A Happy Happy 1st Birthday

My baby turned ONE this last Friday! 

Where did this baby girl go!?!?!

This is a bittersweet moment for me. I spent a good part of the weekend reminiscing over all that has happened over the last year of having Mia, especially when she was a newborn. I remember thinking how fragile she seeming coming home from the hospital with her and all those days when I would just want to sit there and hold her as she slept. Some days we would hardly move from her rocking chair after she would eat in the mornings then she would fall asleep so I would just hold her, rock and read and enjoy the peacefulness with my precious baby. Every month brought something new and exciting with Mia as well as somethings that I didn't care for so much...one being the phase when every time she pooed is would be a blow out. I would be washing out poopy clothes multiple times a day!

As long as I'm reminiscing, here are some of my favorite memories of her throughout the year...

1. Seeing my beautiful, healthy girl being held up by the doctor for me to see when she was delivered.

2. When Eric would leave for work in the morning and I would bring Mia back to bed with me and we would sleep in till 10 in the morning! Sometimes I would just lay there and watch her sleep all balled up next to me in her little footie pajamas.

3. This is still a favorite, but walking into her room in the mornings and seeing her standing up waiting for me with a big smile and crazy hair froed out in the back and then snuggling with me for awhile until she's ready to get down and play.

4. Smiling at me for the first time after a long and crazy day. It melted my heart! 

5. Mia looking just like her daddy so I have a piece of him with me everyday, especially now that he will be traveling more for work. :)

If you haven't gotten the picture yet, Eric and I absolutely have loved having this little girl in our lives over the past year and are excited for the years to come! Now to the actual birthday celebration! We didn't celebrated her birthday until Saturday because we were down in Provo for Collin's graduation on Friday. It was great to be there to celebrate Collin's big accomplishment and support family. Plus, how could I pass up a chance to see and hold that cute little baby of their's!

Because of Collin's graduation all of my family was in town so they stayed for Mia's party the next day. We also had some close friends come as well. I didn't really go all out for this party because my family didn't grow up having huge birthday parties with friends, but rather a family dinner with the menu of our choice and presents. Not to mention Mia is only 1 and would never remember it no matter how extravagant it was. I did however still choose a theme to direct some of the party since Mia couldn't really come out and say what she really wanted. Anyway, the theme was Cat in the Hat because she LOVES watching that show on PBS. Then I had my dad make his homemade spaghetti for dinner because that seems to be Mia's favorite dinner food  (ok...including mine so maybe a little biased). Annelise was gracious enough to make these cute Thing 1 & 2 cupcakes from Cat in the Hat since I refused when Eric and I got married I would not be making cakes or anything of the sort for our kids birthdays! Call me a lame mother, but I my cakes NEVER turn out and to be honest I really don't enjoy making things that don't look or taste all that great. So because of my pride I was ready shell out $50 for cupcakes when Annelise saved my craziness. A BIG thanks!

The party was a success as we ate a fabulous meal, the kids played and watched episodes of The Cat in the Hat, and the rest of us visited and enjoyed ourselves.

 As far a presents I ordered a Rody...this kind of weird looking bouncy horse but accidentally had it sent to Ely. The base for the Rody came in time for my dad to bring it in so that's what Mia has to open. Come to find out that was plenty enough to entertainer her...who needs the Rody! lol.

We did get Mia some Sandra Boynton books for her to open and ran last minute to Walmart and got her a Disney Princess adventure hut for her so she would have something on her birthday. It's funny that she would  never really know or care if she got any presents at all let alone on her birthday...it's just a mental thing as parents we felt like we had to do lol.

Grandma and Grandpa reading Mia her new books. They are the best!