Annika's 1st Birthday!

We can't believe it's been a year since we were blessed with our sweet baby girl. To commemorate her birthday, we'll start with a list of accomplishments and favorites of Annika at year:

• She says a few words (in her own special way) like Ezra, bottle, Mom, Dad, milk, uh-oh
• She's mastered the "half-crawl/half-walk." She can pretty much keep up with Ezra using this surprisingly effective scoot.
• She's mastered eating. She will eat anything- she really will. Although her most favorite thing to eat is the french fry- she is quite the fan!
• She loves alone time with Mommy and Daddy. She really loves her big brother, but when he is not around she just blossoms with all the extra attention.
• She is an amateur climber. I've found her up on Ezra's bed (beaming with pride- of course), up on a chair with one leg flung over the top (that one nearly gave Mom a heart attack at the sight!), in the laundry basket, and on top of a picnic table (it was a kid's size one---but still!). We will have to watch this one a little closer I think.
• She is starting to like to draw. She likes to draw on the magna doodle and with Daddy's pen.
• She loves Elmo most of all (this was true until she received her pink princess couch for her birthday- I've never seen anything like the spasms she has when she sees it!). But back to Elmo for a minute....we never ever watch Sesame Street so I don't know where she gets it, but anytime she sees an Elmo doll she has a conniption! 
• She's the cutest, silliest, happiest little thing and we can't stand how much we love her.

Back to Annika's Birthday:

This is the birthday girl upon waking. Annika knew it was going to be a good day when she woke up to a room full of balloons! 

And the opening of presents begins! Ezra gave her this toy and it was a hit--mostly because it has Elmo. Ezra picked this toy all by himself and he was so proud when he gave it to her! He really knows what she likes!

This is the invitation that Sarah made for Annika's birthday party. We got a TON of compliments on it. She did a really great job--she should go into business. Thanks a lot!

Annika's birthday party was held at the community center and she had many of her closest friends in attendance! Here she is in the crown and tutu Christina made. She looked like such a doll! When she came into the room, she beamed at everyone who was looking at her and pranced around the room, holding mommy's fingers. 

Our first game was "balloon time," where everyone danced around with balloons. As you can see, this was a big hit with Ezra!

After playing with balloons for a while, Josh wowed the crowd with renditions of some favorite songs: the ABCs, itsy-bitsy spider, and "if you are happy and you know it." The kids really loved it--I think we had to sing every song at least twice! Thanks to Josh, Annika had a live band at her very first birthday! Thanks Josh!

One of the first games we played was "London Bridge," which turned out to be a hilarious disaster. Jonathan was supposed to lead the games, but he had no idea now to play the game. Luckily, Jethro explained it so we could sort of understand. I'm not sure we ever did it right, but it was pretty fun!

We also played Ring around the Rosies, which is a favorite game around our house. Annika really had a good time walking with the big kids and falling down when they did. We also played Red Light, Green Light and Duck, Duck, Goose.

After games, it was time for cake. Christina made Annika a cute little cake and we gave it to her to enjoy. Sarah also made some delicious banana bites and jello cups, which were really yummy and the perfect accompaniment to cake! Here is Annika trying to blow out the candle, which worked with a little help from Dad.

Plotting her next move, Annika gets a good look at the cake. She's on the floor, by the way, because we forgot to bring her high chair to the community center...Oops!

Feeling it out, sizing it up...Annika must be pinching herself, wondering "Could this be real? Could this really be a cake just for me?" Only one way to find out!!!

Dunk your head in it! This was her preferred method of cake eating. I wonder if there is a scientific study somewhere out there concerning the relationship between the way babies eat their first birthday cake and their personalities? 

Dad agreed to hold the cake for Annika, and she kept digging in. She took enormous bites!!!

All smiles! Really, this moment is the apex of Annika's life thus far. You would have thought somebody had just handed her the world! And, notice the wonderful cupcake bib, courtesy of Christina!

After cake (and the ensuing mess), it was time for Annika to open her presents. She got so many, she was completely overwhelmed and began asking for mommy. Overall, I think you'll see she did okay in the toy department...

Not a bad haul, huh? This is us on the way home, with 900 pounds of toys and gifts from everyone. 

Thanks to everyone who came to Annika's party. It was a great success! Annika really felt special today! And even more thanks to all those who helped us make it a great party!