I Can Count How Old I Am on One Finger!

Wasn't it just yesterday that this little 1 year old princess looked like this:

Please tell me how this happened... and how it happened so FAST?!?!

We celebrated today with family and friends: Grandma Sally, Papa, Auntie Carly, Grandma and Grandpa H, Aunt Margaret, Cousins Lauren and Bennett, Jennifer, Lonnie, Ryker, Julianna, Lillie and Kylie Rose. Thank you all for coming and celebrating the first year of Delaney's life.

I spent the last two days slaving over the birthday cake and the cake she'd demolish. Morgan and Olivia came up with the awesome idea - Morgan came up with the bed from The Princess & The Pea fairy tale... then Olivia came up with the idea of having Delaney's very own special cake be a pea. Here are the end results:

Oh it was alot of work, but oh so worth it. I found it ironic that April 17 of last year, the night before I checked into the hospital, Martin and I stayed up way too late cleaning the house and preparing for our new addition and the family that would be staying in our home. One year later to that very day, we stayed up WAY too late also in preparation for this little muffin and her birthday celebration. What we do for our babies, right?

Here we are singing Happy Birthday to Baby D. She sure loves her Papa!

And here she is with full reign on her sugar. At least she wasn't scared of the colored frosting like her brother was on his first birthday!

Big brother trying to help:

When Christian was feeding her, it reminded Carly, Mom and I of this video - one of our favorites!! Christian was lucky "Charlie didn't bite his finger".

The cameras and the flashes on this little beauty were hilarious! She seriously had a crowd of paparazzi swarming her every move.

When all was said and done, here was what her cake looked like. Poor little pea.

We even sang 'Happy Birthday' to Grandma Sally and Papa whose birthdays are Monday and Thursday. We sure love you guys and hope you have wonderful birthdays... especially Papa who's turning SIXTY!! WOOHOO!

One of our tables... The cool kid table! (notice how my mom & Carly are at this table!! It's 'cuz they're cool kids!)

Delaney got so many neat gifts... here she is opening her new "lovey", a baby doll from Grandma & Grandpa H. Thank you all for your creativity and generosity.

I love this baby.

I can't imagine life without her.

My mom made a comment today that it feels like Delaney has been a part of our family for much longer than a year.

And it does feel like that.

And she HAS.

She's been ours forever and will be ours forever and for that, I couldn't be happier.

As my fourth child and possibly last, I am trying to cherish each and every moment with her - even those middle of the night wakings on occasion. (Yes, she's sleeping through the night most nights!!). But those nights that she doesn't, I just hold her and rock her and soak up those special moments.

Oh the joy she brings into our home.

Happy Happy Birthday, Baby D!

For a look back on the beginning of Delaney's life, go here.