Baby is 1 - Part I

On Sunday lil' E turned one year old.  It was a good day, but I felt pretty emotional.  With Carl being gone, I felt like the days events rested solely on me.  And not like she'd care either way, but there were 3 very excited siblings that wanted to celebrate in style.

Well, as it turned out we had a lovely Sunday in church and Asha told EVERYBODY that her baby sister was one year old.  So people came by to wish her a Happy Birthday, and that just warmed my heart.  For lunch, my parents brought over A&W (because of course, that's what Elena would have chosen for her birthday meal!), which I was very appreciative of.  I wasn't the only one making the day a little more special.

After a much needed nap, my family came back to our place and we had cake and presents for Elena.  While we sang Happy Birthday, my mom held the webcam while we skyped with Carl so he could see and hear it all.  My parents got her some outfits and a laughing doll that gets Elena chuckling like crazy.  Joel and Asha got her a swing (they wanted a blow up pool, but where do you find those in Canada in January?) and Kezia got her a bathing suit.  It's like she should have been celebrating her first birthday in the heat of summer or something.....

Elena loved the angel food cake I made her and smeared it all over.  I got some great pictures, but I'll save that for another post (hence the Part I as the title).  I'm feeling like a cold is overtaking me, but I wanted to reflect on her birthday day.

I took her to the doctor today and she's just shy of 20 lb (9kg).  We subtracted a few ounces from the official weight on account of the clothes and is 29.5 inches (75 cm) tall.  Her official mode of transportation is now walking, but she swaggers along and when she senses she isn't getting anywhere flops down on all fours and crawls like crazy.  Six teeth in the mouth make quite the pretty smile and she loves to give cheezy grins now.  Just last week she experimented what would happen if you stick your finger in your mouth and bite down.  Boy! she cried.

But you know what makes her smile?  Looking in the mirror at the baby and saying, "Hi" to the baby.  And I would say that her other word that she says is Happy.  But with both words, she doesn't say the H so it sounds like Hay in Spanish (which would be brilliant seeing as it would mean she is interpreting there is another baby there) and Api (which is the purple corn drink we always drank in the winter).  Oh, mi cambita!

Well, the official day has passed, but she still has some celebrating to do.  There will be a birthday party this weekend for her with friends and family.  I took her for an AWESOME photoshoot today with a friend from bible study and can't wait to see the pictures.  Messy cake, sparkly shoes, dresses and beads.....I bet you can't wait either.....