First Birthday Videos

Finalizing plans for Mia's little birthday party this weekend.  I can not wrap my mind around the fact that my precious baby girl is going to be one, ONE, on Thursday.  This time last year I was wondering if she was EVER going to come.  I'd been SURE that she was gong to come early and was even more bummed when my sister, who was due a week before I was delivered early and then my own due date came and went.  My little "over-baked" Mia made her grand debut five days late and with peely little hands and feet from hanging out in there too long.  :)  


In preparation for her birthday I decided to put a few of the THOUSANDS of photos we have of our little Mia to music.  These four videos were the result and I'm going to loop them together to play at her birthday.  Sorry that they are long, but what can I say? - I'm a proud mommy who's beyond infatuated with her precious baby girl.  :)  

Perfect Beauty

Isn't She Lovely

We Believe in You

(Man, I'm bummed this is blocked.  Sadness, it's a good one!)

Just the Way You Are

I can't believe how much she's grown and changed over the past year!  It was such a heartwarming trip down memory lane to look though all of the photos and choose out some of our family favorites.

We love you Mia!!!

Baby Love - with working video :)

Mia is LOVING having an "honorary big sister" in Paulina, the ten year old I'm watching for the summer.  She probably sometimes gets on Paulina's nerves because she wants to follow her around and see and be part of what she's doing, but she hides it well.  lol

Hello friends!                                   What'cha doing?

Can I play Monopoly?                            
You like to play blocks?  I like to EAT blocks!  What a pleasant coincidence!  :)

The other day, Paulina was down on the ground playing with Mia and they started this squealing chasing game that was SO funny and so cute.  We had to whip out the camera and try and capture some of it.  Zeus and I were laughing so hard as they went squealing and laughing around and around the island between the kitchen and the living room.  :)

Mia chasing Paulina., then switching directions and the chase goes on...  :)

Paulina taking a quick rest as Mia heads her way full throttle!  :)

We were lucky enough to get a few quick videos as they were playing.  Prepare yourself for sounds of happiness - aka squealing, screaming, laughing baby.  :)  

And and the chase is on! 

Gonna get you!!!

Whew!  Worn out baby taking a time out to rest for a moment.  :)

So, not only am I enjoying having someone else around during the day who talks in complete sentences and giving me excuses to get out of the house, but we're ALL having a blast.

Pre-Birthday Photos

So the other day I decided to take some photos of Mia for her birthday announcement.  I'd gotten a few bags of  clothes off of craigslist and in it was this cute little cupcake outfit that was brand spankin' new - even still had the tags on it!  The shirt was long sleeved, but I figure we were taking the photos indoors so it would be okay, even though the OUTSIDE weather here has been in the 100's.  I'm still working on the birthday announcement / party invitation, but had to post a few of the photos I was able to snap of her in her cute little cupcake outfit.  I had to use my ancient digital camera that flashes like twenty times before it takes the photos, so there were a lot of "almost" good photos before I was able to get some good ones.  For some reason I can't find the darn charger to my really nice digital Cannon.  The last time I had it, I remember thinking, "I need to put this some place safe so I'll remember where it is..."  Famous last words.  Anyways, here's the photos.  :)

Little cheezer grin.  :)

About ready to "plop" down from the couch - aka, the "hiney lean".

The tippy-toe to reach stuff mom moved out of the way for picture time.  See her little tan toots and her hair is coming in more - yay!  Man I love this little bug!

Man we love this little girl so much and to such degree that we can't even put it into words.  She's the best thing that's ever happened to us on so many different levels.  Case in point, the following conversation we had the other night as we were playing with Mia.

Me:    Do you think there's any way we could ever love another child as much as we love Mia?

Zeus:  I was just thinking that same thing today.

Me:    So do you?

Zeus:  I don't know.

