Happy Birthday Lily Rose!

Dear Lily,
Saturday, September 12th, 2009...Happy First Birthday baby girl! It is not quite 6:42am (the time you were born), but just like the night before Christmas I could not sleep. It should be you who couldn't sleep, but its not....its Mommy. I laid awake last night thinking of how much you have grown and changed this past year, and I sit here this morning with tears thinking about how much I love you and about how blessed Daddy and I are to have you as our daughter. The day you were born was the BEST day of my life and nobody will ever be able to take that away from me. I will still never forget the moment that Daddy said (after I asked "well, what is it?), "we have a beautiful baby girl." I remember the first time I saw you and held you just like it was yesterday. You had such a round chubby little face with beautiful eyes, lips and nose...you were absolutely PERFECT. I remember the car ride home from the hospital being the scariest car ride that I have ever taken, but once we got you home it just felt right. I remember placing you in your infant swing in the kitchen and you didn't like it. You cried and cried. I remember trying it again later and you cried even harder because I pinched your little leg in it. I remember when you were a few days old trying to trim your nails and I cried and cried because I snipped some of your skin. I remember your first bath. I remember staying up late every night with you because you always had your last feeding just before midnight and then you were up just two short hours later to eat again. You used to sleep in your bouncy seat on the floor next to Mommy and Daddy's bed. If we couldn't get you to sleep we would turn on the bathroom fan to help soothe you. I remember the first bottle you took. I remember the first day Daddy went back to work and I thought to myself, "How am I going to do this alone for 12 whole hours?" But, we did it. I remember your first Husker game at Ma and Pa Mikes house...we there was one on while we were still in the hospital but we didn't get to see it. The Huskers play Arkansas State today so we will be watching them play today too! I remember the first time you rolled over, it was December 30th, 2008. You were in the computer room at Ma and Pa Mike's house. I remember all of your firsts Lily Rose. I have to write about them in here just in case one day I forget something. This blog/journal is for you when you get older. It is for you to read so you know exactly how your little life went about from Mommy's eyes. I don't write it all in here, but it will be forever stored in my heart. Happy, Happy Birthday!

What You are Currently Up To:

Crawling

Crusing all around, but not quite walking on your own

Standing up alone for long periods of time

Throwing the kitchen towels out of the drawers and the pots and pans

Drinking mostly whole milk, but some formula too

Eating 3 regular meals a day plus snacks

Sleeping 10-11 hours each night plus 2 naps a day

Loving Baby Einstein DVD's still/Baby McDonald is your favorite

Rosie the Tiger is still your favorite toy

Still loving to laugh with Daddy

You like showers with Mommy

You try to stand in the bathtub

You wear size 4 diapers

You will still eat some babyfood(green beans and rice, sweet potatoes)

You LOVE strawberries, blueberries and raspberries

You like to drink your morning bottle in bed with Mom and Dad

You can say Mama, DaDa, Daaa-eeee, Bubba, Bobba, Bompa, Maddie and a few other things

You wave hi and bye

You know when you do something good because you clap for yourself

You dance all the time when you hear music

You can "raise the roof"

You know where your tongue, nose belly button and toes are

You like to have your teeth brushed

You HATE your bows that Mommy loves so much

Diaper changes are a challenge because you like to roll/crawl away

One of your favorite toys is the pink piano that used to be Madison's when she was little

When you wake up in the morning you look around and say "Daaaa-eee?" When daddy is gone at work

You know when you aren't supposed to do something because you look around to see if we will tell you NO, and then you do it anways

You like to play in the closet and take all of the clothes out of drawers

I will stop, but I could go on and on with what you are up to these days. Each day is a new day and it brings new things. You are a little ball of fire somedays and very calm other days. You let us know if you don't get what you want. You are starting to cuddle more before bedtime and you will actually sit through a book now. I am so excited to wake you up in 8 minutes to sing to you! The house is all decorated and ready for your party. You are having a butterfly birthday this year. I hope you like it. I just still can't believe you are a year old. It has been the best year of my life. I love you.

Love,

Mommy