A Celebration

We did it! We threw Abby-Cakes a 1st birthday bash that TAMN would be proud of. (If you don't know who TAMN is, click here. She actually probably wouldn't have been proud of us, but would have thought it was "cute" that we tried so hard to throw a party that would never be as cool as hers.)

It's kind of ridiculous going to so much work for a party the kid will never remember, but in my opinion, the baby's first birthday party really isn't just about the baby. It's a celebration for the whole family because we survived that crazy first year!

Here's just a few reasons to C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E (and a justification to eat one more of the 50 billion cupcakes I baked last night.)

• We survived our first year with TWO KIDS! (As an added bonus, I don't think we were even reported to DCFS, so I guess we're good enough parents.)
• Greg survived all of the PINK, flowers, bows, headbands, ruffles, lace...all the sugar and spice that comes with a little girl.
• Garrett has been an awesome big brother and loves his Abbs. He is a wild man, but he is always nice to Abby and worries about her when she is not with him. He gets really nervous if somebody he doesn't know is holding her and he frequently wakes her up from her naps so she can play with him. (The waking her up thing is not really a cause to celebrate...)
• I survived a baby who was a big-time momma's girl, didn't really like sleeping and wanted to be held CONSTANTLY for the first several months of her life. Garrett also decided to quit taking naps about this time, so it was pretty crazy at our house for awhile, but I didn't die of exhaustion and we lived to tell.
• I tried to nurse Garrett and it was a DISASTER. We both hated every minute of it. Seriously. I decided to give it another shot with Abby and it turned out okay. I'm not going to be running for President of the La Leche League or anything, but I do have a few positive thoughts about breastfeeding, which is a plus.
• Our parents will be glad to know we are seeing some light at the end of the crazy we-have-two-kids-under-the-age-of-two tunnel and I am thinking there is a pretty good chance we might have another baby someday. I'd by lying if I didn't admit there were multiple times this year I thought, "I'm glad I have a boy and a girl. Now I don't have to worry about having any more kids." Terrible, but true.
• One year later, I am happy to report I can wear all of my pre-Abby clothes. (I didn't say they fit great or look good, but I can get the zipper up. That counts, right?)
• One major reason to celebrate: I don't look like this anymore!

But it was worth it all...because in the end, we got her!

Another reason to CELEBRATE--Miss Abby was a winner in the local newspaper's baby contest. Go ABBS! Check it out.

I will post a few pics of tonight's fiesta later. I wanted to just enjoy the evening, so I didn't even take out my camera, but my sister and sister-in-law were sweet enough to take a few shots for me. (Plus they are good photographers and have fancy cameras and their pictures will look a billion times better than mine ever would.)

My dear brother-in-law reminded me I never posted a picture of Abby in her new Carhartt overalls. Because he is the reason my laptop is fixed and I am blogging like a champion these days, here she is: