We celebrated Cadence's birthday on Friday, and after what felt like two nonstop days of prepping for it, everything was done just in time for party time! We went with a theme incorporating Cadence's "spirit" animal, as determined by Kristen Linton--the whale. Little did I know, the whale theme is a popular one for birthday parties, so I was able to find lots of inspiration online. Obviously most of it was a little two over the top and expensive for my tastes, but we were able to incorporate several "whale" things into the party--my favorite being the whale watermelon fruit bowl--thanks to Aunt Emma! We had mini pigs in a blanket, BLT bites, chips, whale crackers, fruit, water/lemonade, and of course cupcakes! I made real cupcakes for the grown-ups, and some baby friendly mini cupcakes that consisted of applesauce, bananas, and whole wheat flour. Cadence's cake was also comprised of the "healthy" batter, and she really liked it! She did not forcefully smash the smash cake, but had fun picking up finger scoops of icing and eventually getting some bits of cake. She really enjoyed the wonderful chorus of Happy Birthday she received, and all in all just had a good time strolling through the party and seeing everyone.
For her gifts, we asked her guests to bring something for a girl we sponsored through CandleWishes, and I'm so glad we made the decision to go that route--it was so sweet to see the little girl's face when we dropped off her gifts a few days later. We definitely want to do this every year, and I look forward to Cadence actually understanding the impact of being generous to others.
Lilypie First Birthday tickers
Monday, June 17, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
almost 1 year old!
It's hard to believe that in one short week our little baby will be one year old! It seems like she learns something new every day, and it's been so much fun to watch her personality develop over the past few months. One of her favorite activities lately is going to the gym and sitting on the floor while James and I shoot baskets. She will clap for us when we make a basket, and when James makes a "grunt" while shooting, she copies him. She also just likes to crawl around and turn in circles on the gym floor.
She's tried lots of new foods lately, and she loves tomatoes, asparagus, and mushrooms, and green beans have become a favorite snack when we're on the go. The other day we were shopping for groceries and she was eating green beans in the cart, which made everyone around her comment and smile. She also tried whole milk for the first time a few days ago and happily slurped it all down, so that gives me hope that the weaning process won't be too difficult.
She loves her books and balls, and always likes to stand by where Maggi's bed is so she can pet Maggi and walk around the fireplace. She still takes two good naps most days, and is back to sleeping through the night after a couple of nights waking up at 11. I've been making an effort to speak more French to her, and she clearly prefers her French books (or those I translate into French for her) over her other books. I know that she knows a few words and phrases, like fini, ou est, and bisous, so we will just keep working on building her vocabulary slowly but surely!
She's tried lots of new foods lately, and she loves tomatoes, asparagus, and mushrooms, and green beans have become a favorite snack when we're on the go. The other day we were shopping for groceries and she was eating green beans in the cart, which made everyone around her comment and smile. She also tried whole milk for the first time a few days ago and happily slurped it all down, so that gives me hope that the weaning process won't be too difficult.
She loves her books and balls, and always likes to stand by where Maggi's bed is so she can pet Maggi and walk around the fireplace. She still takes two good naps most days, and is back to sleeping through the night after a couple of nights waking up at 11. I've been making an effort to speak more French to her, and she clearly prefers her French books (or those I translate into French for her) over her other books. I know that she knows a few words and phrases, like fini, ou est, and bisous, so we will just keep working on building her vocabulary slowly but surely!