Party Day

We had Jamie's first birthday party on Saturday at our favorite park down the road. It was a beautiful day for such a wonderful celebration. I spent most of the week preparing for the big day so it would be perfect for my little girl. The party included all of our closest friends, a dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, fruit and some really good potato salad made by our friend Connie. Katie planned some games for the kids. Some adults even joined in the fun. We opened some kind generous gifts from our friends and family then Jamie dug into her cake. I made two butterfly cakes, some butterfly sugar cookies, brownies and a small heart cake just for Jamie to enjoy.

Jamie was a doll. We had to wake her up early from her nap to take her to the party. You never know how that is going to go but she was a perfect little angel. She sat for a long time eating her dinner and smiling at everyone. She let different people hold her and considering I wouldn't let her down to crawl around in the dirt and tree sap she did really well being off the ground the whole time. Especially for a girl that is practicing her walking every chance she gets. Katie's games were a lot of fun for the kids. Then we opened presents. She wasn't very interested in them. We tried to direct her attention to the opening of the gifts but she wouldn't have it. She had this one pink squishy ball that had been a game prize and she concentrated on that while Katie and Pete checked out all the new stuff. She was blessed with a lot of nice gifts and both her, and I will enjoy them for a long time to come. Then we had cake. Jamie liked squishing the icing and cake through her fingers the most. She took a few bites but nothing too major. And as usual she managed to get very messy but cute messy!

Here are some pictures of our special celebration. This was at dinner. She ate like half a cantalope. And in front of her is a darling birthday cake hat that our dear friends the Coash's bought for her. Jamie doesn't put up with hats but we got a few really cute pictures of her with it on and it currently sits on a shelf in her room for all to see.
The two cakes, cookies, and some presents.Opening gifts.
Trying to get into the cake before she was even strapped into her chair.Finishing it off. Classic.Happy being messy.
My sweet boy at the end of the evening waiting to go home.Our family. Me and my big one year old. At home before bed. She put her favorite beaded necklaces on and chewed on a few candles before hitting the hay. She was up really late that night, too late. Must have been all the birthday excitement. All in all it was a perfect evening with family and friends. Thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate our sweet little girl. We love and appreciate you all for being a part of our lives and Jamie's life.

What is Jamie like at 1 years old? The first thing that comes to mind is sugar and spice. We call her Sugar Ball and she is definitely full of sugar, and lots of spice! She is starting to walk and can take 2 steps before falling. Her favorite word is uh oh. She waves to a select few people and her dad is her favorite person to wave to. She loves her dad so much and gets so excited when he comes home from work. Jamie loves her brother too. They love playing on our bed, flopping into the comforter and pillows and on top of each other. She loves to be chased, loves to splash in water and loves to play in the dishwasher. Jamie is not a sleeper. She would rather be awake crawling around with her necklaces on. Jamie is full of life. She has the sweetest full faced toothless smile. Her head is full of ringlet curls that are so adorable. She still loves to eat but is getting pickier about the stuff she does. She loves fruit! Jamie is the messiest eater you have ever seen. Seriously, it is ridiculous. She puts stuff in her mouth, chews it up, pulls it back out, plays with it a bit, puts it back in, drops some of it down her shirt, in her diaper and on the floor then grabs for another bite. Jamie's eyes are to die for. They melt my heart every time she looks at me. And lately she has looked so tall and strong. Today I called her my baby girl and P. said she isn't a baby anymore. She doesn't look like a baby, but she is still my baby. My favorite thing Jamie does is when I get her up from a nap she wraps her arms around my neck and shoulders and pulls herself close to me. It's kind of like a big hug and she just holds on like she is so happy to be held by me. I love singing her to sleep and watching her eyes get droopy. She is a smart little girl who loves to get into trouble. She wants to be on things, in things, eating things and breaking things whenever she can. She hates having her diaper changed and will fight you every time. And don't even think about wiping her mouth and hands after a meal or you will hear about it. And at the end of the night before I go to bed I look at her on the monitor and she is sleeping like a frog, like she did when she was first born. Happy birthday to the sweetest little gift from God. We love you more than words can say.