Goose's 1st Birthday

My baby girl turned one on October 12.  And though I may be a tad in denial about the growing-up of my children (I want them to stay little forever), we still celebrated with style.  Will claimed that her birthday theme was "a stair birthday--because that's what she loves to do the most."  So, a stair birthday it was.  We let her crawl up and down the stairs as many time as her little heart desired.  Plus, we went to the fun library, as Will calls it, and let her play with all the new toys, then Panera for lunch, where she got to eat 1/3 of a huge M&M cookie, home for a nap and then the little party and opening of presents.  The dinner was meatballs, of course, just like her brother's first birthday and the cake?  Well, I guess my kids just don't like cake.  She wanted no part of it, though she was a fan of the smarties I used to decorate it.  She enjoyed opening presents with her big brother's assistance, and I think her favorite present was her very own toothbrush.  She loves to brush her teeth. 

We love our little baby girl.  She really is one of my life's treats:  she's sweet and snugly and good-natured.  She has a smile that lights up a room.  She loves cars and trains and makes the cutest sound when driving them.  She has no interest in walking, is just starting to make a few signs, is a serious mama's girl and has the best head of the cutest red hair you ever did see (though I'm beginning to think it looks like a comb-over--should I trim it to help it grow in better?  Thoughts??).  She loves to laugh at her brother and could play in his room with him there for hours.  She is social--she loves other kids and is happy as can be playing with all the big kids.  She still puts EVERYTHING in her mouth.  She demands to be fed at 4:30 every evening (she's like clockwork) so I have to have dinner ready early.  She's finally sleeping through the night and very nearly weaned.

Happy Birthday, baby girl.  Oh, how we love you.

The "stair party".

Will even let her play with his beloved cars and his precious car mat.  That was no easy task--those are his favorites and he's always hoarding them.

Eating the M&M cookie from Panera.

More car playing.  Look at Will--he's not too happy.

Will and Dada built baby girl the cutest cradle for her new doll.

The birthday cake.

The decorations.  I'm no Martha Stewart, but I did make those pom-poms by hand.  And that ain't nothing, people, that ain't nothing.

Baby girl with her dada (can you say Gryffindor anyone??)

Opening presents.

Enjoying the splendor:  the beloved toothbrush.

Cuddling with her new doll, her dada and her toothbrush while watching her new movie, Cinderella.

Mama and the baby girl (maybe now I can finally get rid of the bags under my eyes since she's sleeping through the night!)

Sharing her toothbrush.

Reading her new book.

On a chilly afternoon walk with her dolly.  (Will named her Maddie Sarai Madsen.  He wanted to name her Sarai after a little girl in our ward, but I thought that might be awkward so he settled on having it for a middle name).

How big is baby Lucy??  ONE!

Eating the smarties off the cake.

No thank you cake!

And here's the darling cradle Josh made for the baby doll (it still needs a coat of paint and top part, but isn't it sweet?  Too bad the doll's only an 1/8 of the size of the cradle.  Josh builds things to last.  I told him we could probably even fit a newborn in there).

And I have to admit, she seems to like the cradle more than the doll.  When I give her the doll, she just throws it on the ground.  Maybe some day, poor Maddie, maybe some day!

Happy, happy b-day, Goose bug.