Me:    Yeah, me either.  I think all mom's must love their first kid more than all the rest.  (This was said with a big grin, because I'm the oldest kid in my family.)  :)

So I get the bright idea to call my mom and ask her, since I'm pretty sure she loves me the most - seeing as how I'm the first and favorite child.  :)  I told her the conversation Zeus and I had just had and how we were wondering if we'd ever be able to love another child as MUCH as we love Mia and how now I TOTALLY get why I'm her favorite.  My mom laughed.  She LAUGHED!  How rude.  I knew that what would come after the laughter could not be good, and I was right.  She went on to try and disabuse me of the notion that I was the favorite.  How rude!  :)  She reassured me that when that new little one comes and you hold them in your arms, you have that same kind of overwhelming love for this new little life that you had for the first.  Then she said I had to believe her because she'd done it seven times and felt the same kind of love for each one of us.  Although this KIND OF put my mind at ease a little with regards to having another child one day, I was totally knocked off my "I'm the oldest favorite child" pedestal, and I must admit that it stung... just a teeny tiny bit. (Though part of me still secretly believes it - just don't tell my mom... or my brothers and sisters...)  Man do kids just open your heart to so much love!!!  This last photo's my favorite of the bunch:

  My sweet baby girl in her cute outfit and pink toenails.

She's so so stinking cute I can hardly stand it!!!  :)

Oh, and yeah, she really is that cute and she really is that sweet and we really are SO blessed to be her parents and have her as part of our little family!!!

The past few weeks... in photos.

Hey there.  :)  Just chilling.  Waiting for visitors...

My cousin Sami came for a day last week with her darling kiddos and we were able to spend a little bit of time together before they flew to Cali.  Here are her kids enjoying a rare treat - TV!  :)

Then Zeus's friend Eddie came with his family for a few days.  Here's Mossimo entertaining Mia.  :)  He was so cute with her.  I'm bummed we didn't get any group shots!  I'll have to get copies of the ones Eddie's wife Teresa took.

Mia and Katerina enjoying their pancakes. 

Mossimo and Paulina blowing up floaties for the pool.  After swimming we drove into Lockhart to eat at the wold famous Black's BBQ.  YUM! 

Paulina and Katerina rode with us and fell sound asleep on the way there while Mia happily played in the middle.  :)

Zeus and I had beef ribs - YUM!!!  This is a photo of Zeus holding both our ribs.  :)

The city building in Lockhart was gorgeous!

Mossimo, Paulina and Katerina peeking in the air conditioned car at Mia.

Last week a package arrived in the mail for Mia.  We were so excited to open her first birthday package!!!  Even though it came early, we just couldn't WAIT to open it up.  :)  Thank you great Uncle Harold and great Auntie Charlotte!!!  I could not find any charged batteries for my camera so I had to settle with cell phone photos, so please forgive the photo quality.

Must perform customary pre-opening pat down of package.  :)

Wowza, it opens just like a book!  My favorite!

The bag's as big as me!

... and comes with yummy gift wrap paper - my favorite!

Oh my!  Anything else?  :)

What mom, YOU have the card???

It looks like more paper!  Must. Lick!

Ok, MY turn to hold the cute card mommy.

Thank you.

Mia styling in her cute new clothes!

So many cute new outfits... what shall I wear next???

Hmmm... let's do THIS top, with THESE pants...  

Man we love this little turkey!!!

Who, me???

Mom, did I read you this page yet?  This reading stuff is serious business.

  

I think I need a snack now after all that hard work... yummy, yummy veggie straws!

We also had friends over to join us for swimming.  The neighbor girl Natosha came over to play with Paulina and my friend Valorie came over with her two little cuties to keep Mia and I company.

Mia and Hailey sharing the stroller on the way over - reclining seats can hold two small children.  Who knew?  :)

 All packed up and heading to the pool, but where's Ammon?  Oh, he's already at the corner!

My little bathing beauty at the pool in her pink tutu swimsuit.

Hailey and Mia had a great time floating in their floaties and crawling on the top step of the pool.

My friend Lori was in town for a work thing and got out early enough that she was able to join us at the pool. What a fun treat!

Mia keeping an eye on Lori in the pool so she wouldn't get scared, and apparently planning what they would wear once they showered up after the pool...

They decided on yellow tops and dark jean bottoms apparently!  Twinners!

On Saturday, the neighbor girl Natasha invited us to a family friend's first birthday party over at the park across the street.  After lunch and after running lunch to papa at the hospital (he forgot it when he left for work in the morning) we headed over.

Mia in her high chair - all excited to go to her first birthday party ever.

Natosha got a birthday hat for Mia to wear...

Mia was NOT a fan.

Looks like I can cross "birthday hats" off the list for Mia's own birthday party in a few weeks!  lol