Happy 1st Birthday, Alicia

Wow, so can you all believe that our little Alicia has turned 1 year old today! I still can remember when I was younger that a year seemed like an eternity...but today when I look back it seems like a blink of an eye. I've heard that a child's one year birthday isn't so much for the child to remember, but for the parents to reflect and realize they have officially survived one year of real parenthood. Wohoo, I guess we have done it...
well here's a few great pics of the caring people that helped bring our little miss Alicia into this world a year ago today... thanks to all and for God to giving us our little baby girl.

- We love you, Alicia,
your mommy and daddy.

hmm...birthday cake (a little early)

ideas...

so for all of you asking me what I want for my birthday, here's some ideas of the sorts of things I like...of course, not on the list that I could use, is a girl can not have too many clothes :)

Alicia's Wishlist

round 1

So in the mail today Alicia got her first birthday card. :) It was kind of fitting as this was the weekend last year when I was admitted to the hospital and was induced the first-time around... and well as you all know we had a stubborn little peanut that wasn't ready to come out just yet, so she wanted to wait a few more days... Alicia's birthday countown has begun...
only 5 more days until the big #1

mommy's little helper??

mommy's little helper?? I'm not sure, and I don't know if that is exactly what I would call it, but it works for this. She seems to enjoy helping me with the laundry now days. hehe.. well in her own way. If we get a system down it might just work out well. As long as she doesn't fit the basket of already folded clothes.

here's a picture of Alicia sorting out the laundry too... (obviously this picture was taken before her well needed haircut...)

Alicia's 1st Haircut

So here's the story...Alicia's been loving the whole feeding herself bit by picking up her own food, etc, but the wrath afterwards is just a mess...After about the 3rd day in a row of getting food in her hair, that was it-I decided right then and there that it was time for Alicia to have a haircut. I've been putting it off, as I thought it was cute letting her bangs grow out and have the nice little Donald Trump comb-over. No more... Alicia was such a trooper, she didn't cry at all or even fuss when they got her hair wet, she just sat their like a big girl taking it all in. She even got a certificate with her picture and clips of hair as a memento to keep.
BEFORE

AFTER

back home

Lots of stuff was happening this last weekend. Right before we left to go back to Iowa, Alicia decided to show off her stuff and started crawling up our steps in the living room. I have a video of this, but I’m trying to make it smaller still, it is too large to upload right now, so maybe later this week, I’ll have something.

Also, Alicia got to have her first birthday cake experience. It was nothing too exciting that’s for sure, I think Drew’s family wanted to see a bit more cake smashing, but that wasn’t up Alicia’s alley. So instead it was only like a finger or two that went into it. Maybe she knew it wasn’t her birthday just yet, so she is saving the big show for later.

But the real reason for the trip back to Iowa was for Drew’s sister Ann graduating from Clarke College. Way to go, Ann! In the one picture here, where Ann is holding Alicia, the dress that Alicia is wearing from from when Ann was a baby – Great Grandma Alice made that dress for Ann when she was a baby. How cool is that.. It fit Alicia pretty good.
Also at graduation, was my friend Jenny from work, whose sister Carissa was also graduating from Clarke. Here’s the girls getting ready to watch their Auntie’s graduate from college. I think both Reese and Alicia enjoyed the ceremony :)

Here's a pretty good picture of all of us from this 1st Mother's Day weekend.

yummo

Here's Alicia enjoying her very first grilled cheese sandwich... yummo...I'm glad she seemed to like it, as it is one of my favorite "comfort" foods...

Actually I think a grilled cheese was one of the first things I ordered at the hospital when I had Alicia. I think I remember Drew and the nurses kinda looking at me weird when I said that was what I wanted off the menu and questioned me like I should have ordered something else instead. ok, whatever..so atleast I know I'm weird...

Alicia's First Game

We took Alicia to her first Cardinal game today when the Cardinals played the Brewers at Miller Park. And a fine cardinal fan which was there for Batting Practice greeted Alicia with a batting practice baseball signed by Kelvin Jimenez. He said she'll be able to remember this game now for years to come. It was a really cool gesture. I believe the same guy got a foul ball later in the game too..

The retractable roof was open, so the temperature was about 65 degrees in the Sun. Which we were for the first inning then we were afraid of getting burnt so we relocated.. its a good thing that miller park isn't packed and we were able to move without incident. We actually moved a couple of times due to the sun/shade moving as well. There was about a 20 degree difference between the sun and shade, so we even moved into the sun some innings... oh well.

There were other babies there as well... Alicia met another 11 monther and a 2 week old baby.

Here are a few more pics from the day.

And of Course Heather can't see a CLAW she can't master. She won Alicia, the Cardinals Rule Finger.

haapy 11 months

 

Here's Alicia and her girlfriend Sam that were born only a few days apart, can't believe how fast time flies. Here's the girls about ready to crawl away with each other...how cute is this?