The Birthday Girl has gone to bed

What a day of fun!
Vanessa had a birthday.
I honestly still can not believe she is one year old--
I just can't seem to move on from the 6 month stage
but I guess I must
for she is walking around the house
feeling pretty proud of her accomplishments.

The festivities started this morning with repeated verses of
Happy Birthday
followed by the normal routine--
including naps,
we wouldn't want little miss Vanessa to be ornery
on her big day.
Daddy came home early
so we ventured outside for the party.
Picnic lunch, opening present
and then on to splashing in the pool.
The girls had a great time--
both are so comfortable in the water.

For dinner we ate pasta and breadsticks
followed by birthday cookies.
Savvy helped her little sister blow out the candle,
then both girls dug in. Yum!
Vanessa ate a few bites
and then smashed the rest.Once dinner and a bath were finished
Vanessa decided it was time to start walking
so she cruised around the family room for a while.
What a big girl!

It just doesn't seem long enough ago that
we brought Vanessa home from the hospital
worrying if we were going to survive two children.
I've always called her my
"angel baby"
for she is so happy and loving.
She never cried-- ever--
until her bouts of sickness earlier this year
made her a little more clingy to her mama.
She loves to play pat-a-cake (she's quite good at it too!)
and sing songs.
She says "ma" and "dad." And do you think
her hair will get any more red?
She loves to read books and pull things apart to see how they function.
She loves to crawl after Savannah
even following her to time-out when there's been trouble.
She speaks her mind in the form of a grunt if you cross her--
she won't be pushed around.
Someone said she seems to have a "wise, old soul."
We love her to pieces and can't wait to see
what life has in store for her.