Emily is One Year Old!!

Reaching this magnificent milestone naturally makes a parent retrospective. When I think back to my pregnancy and this past year, I realize how much more a baby is than baby shower's, all the attention, setting up nurseries, picking out names, and eating a bit more than you should without any guilt. Being a parent to a baby is a lot of work...many sleepless nights, endless amounts of worry, time spent mindful of another person's bowel movements and literally handling those bowel movements, less romance and quality alone time with your partner, the inability to exercise when you want to, going to work sick so you can save your sick days for another, worry about money and added expenses. The reality of it all hits shortly after the baby is born. That being said, no one can put into words or prepare you for the the joys of parenthood that go so way beyond nursery themes and having all the "right" baby accessories. The sheer splendor of bringing another life into this world that looks and feels like you...who you are charged to protect and nurture...who looks to you for answers and guidance and all things comforting. The realization that worldly goods pale in comparison to this slobbering, pooping, crying little person who brightens your world with just the hint of her smile. The newness of her every look, sound, and movement that gives your stomach that feel of a new romance. The hope for another person's future that goes beyond anything that you have ever wished for. Emily just turned one. It has been a year like no other. Happy birthday, E...the past month she has...

-Weighed in at 21 pounds, and was 29.75 inches. She was born at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 21.5 inches.

-Celebrated her first Father's Day.

-Mastered crawling and has moved to pulling up on everything. The activity has not yet minimized the solid belly she has going on! We joke that she looks like a Wal-Mart shopper when her belly hangs out of her night clothes!

-Said goodbye to her good canine sister Bailey. She had learned to say Bailey's name (BayBay) and loved to pull at her paws and hair. Bailey was amazing with her and loved her very much.

-Expanded her culinary palette with some calamari and scallops. Emily loves to eat nearly everything and enjoyed tremendously her two visits this past month to Chef Point. She also continues to enjoy her Costco field trips were she samples foods from across the store.

-Discovered all the fun at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and Nature. We became members so that we can go any time we want and escape the summer heat! Emily loves playing in the water at the dino dig and in the kid's water area where she gets soaking wet (we come prepared with a towel and a change of clothes!) She enjoyed going there with her Deeda and Papa when they visited for her birthday.

-Continues to LOVE water. Emily can spend hours upon hours in Gigi and Papi's pool. It is certainly one of her happy places.

-Shared in the excitement of her Aunt Ashley getting engaged to her future Uncle Scott. She is sooo happy for them and can't wait to eat their wedding cake.

-Expanded her vocabulary with "baby" and "ut ooh"...she loves to say "ut ooh" right before she drops things!

-Emily graduated to the "big girl" car seat that Deeda and Papa gave her. She is now forward facing and loves it!

-Celebrated her first birthday in style at Gigi and Papi's surrounded by her amazing family and friends. Her theme was ladybugs because that is what I call her. Gigi made her an amazing teddy bear cake (both Kyle and Ashley had one at their first birthdays) that she enjoyed tearing into. She started with its nose and with some assistance tore into its ears with wild abandon.