bouncing up and down) and it's so cute.  You also love to wear things around your neck (necklaces, ribbons, anything you can find). You have such a great personality - always smiling, giggling, babbling, and making funny noises and faces.

You now have 6 teeth - 4 on top and 2 on the bottom.  You love to eat avocado, greek yogurt, chicken, sausage, apples, and french fries.  There really isn't a food that you do not like.  However, you seem to prefer the food on Daddy and my plate over what's on your plate (even though it's usually the exact same food).  You love your sippy cup - especially if it's filled with water.  We made you a special birthday breakfast today - a pink, star-shaped pancake, which you loved!

We had 3 separate birthday parties for you - one in North Carolina, one in Iowa, and one in Michigan - so that all of your family and friends could be there to celebrate with you.  You mastered the art of opening presents by the 3rd party - you've learned that if you tear off the paper, there's something fun inside.

 

I decided not to do a smash cake for your birthday parties and just did a smash cupcake instead (less mess).  But, I did not want you to miss out on the whole smash cake experience (plus, I really, really wanted cute pictures), so I baked you a cake, set up a photoshoot in our kitchen and snapped away.  Thanks to Daddy's help, we got some pretty cute pictures.

 

Happy, happy birthday, sweet girl!  We love you to the moon and back!