Birthday Parties for Buckets

Charlee is 1. On her actual birthday she had the cutest outfit ever that said her name and had a matching skirt thanks to Stephanie who is so crafty and whipped this up in about 20 mins.

 Aunt Jenny and cousin Gaeton came to the big celebration

 This fam photo was taken before we lit her cake and she tried to grab the flame... I know its common sense, but it didn't even cross my mind that she would try to grab the candle.. duh.  Then she started crying with our joint efforts to save her fingers when I screamed "no" and Gavin blew it out within milliseconds. Poor baby.  She did enjoy her cake, ate it like a champ, all messy like. Just what I had envisioned.

 This was at Great Grandma LaLa's house - best party place ever!

 Thanks to Auntie Kenzie for smoothing out the icing so perfectly :)

She fell asleep like 2 min later with icing everywhere. perfect. 
A mini nap was needed so she could push her cousin Harper around the pool at least 20 times in her pink cozy coup... good gift Gaston and Jenny.

I couldn't believe she was turning one.  I still can't.  I cried pretty embarrassingly hard a couple of nights before her BIRTH day because I couldn't help think about what we were doing 365 days earlier...

I do have her birth story written down at the end of my pregnancy journal.  It is still fresh in my head... every last bit of it.  The good with the uncomfortable and all the nervousness wrapped up in a little memory.  Looking at these pictures again make me want to jeanie-blink back to 9-9-2009 when we went in to be induced.  Just so i can re-live it one more time all the emotions that I didn't know i was capable of feeling.  I know i was in a state of shock for the entire hospital stay... not kidding you can ask Gavin. I repeatedly kept saying "I cant believe she is mine, and i get to keep her forever" seriously, we have it documented on the video camera at least 4 times.  I miss all of it.