my little bluebird turned one on april, 22nd. yes, one year old! what the what?! i'm in shock at how fast this past year FLEW by. i was snuggling her earlier this evening before bedtime (or trying to anyway..she gets wild sometimes)... and it just HIT me that this little girl who is desperately trying to keep herself awake by ripping off my necklace, jamming her fingers up my nose, trying to pull off my eyelashes and suffocate me with her blankie (i know she sounds violent, doesn't she?) was JUST barely a teeny peanut who loved being swaddled and wanted to nap all the time. now she hates being constrained in ANY way (she especially dislikes her new car seat that I spent hours painstakingly researching for over five months-and yes, my indecisiveness may have also played a part in taking so long to decide on one. guilty.) and pretty much is anti-nap. she doesn't want to miss out on anything. with each day that passes, she learns more tricks and keeps us entertained with her goofy, yet charming personality. she has mastered the art of walking between furniture and along things but has yet to stand on her own for more than a millisecond or take her first step. take your time baby girl, take your time :) she loves to open and shut things, especially the door to the pantry in the kitchen. she knows there are lots of naughty things to get into in there. she prefers dog treats and water bottles. she likes to take out as much as she can and voila! a mini baby home, just for her. it even comes equipped with a week supply of dog food and a fire extinguisher in case things ever get crazy up in there.
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| i see london, i see france :) |
she has been shaking her head no for quite some time now but just yesterday she shook her head yes. finally! she loves to clap, blow kisses, give nice big open mouth kisses and does the fishy kiss better than i can. and oh, the waving. to everything and everyone in sight. she loves everyone the same. she is getting her two top incisor teeth and two molars. one on each side. she has the cutest vampire smile you ever did see :) i really love (NOT) when she grinds her new fangs onto her two bottom teeth. it makes a lovely sound. nails on a chalkboard, ever heard of it? i kid. i love watching her become aware of the new things going on with her body. she is such a good eater and chews food very well. the only thing she needs to work on is a little pacing when she eats and to learn that you don't have to shove it in all at once. she may have learned that trick from her daddy. why eat only one puff when five fit in your mouth? seriously. she shovels food in like a starving, wild animal. she is so trusting when i offer her something new to eat. the only thing she absolutely despised and spit right out was tuna fish. i can't say i blame her. she has started to say a few more words. last week (on April 16th to be exact)she said MAMA! i was sure it was a fluke until she did it again repeatedly the following day. and then this happened...
me: "sutton, say mama"
sutton: "da-da" (followed by a big, mischievous grin)
she knew what she was up to. i smell sass. she now says water (it comes out more like wa-wa but it's clear enough that we know what she means) she is a happy camper when i put water in her little lady sippy cup. she loves music and is now a music conductor! she conducts with her right hand and if it is a song that particularly tickles her fancy, she uses both hands. like the justin timberlake jam she heard this morning. his music must speak to her soul or something. she loves it. this is most entertaining when she does it in sacrament meeting at church. her version of conducting usually includes high pitched bird-like squawks and a few ear piercing shrieks. hey-she wants these peeps to know she is helping lead the music! i pray her love of music will stay with her as she grows and develops.
pops came to visit for sutton's first birthday ALL the way from ohio. ain't he sweet? sutton sure took to him quickly and they were best buds. the day after pops arrived we were off to nevada for a fun 5 days with my family. it was sutton's sixth trip on a plane in less than a year. she needs her own rapid rewards number.
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| every passerby was incredibly interesting. can't you tell? |
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| she stole my vanilla steamer and wouldn't give it back |
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| i didn't know my daughter was so incredibly flexible. i'm jealous. |
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| this is the face of pure happiness after stealing the coveted baby doll from Emmery. |
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| napping was not going to happen. ever. |
my niece emmery was born on april 2nd, exactly 20 days before sutton. i love that these two babes are so close in age and that they will be able to grow up together. i'm thankful that my family lives close enough that i can get to them in an hour flight or a days drive. (i'll always pick the flight option i have the choice) emmery LOVES sutton and vice versa. she gets so excited when she sees her and they have a lot of fun playing together. we had a little birthday party for the girls on sunday, april 21st. it was low-key, just my family and my friend brittany's family. the highlight was definitely watching the girls with their cakes that grammie made. have i mentioned how thankful i am to have a crafty mama? who can also cook? well, i am. very much so. here are some of my favorite pictures from the party...
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| cutest cake. ever. thanks mama. |
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| Char and Kloe wanted to be in all the pictures with the birthday girls |
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| stealing candy from a baby. tsk tsk tsk... |
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| they strongly disliked the grass! look at their little legs...straining hard to lift them up so they wouldn't touch the scratchy stuff. |
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| emmery strained so hard she lost it. gotta work that core girl :) |
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| what is this weird thing you have placed in front of me? |
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| i know what it is and i want it NOW! |
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| not afraid to get her hands dirty. at all. |
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| sparrow didn't appreciate sutton's attempt at sharing |
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| emmery still trying to figure this mysterious object out. sutton wasted no time getting at it! |
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| emmery quit before she even tried. her cake was devoured by four other munchkins that were lurking in the shadows, waiting for her to throw in the towel. sutton still going strong 40 minutes later with no sign of stopping. get it girl. |
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| present time? or hammer time? Elliott looks confused. |
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| cousins and my dad's old truck. don't tell mom that his truck made it onto my blog. it might put her over the edge. |
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| our little family |
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| oh bluebird. so pretty. |
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grand finale. and yes, she did all that work on her own. that's my girl.
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we had such a good time with my family in nevada over sutton's birthday weekend. she got to see lots of farm animals and even got to pet a brand new baby goat. she loved it. so many people love that little girl and i know she feels it all, even the love from across the country :) she is our miracle and we are absolutely crazy in love with her. she has blessed our lives beyond measure. thanks for being the light of our lives little bluebird. we love you!
