Welcome September. My baby girl’s birthday month is over. She was officially one on August 14th and we celebrated with gusto. Her party happened on the day of her birthday and I knew I needed to stay insanely busy or I would get sad at the too fast passing of her baby days.
I could say I don’t know where the year went and how fast time flies. But everyone says that about babies because it’s true! Part of me wishes I had spent more time documenting her sweet life here. It’s an awesome history book for my family and I love having readers to share it with too. However I was too busy sniffing her head, snuggling her and being present because I do know how fast time flies with babies. Her first year of life might be my favorite year year of parenting so far, watching my family grow. My girls have shared so much joy for her and with her. They have had so much patience with her every day. Their love for her is amazing. So on her special day we all celebrated life with baby girl. Mostly big kid style.
Her first year was hard but it pushed me to my edge of knowing what I can handle, how I can handle it and when to say no. It pushed me to be brave and showed me how much courage I have deep within me. It took a lot of courage bringing a baby into life with three established sister relationships and a pre-teenager who runs at a fast pace with big dreams and pasions of her own. We did a lot with this baby girl! We asked a lot of her! She hung with older kiddos a lot. I coached a Girls On the Run team when she was a newborn. She Trick-or-Treated late and in the rain. She endured a lot of taking kids to after school activities when she wanted no part of that. I took her to an overnight trip to Gatlinburg with eight kids because someone was turning 11, when she was two months old. She’s been on my paddle board with me in the ocean for pete’s sake. She’ll go to Leaf Festival in October. My point is…while I have been busy not blogging much this year, baby girl has been busy! I didn’t ever want to tell my girls no we can’t do that because we have a baby. So I made it all work.
For her birthday we all celebrated baby girl, family style. We had baby birthday party for all ages. With baby pools, a free outpouring of ice cream and beer for adults to say a big cheers. Because we made it a year with a baby plus three kids. I celebrated too. Because let me tell you – four kids is hard. Everyday is a marathon. And everyday I get rewarded with love from these girls and a husband who after 17 years of marriage still loves me enough to bring me coffee in bed every single morning (among lots of other things).
Enough sappy stuff….on to the party. Because we ALL made it through the first year. And we did it smiling, and pouring out love and adoration out for one small person who brings us bundles of joy.
Break the Mold photography came out to document the day. The first two are by that talented Momma. The rest were taking by friends. I didn’t do much documenting that day. I was too busy being a part of it all.
This was our wake up birthday breakfast and naptime before the party. She’s eating birthday biscuits made by dad. Breakfast is his specialty in the kitchen. Thank you so much to my aunt and uncle who came to help with the party and be there to help us celebrate this awesome day!
On the eve of turning one the girls wanted to read the book “Welcome with Love” and sleep with baby girl in “her room.” They sang Happy Birthday to her in the bathtub and snuggled into the pullout sofa in “her room” before the birthday girl tucked in with me for the night, as usual. But dang it was the sweetest sister love ever! I’m obsessed with taking sleeping photos of baby girl and it’s not often I catch them all in the act. It helps me remember in the sticky times that yes, they really DO love each other! However I decided not to share the sleeping kid photos because the bigs might not approve. And while the balloons in the bathtub were adorable, she was naked and the bathtub tile was in need of a good scrub. But this. I can’t resist. 
The monday after, when the bigs were back to school and baby girl and I realized we had a party hangover. Then I redecorated the dinning room with the party stuff just to make the day linger a little longer. 
And now it’s September. I have a ONE YEAR OLD. She’s pretty fun! And the girls have TONS of fun with her. We are all so thankful she is here to share life with us.
I look forward to a slow(ish) month before more birthdays this fall, the holidays and then boom it will be 2017. I know how fast time rolls. I know! This block truck has rolled through all the Simmons’ days for nearly 12 years!
