Dear Goose,

In so many ways it feels like a lifetime ago that you arrived and in so many others, it feels like only yesterday. One week ago it was your first birthday. In the days leading up to your birthday you could find me balling my eyes out everytime I got in the car by myself, thinking about you being a one year old. Every second it seemed I was thinking back to what I was doing at this or that time last year and remembering the dramatic way that you made your entrance into this world! I spent the week before your first birthday thinking about the first few, foggy days of having you at home with us, pulling out your tiny little onesies and comparing them to the ones you are into now, looking at pictures and videos of your homecoming, your first visitors, my swollen feet!!! We also took you to visit Dr. Hilderman and were placing bets on how heavy you were going to be! You continue to be a little peanut, weighing in at just 18. 7 and 29.5 inches. That’s still almost exactly what mommy was when she was one!

Then we were into birthday planning mode! Turning one is a big deal and we wanted to make sure that your first birthday was a celebration of the one and only you! We decided that we were going to make cupcakes for your first and then Jennifer offered to help make some fancy ones. It would be kitty cats and puppy dogs for you and I just couldn’t resist the table cloth and napkins to match! We bought a foamy crown that would be your party hat and ordered balloons. We sent out invitations to our nearest and dearest and waited for the big day. The guest list was large including grandmas and grandpas, aunties and uncles, cousins, and many friends. Jennifer and I spent the better part of Saturday creating the cupcakes and I topped off the evening by making you a kitty cat “smash it” cake while Daddy rode you around in your wagon! While I put you to bed that night, I couldn’t help but think that when you woke up the next day, you would be changed! You would be one!

The big day was extra special. You woke up at your usual time and we had a nice breakfast. Once the guests started arriving you were all over the place, playing with the cousins and checking out your cool gifts. The little girls helped to open your gifts and then they would show you what you got. You received quite a few clothes, a tea set from granny and grandpa, some new books and grandpa made you a cradle for your dollies while Nana knitted you a blanket for your new cradle. (That made mommy cry because her grandpa had made her a cradle when she was a little girl too!). Finally came time to sing you happy birthday. You sat in your seat and everyone gathered around. Mommy lit the candle on your kitty cat lemon cake and daddy almost dropped it! Then mommy re-lit the candle and we all started singing. The cousins all crowded around you and when it was time, everyone helped you to blow our your one candle. Mommy held it together through the song; probably because she cried so much before! Tristan wasted no time digging into your cake and all the little girls got in there too to show you how to do it! You kind of poked your fingers into it and watched them eat all the candy off it, but otherwise you were very clean! We took off a few pieces and fed them to you and you seemed to like it! It was your first time having cake, what a treat! You were so good all afternoon even though we had to push your nap back for a couple of hours!

Over the last week I have found myself at work feeling shocked and amazed that we now have a ONE year old! A toddling, laughing, curious, loving, sneaky, independent, goofy one year old! I am surprised by how caught off guard I feel about this! I have a one year old I would say outloud to try it on for size. Our baby turned one. The same baby that we made, delivered, brought home, fed, changed, bathed. From one day to the next, everything seemed to change  “What do you do with a one year old?” I keep asking! What do you do with a one year old who laughs at you when you, in your most serious teacher voice, ask her to sit down in the bath? What do you do with a one year old who wants to ride in the wagon and knows how to ask for it (or demand it), and won’t give up until you take her for a ride?

What do you do? You laugh and enjoy and make memories, just as we are doing! BIG Happy 1 Lexi! The last 372 days of my life with you have been the best of all.

Lovey, love, love,

Mommy xoxoxoxoxoxoox