Happy Birthday, Annika Mae!

After a great deal of anticipation, Annika Mae turned one last week.  Talia Lily started decorating weeks in advance, setting the stage all the way back in the beginning of January before the Christmas decorations were taken down.

We've enjoyed construction paper streamers filling the dining room...

...as well as festive loops demarcating the banister.  (Yes, I used the word "demarcating."  Can you tell I"m married to an architect?)

At some point Talia must have run out of steam since "Annika" was shortened to "Ani."  (I actually kind of like it.  It feels a bit more exotic with an Asian or African feel.  Any votes on Ani Mae versus Annie Mae?  )

Annika, of course, didn't care a bit about the spelling.  She was mesmerized by all the colorful presents.

With so many siblings, she certainly had plenty of help tearing into her gifts.  (Brooklyn, by the way, is on her third cast--the original white, followed by glow-in-the-dark, and now purple.  We're hoping that tomorrow she'll be cast free.)

Talia is still fairly toothless, although we decided that if we added Annika's six teeth to Talia's gaping smile, we'd pretty much have a full set.

For her birthday, Annika received some adorable clothes from her grandparents, a fun Little People airplane, board books, play food, and this hat Mom picked up at a resale shop.

She may already have some winter hats, but this one was just a hoot.

Up next, lemon raspberry cupcakes.  The kids found my raspberry toppers to be too bland for our birthday girl and cooked up something extra special with the help of some gummy bears.

We also made these super-simple fruit carousels.

The very first bite of cupcake--a happy moment in a gal's life.

Annie absolutely loves to smash foods between her fingers, savoring the texture in a way most adults miss.

Mmm, raspberry filling!  Jason claims I filled the cupcakes just so I'd have better (aka messier) birthday photos.  He may or may not have been right...

Our happy one year-old!  It's hard to believe it's been an entire year since we welcomed her into our home.

Last but not least, the crumbly aftermath.  If it hadn't been seven degrees outside, we would have shaken her off on the deck.  I must say, keeping up with the toys, mess, and laundry of an extra little one can be pretty daunting at times.  Anybody who claims that it's not that different adding one more has either never been there or else suffers from that selective amnesia that entices folks to add "just one more."

Aw, but when babies are this cute, can you blame them?


Happy Birthday, Annika Mae!  You have brought so much joy and so many smiles to our family since the day you were born.  You'd think the excitement would have worn off after an entire year, but we still squabble over who gets to hold you and soak in those cuddles.  You are inquisitive, perceptive, and oh-so-very cute.  I hope to post an update soon about everything you love (like emptying out all the CDs) and a few of the things you don't (like sleeping through the night.)  With a little bit of luck (and a lot of courage), I might even post your birth story.

In the meantime, here's one last present I forgot.  Jason and I conferred and decided that a box of tissues is the perfect gift for a one-year old.  We wrapped up your very own box, but it was quickly forgotten amidst all the other packages.  Early the next morning, however, you rediscovered the present all on your own.

I guess we were right after all.  When you're twelve months old, nothing says fun like Kleenex.