It's more true than we ever believed possible: everyone told us that the time would fly by, and it does. It feels like we've only blinked a few times since our baby girl was born, not like the year that has passed.
Naia and I spent her birthday together. Since Daddy had to work, we met up with him for a picnic lunch...
...though Naia was more interested in exploring the campus lawn than eating lunch on the picnic blanket!
Naia has had a diet nearly 100% free of sugar since she was born, but we decided that for a treat we'd give her some birthday cake (we had some practice pieces put aside from her "real" birthday cake for her party). However, she was more interested in her apple...
...until we added blueberries!
Later that day Naia met up with her friend Jack at the playground (you may remember a similar photo from when Naia and Jack were about 8 months old). They have been buddies since they were born :).
It isn't hard to believe she is 1 when I see her walking around, drinking from her water bottle, and looking every little bit the toddler.
The day may have seemed like any other to Naia (other than having her first taste of cake!), but to me it was such a major milestone. We marvel every day at how much she knows and how much she can do, and we find it hard to believe she is only 1. We have to remind ourselves just how little she still is. Among the gazillion things that she does every day, she can:
- Say Mama and Dada and banana (the "ba" is mostly optional).
- Meow like a cat.
- Open little cardboard boxes.
- Use sign language to say "milk" and "finished" (and occasionally "food" and "sleep").
- Feed herself with a spoon (and most of the food even gets to her mouth!).
- Throw a ball (like a girl still, but we're working on that).
- Pour cups of tea with her play tea set.
- High five, wave, give nose kisses, and give sloppy real kisses.
- Understand much of what we say. If we suggest she take a magnet from the fridge and stick it on the dishwasher, she can do it. If we ask her to find "Bob" (her round rubber duck), she heads to the bathroom and pulls him out of her pile of bath toys.
The best part of all, though, is how much she loves to laugh, and tease, and play. Who knew that a 1 year old could do so much? And be so much fun? So it was a quiet day, but a big one too.
The party
Well, if her actual birthday was quiet, her party day was anything but! Naia may have known something was up because earlier we had spent most of an afternoon trying to get an invitation-worthy photo (harder than it might sound, but we got there in the end!).
Neither of us anticipated just how many people would actually come. All up about 60 people joined us at our local beach park to help Naia celebrate. The day was a stunner, but the best part was feeling all the love for our baby girl. Although we are sad to be so far away from our families, we are blessed to be surrounded by so much warmth and friendship.
Naia had an absolute blast. And this time there was no hesitation when it came to tasting her dolphin cake :).
Thank you to everyone for all of the warm wishes, beautiful cards, and generous presents. Naia is surrounded by happy reminders of her special day.
.jpg)
.jpg)
+(853x1280).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
