onederland.

Audrey's first birthday weekend was so much fun! she had a blast at her birthday party and it was great having the family together to celebrate. thank you to everyone who called, messaged, sent gifts and cards, and came to celebrate with us!

the birthday girl's one year stats:
weight: 20 lbs. (28th percentile)
height: 29 inches (40th percentile)

favorites
food: avocado, vegetables of all kinds, mandarin oranges, broccoli cheddar soup, apple cinnamon nutrigrain bars (she goes crazy for these), cottage cheese, and peas with cheese and chicken

toys: she loves to carry around her purse and put items in (cell phone, sophie, spoon), her music parade scooter, anything with velcro fascinates her, dolly (loves to give her kisses), boom box (loves to take the cd's in and out), books (her favorite at the moment is Who's Baby Am I?)

activities: dancing! lord, this child LOVES music and LOVES to dance, being "chased" by mama and running to hide behind daddy, opening and closing doors, pushing her scooter around and banging it into things, pushing the beads around her activity cube maze, getting into everything and making lots of messes

Audrey and i had a relaxing day on Friday, her actual birthday. we played in the yard, went on a walk, visited the store, and cleaned up the house to get it ready for guests. she had a special birthday dinner with Jen while Will and i took care of a few last minute things and had a little dinner date. my dad, Sheila, and Michael arrived late Friday night so we were up late helping them get settled and talking for a while. the next morning, Will treated everyone to a delicious Waycross breakfast from Jerry J's Country Cafe and Will and Michael went out to shoot some skeet for a while. my dad and Sheila stayed at the house while Audrey was napping so i could go over to Jen's and finish the decorations with her and Ann. the birthday girl woke up at about 2:30 so we all loaded up and headed over after she was fed and ready to go.

hanging out with Sheila before the party

one of the girls from my mom's group made Audrey's birthday banner and decorations. she did an amazing job! Click here to be linked to her Etsy shop if you are looking for any custom banners or decorations! she is so talented!

topsy turvy cupcake stand

party favors -- alice in wonderland sugar cookies, YUM!

shadowbox i made with Audrey's preemie onesie, crib card,
hospital bracelets, baby booties, her first paci, and Will and my's
first pictures with her after she was born

her NICU journal, going home outfit, NICU support group blanket

Will's Uncle Art and Aunt Karla took a few family pictures before the festivities started and a group shot of everyone as well :)

we all had a delicious late petite lunch of chicken salad and pimiento cheese sandwiches, veggies and dip, summer sausage and cheese, and other little snacks. Audrey had a great time dumping her cup of water and splashing in it and snacking on some puffs. she recently just started to want to "share" everything with everyone which is very sweet. she loves to share her food, toys, and anything she can get a hold of really. sometimes she likes to fake you out by reaching out to hand you something and at the last minute, pulling it back and running away - haha!

doesn't she look thrilled to be one year old? :)

after lunch, we all gathered around to watch the slideshow of Audrey's first year that i put together. surprisingly, she sat still in my lap the entire time and watched it contently with me. i snuggled her close and kissed her sweet head while shedding a few tears watching it. then, the fun began as she unwrapped all of her new toys, books, and clothes. thank you so much to everyone who sent gifts, even if you couldn't be there in person. she loved everything!

i thought her most favorite part of the day would be smashing up her birthday cake and shoving loads of icing into her mouth. i was wrong! she really wasn't thrilled with it at all! she played around with it for a few minutes, was slightly confused about the whole thing, ate a few bites, and then wanted to get down and play with her new toys! i can't complain though, i wasn't too thrilled about her consuming so much sugar in one sitting :)

anyone want a piece of my cake? anyone?

not so sure about this cake business!

we gave Audrey a little bath in the sink, cleaned up the mess, and said our goodbyes. Audrey normally takes a small nap in the evening, but since she skipped it she was especially tired. Poppa and Sheila read her a bedtime story and she was out!

my dad and Sheila treated us to hibachi from Fujis for dinner and we all enjoyed a game of Bezzerwizzer, a few rounds of wine and beer, and many, many laughs! i am so thankful for such an amazing family!