Dear Alia,

This was your first birthday! It was such a happy day.

I really wanted it to look special, so when you woke up you would know right away that this was a special day. We hung the banner and bunting that Mimi, Faithy, and I made all across the living room, and in the bedroom. We put out 13 bud vases of hot pink roses around the house. We made a little display of your gifts in their pretty butterfly paper that Kaden helped me wrap (this one we put up high, because Kaden had already found and helped unwrap the same gifts!)Around 8 am I went in the bedroom to get you up. You were sleeping in the pretty little white rose tank top that was Mimi’s when she was a baby. I took you over to the changing table and put on your sweet new white eyelet gDiaper from Nana. You noticed the bunting in the corner right away and pointed at it. After you were changed I took you over to see it closer, and all the roses on the dresser. You were so interested and loved looking at them, and pointing. We woke up Daddy and went out to the living room. Right away you pointed at the bunting, each strand, telling us to look, and that you noticed it. You did the same with the banner, and presents, and cards, and kept coming back to pointing at the decorations all throughout the morning, even while you were opening your presents. The bedroom ones you pointed at during every diaper change, and then all the living room ones each time we walked back out there. I was so happy that you liked them 🙂 I think they really did let you know that this was a very special day. Brother woke up and then we opened presents. He wanted you to opened the Legos he got you so bad! You opened that first, and we all set them up. It was the Cinderella carriage set. It came with a horse too! So much fun. We played with Legos and took Bella out while Daddy cooked a blueberry pancake breakfast. The morning air was nice and cool in the shade, and the morning moon was still out, tucked into a wispy cloud. It looked so cool! You and Kaden liked looking at it too. The birds were singing and Kaden and I discussed how they were probably saying “Happy Birthday Alia!” We had breakfast at the table together. You had a bunch of blueberries. I cut them into quarters and you pick them up and eat them. You love it 🙂 Then we opened the rest of your presents. You wanted to eat the wrapping paper, but were accepting of the fact that we wouldn’t let you. We sat and played until it was time for your nap. You went to sleep very easily, and slept about two hours while Daddy, Roo, Faithy, Kaden, & I finished getting all the food and decorations ready to take to your party.  After nap it was time to party! All the decorations looked so beautiful, the colors were so pretty and there was a perfect breeze. We visited with your friends and ate a buncha watermelon. Papa made up a silly song and dance that said “watermelon watermelon mm mm mmm!” You laughed so hard every time. You opened your presents from your friends, took a little swim, and listened with great interest as everyone sang Happy Birthday to you. It rained for awhile but was still nice. Swiper, no swiping!“Happy Birthday to you!”
“watermelon watermelon mm mm mmm!” When you were ready to sleep again we went home and all took long naps in the dark stormy afternoon. You got back up around six and were very pleased to see the bunting up again 🙂more blueberries!
Your family came over for a late dinner and brought all their gifts for you. We ate enchilada casserole (just like I did the night you were born! And this time I didn’t throw them up 😉 You opened all your pretty gifts, we watched your birth day video, and sang to you again when we had cupcakes
Faith’s gift was this beautiful little dress & headband she made with scraps from the quilt Mimi made for your baby shower!
Later in the evening I put you in your Hanna Andersson pajamas and silk sling and we all went out to the lake by our house and did sky lanterns up in the sky. They looked so beautiful floating up into the starlit sky. We listened to Dream and the song from Tangled. It was really pretty and special. I think you liked it too. Kaden said “Maybe they are going to Neverland and Peter Pan will say ‘Oh! What is this?'”We went back inside and Kaden held you in the rocker and I took your picture, just like last year. At 10:36 we sang Happy Birthday to you again, and then your family we went home and we got ready for bed. Daddy read you the Pooh Bear book and you nursed to sleep.

Last year.
This year.It was such a special day. I think you knew it too 🙂