It's Probably About Time.

I totally should not be playing on the computer right now. There is way too much to do. But I figured, what better time to post Waverly's birthday photos than two weeks and a day after her birthday and on the day before we leave for Africa. I have a talent for timing.

Waking the birthday girl!

 One birthday kiss from each of us

 Special birthday breakfast from Daddy

Passing time at the doctor's office eating Cheerios

Full of kisses!

Walking girl

At the Explorium

 LOVE the water table!

Dr. Waverly

We landed on the moon.

Licking her lips for the cupcake; I kid you not.

Mom, this cupcake is amazing.

I've been blogging a lot lately.

In the spirit of being crazy for my funny little girl...

(This phone takes terrible pictures! - That's for you Trent)

She was having the hardest time trying to climb back out of the infant car seat. She'd grunt and turn all different ways and start whining, so I'd ask if she needed help... the above photo was her response. Eventually, she caved and reached for my hand; until then, though, I had a good chuckle over this twelve-month-old's independence.

It Seems Like a Lot of Lemons

I have a confession: I've been a cynical grump lately. Small things have been getting on my nerves... except my dog.. she's a BIG thing getting on my nerves. She's been following me around everywhere; like, this morning, I was going to fix the thermostat down the hall and she needed to follow me there. Except that I made her sit and stay where she was. I'm positive she believes Waverly is going to eat her and the only way to survive is to walk on my heels. I digress. It's one of those "the next person (or dog!) who crosses me is gonna get drop-kicked" kind of thing. Not healthy. I just have to get out of this funk.

I also have a complaint: today is just not my day. On his way home from class today, Chandler's car died... on New Circle Road. We thought it might be the battery. That would only happen if today was my day, but it's not, so Chandler's alternator went out. It's a $400-$600 repair. It's not that we can't fix it (thank God for our savings), but we have to ask ourselves the question: How much money do we put in this car before we're putting in more than it's even worth? Don't get me wrong, the Audi is a really nice car and we got it for a great deal; however, when any car has over 200,000 miles, it's going to require more maintenance. We understood that when we bought the car, what we didn't take into account is that some parts of an Audi are...special. For example, after replacing the brakes (thanks to my stepdad, brother, and hubs), a couple of springs kept coming off and it became a problem so that we had to take the car to the shop. Remember, those "special" parts of an Audi... well, $70 later, we had those springs fixed. Had they been a bit more generic, they would've cost less than $10.

See my frustration? So, now we're in the process of determining whether or not we want to become a "one car family". Yikes. In a culture where independence is key, Chandler and I would be giving up some of that independence in a way. I like knowing that I have a car in the garage, even if I don't drive it. When we've been down one car for whatever reason, I wake up feeling stir crazy. This decision would definitely require a sacrifice in that way. On the other hand, one car insurance.. one car to repair.. plus whatever money we'd sell the Audi for.. I mean, financially, we'd be a whole lot better off. Maybe this is one of those blessings through hard times, kind of thing.

Oh, then I broke the teapot we painted for Waverly before she was born. It fell off the top shelf when I shut a door.. the windows are open, so the door shut a little harder than normal. Awesome. I glued it back together. It's sad.

If you think about it, pray for us. Not that our issues are huge, but there are a lot of little things going on that make our issues seem huge. Africa's right around the corner and it's getting harder and harder to stay focused on God's picture. Pray for us.

I had to.

My photo collection would not be complete with out the classic, yet cliche, photos of my child eating spaghetti. So, here they are!

Waverly drops, Fenway cleans up, I live the life.

Wash it down with some milk.

 Notice her feet crossed at the ankles. She does this a lot. So precious.

Happy Birthday!

My Sweet Girl,

What a great week we have had celebrating your birth just a year ago! Daddy made sure his days off revolved around our celebrations: Wednesday for your birthday and Saturday for your party. Wednesday was very special for us. Daddy made you toast with jelly and eggs for breakfast, then we saw Dr. Bos for your one year check-up. You had to get shots... mean mommy, I know, but you handled it like a champ. You weighed about 23 pounds and were a little over 29 inches tall; quite a bit different than when you were born! Dr. Bos was so impressed with your vocabulary and ability to communicate; you definitely put on a show, loving all of the attention she was giving you.

Fortunately, we snuck in a morning nap before lunch, then after lunch headed to the Explorium! There were not a whole lot of activities suited for a one year old, but you just loved walking around and, well...exploring! It was no surprise to Daddy and I that you were almost immediately drawn to anything with water or bubbles. Although I'm sure you would enjoy the Explorium more if you were older, we just enjoyed all being together, doing whatever we wanted. Having Daddy for a whole day without tons of stuff to do was such a treat.

After the Explorium, we made it home for a late, but long afternoon nap... actually, you were the only one napping. Daddy and I had some decorating to do! After your nap, we had more celebrating with Caramanda's cupcakes... yum. Later that evening, Grandma, Papa, and Auntie Marg came over to visit.

You will be proud of me: I didn't cry all day. In fact, I was so focused on the celebration of your birthday, that I didn't have a chance to think that one whole year of your life had passed. Honestly, I had done all of my reflection and crying the night before. It was an overwhelming thought that my precious newborn was too quickly becoming a little girl. For months I had recorded every single milestone and now we were preparing to celebrate the biggest one yet. That night, Daddy and I laid in bed reflecting on the past year, remembering our favorite moments and the more difficult times. I remember thinking when you were born, that those sleepless nights would be forever a part of my life, but in hindsight, those first few weeks are just a blink of an eye in time. I don't necessarily miss being tired and frazzled all of the time, but I would do it a hundred times over knowing how much of a blessing you have been in our lives.

Lucky girl, you, the party didn't end on Wednesday! For a couple of months, I had been preparing a big, birthday bash just for you! We invited some of your friends from Gymboree, your grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and a few of mine and Daddy's friends to celebrate with us. Let me tell you, you are one loved little girl. Truly. You friends came, Daddy and my friends' came, not to mention, all of your family!

I know the whole party wasn't a big deal for you since you don't yet understand that everyone was there to celebrate you, but all of it was such a blessing to me. I enjoyed every bit of the planning, decorating, and preparation and I was touched that everyone we invited came out to celebrate YOU. I couldn't have asked for anything better or any day more perfect.

It was a lot of work putting your shindig together and it may seem silly to put in so much work for just a couple of hours, but it was all completely worth it. While planning this party, I realized that I'm not going to be able to do this for you every single year. I want every birthday we are able to celebrate in the US to be incredibly special and memorable; not that you remember this party, but I do and I always will. You are my special, beautiful little girl and I want to remember everything about your life.

We've had a great year! You have been such an easygoing baby: always smiling, always charming somebody (you get that from your Daddy), and always a delight to be around. I still can't believe that a whole year has passed when I so clearly remember the days we spent with you in the hospital before bringing you home. I didn't know then what a blessing you would be in our lives. I had no idea I would love you more than life.

Waverly, you think you are a big girl now that you're an entire year old, but you will always be my baby. Always. You keep us on our toes and we love it. You are amazing.

Daddy and I love you.

Year in Review

Waverly Elizabeth

Born March 9, 2010 at 6:59 pm

7lbs 11oz, 20 1/4 inches

(This month got away from me... no "official" photo)

(This "official" photo is on a camera I can't find)

(This day also got away... you can't blame me)

One-year-old on March 9, 2011

23lbs 14oz, 29 1/2 inches

I shed a few tears yesterday evening (and probably will now) thinking of the past year. Earlier, I was reading the blog of another mother who wrote, "i had no idea my little girl could touch my soul the way she does." I get it. I was clueless a year ago, but now, I get it.