Avery's 1st Birthday

My baby girl turned 1 last week. I can hardly believe it's been a year since I had her. I had the opportunity to do some serious reflecting on her birth last week. My friends and I decided to go to the midnight showing of Harry Potter (so good...by the way). My good friend, Cassy (who is totally obsessed with Harry Potter...she wears a little snitch pendant around her neck everyday...her daughter's middle name is Lily...you know, Harry's mom) has been looking forward to the midnight showing for a long time. I teased her that she wouldn't make it...cuz that's what happened to me a year ago when I desperately wanted to see the midnight showing of New Moon (and I had a baby instead). I'd been teasing her about it for a while. I didn't get to see my movie, so she wouldn't get to see hers, blah blah blah. And wouldn't you know it, she made it to the stinkin' movie! BUT, her water broke halfway thru!!! Good thing her husband was at the movie with us. He took her to the hospital, and we went to see her after. So now our babies share the same birthday!! I got home super late, and spent the weekend trying to recover!!

We celebrated Avery's birthday with a few friends. She loved her toys from Grandma Norma. She also loved her chocolate cupcake, and sharing a few bites with our friends' dog, Buddy. She really got the hang of unwrapping the gifts, and took time to play with each one. I had to eventually take away the unwrapped gifts so she'd open the next one. So cute.

She is such a big girl. She is pretty much walking all of the time now. She's been working on it for the last 2 months! She still only has 2 teeth, but I swear the top two are about to make an appearance any day. She loves, loves, loves, her sisters and brother (especially her brother)....and they all adore her. She is always good for a super big smile. She loves to be chased. I'll get her undressed for the bath, then she'll go streaking down the hallway laughing and giggling until I catch her. She loves to climb, and thank goodness she is finally learning how to back up to go down the stairs. I'm so over feeling like Fort Knox with all the baby gates. She goes with the flow, and pretty mild tempered. A sweet little baby.

so sweet...

opening her first gift

Her favorite gift...a phone from Grandma Norma. You can tell it was a crowd favorite with all the extra hands in the picture....

seriously...so cute

...and even cuter! Alicia gave Avery a few little stuffed animals. She loved them!

I love the drool on the side of her face...so fitting.

She LOVED her cupcake....made a huge mess.