The 7 Essentials to Turning One

1. A fun Daddy.Where does a baby girl even begin? Daddy lets me do lots of fun stuff Mommy wouldn't really do, mostly outside. He lets me hang upside down, for starters.

And who says Daddys don't play dress-up? Here I am in Daddy's bike helmet AND his cowboy boots.

Daddy hardly ever fusses with accessories, like putting barrettes in my hair. I don't know why Mommy bothers since I almost always pull them out anyway.

Here we are together on Halloween. I'm pretty sure he's the reason I got to taste candy for the first time too. To think I dressed up in that Strawberry costume last year and didn't even get candy for it! That lollipop was awesome!

2. Boba.
If you don't know what a Boba is, you really need to find out so you can see if you're blessed enough to  have one. He is just the best at making me belly laugh. He also sits in the backseat with me so I don't get lonely, and even offers when no one else is in the passenger seat up front. I'm kind of the Anti-Shotgun.

Also, he helps my parents remember to be silly when they are being a little too serious.

I pretty much adore him, and try to do what he does. I figure it's a solid plan since he's a really good role model.











3. Grandparents.
Grandparents make the world go round. I have a Nana, and also a BB and Grandpa.

My Nana watches me during the week while my parents are at work. I could write a whole section on my fun days with Nana. Kind of like Daddy, I probably do things, eat things, and get held for entire hour naps that Mommy may not need to know about, so we'll just say she's a pretty awesome lady.

She takes me to the park every day and we read lots of books together. Also, she taught me to kick and throw a ball and one day I might try soccer like Boba. Oh, and she also helps me take care of all of my baby dolls and my Elmo and showed me how to feed them and give them naps.

I didn't get to meet my Grandpa Ted, but it was really cool to meet some of his side of the family when Uncle Bobby and Aunt Donna came to visit us a few days after my birthday. They have an awesome RV that they're driving coast to coast--we fed them Texas BBQ and they played lots of Euchre with Nana, Mom, Dad, and Boba.



And my BB and Grandpa, they are just the cat's meow! They come visit from North Carolina as much as they can and sometimes we go to their house too. BB practically has a playroom in her basement and makes sure the Easter Bunny and Santa know when I am there so my things get delivered to the right place. We met them at the beach over the Summer and they didn't even frown when I was the only grandchild crying through most of the pictures.

I get to do lots of fun things with them and we video chat to stay in touch too. They came to visit for my first birthday and took me to the Children's Museum and to the park. Also, it's important for you to know that BB taught my Mommy how to make her macaroni and cheese, which is probably my most favorite food.

4. Cake, lots of cake!
Well this was just one of those bonus things that I didn't even know about until my actual birthday. Luckily I had Boba to show me what to do. Mommy made banana cupcakes with frosting, and they were so good that I got carried away and ended up having to open gifts later in just a shirt and diaper, then go straight to the tub! I guess they've been holding back, because until my first birthday I thought dessert was applesauce or pears.

Then, at my birthday party a few days later, I had cake AGAIN! This time it was a mini vanilla bundtini and I stood at the table for about 15 minutes until I made a dent in that cake. If they had just offered me a spoon with the cupcakes, I wouldn't have made such a mess!

I think Grandpa must have been making a mess too, because I saw BB feeding him at the party. I wonder why he doesn't have to wear a bib like I do.

5. Places to act like a one year old
This is a place where it's perfectly acceptable if your preferred mode of transport is crawling. Where you can leave a trail of puffs and yell if you need to. A place with a cushy, clean changing table and lots of toys. The Austin Children's Museum, Gymboree, the park, and my playroom are my favorites. Here I am in my favorite places to be a toddler:

6. Elmo, Oh Sweet E-L-M-O.
He's funny, furry, cute, and red. He has a sweet laugh and has a really good song. I take him everywhere I can and have even learned to say his name, "EL-MMMMooo." I even have a guitar that plays a rocking version of his song that I got for my birthday!

7. Personality.
Well, a baby girl needs to have a healthy balance of attitude and silliness. From what I can tell, it's probably good to keep a little of both for when I get older too. I have a range of faces and expressions and will usually answer NO if I can tell you're asking a question.

Sometimes I hear Mommy and Daddy say things like "I don't know WHO she gets that from" when I am cranky or extra persistent. Since they both say it to each other, I don't know who either.

 One day, Nana left the fridge open to turn and get something and I climbed right in to get my yogurt. It's important for a girl to know what she wants and how to get it too.