1 year of Grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It happened. Our baby turned one and she already seems more like a little girl than a baby. Or is that just in my nostalgic motherly mind? At any rate, here are a few pictures of an impromptu photo shoot out on our apartment balcony taken on her birthday. Lighting was right and so was her mood so I carped the diem! Or the moment at least. Birthday party pics to follow....

Until she can decide for herself, I decided that purple is her favorite color and headbands are her favorite accessory.

Please appreciate the wee Nikes. I will be so sad when she outgrows them.

Showing off her bottom chompers and her happiest moon eyes.

               

I know I say this every month but I sincerely mean it every month: THIS is my favorite age. She is smiley and interactive and hilarious. From now on I want to give birth to one-year-olds. Let me clarify: size of a newborn but personality of a one-year-old. That would be splendid.

These days (as though most of you haven't gleaned these updates from other social media postings):

• Grace still hovers in the 44th percentile for height.
• She is now in the 60th percentile for weight (20 lbs, 12 oz) Chunking up a bit.
• She is still in the 95th percentile for head circumference. Aka, she has a muy big brain.
• Grace has learned how to clap and she frequently applauds herself because she knows she rocks. Currently, I am watching her on the monitor applauding herself for taking a good nap. I'll applaud that.
• She nods her head ALL the time and at the right time so often I think it's no coincidence she's nodding. She probably understands everything said to her but just doesn't feel like talking yet. At any rate, she nods and shakes her head constantly, evidence that she is an engaged listener during our most meaningful conversations.
• She casts evil spells on us all the time. Hear me out, because I don't think this is a typical 12-month landmark. She sits in her high chair with both arms lifted and flails them wildly while shouting incoherent babble and peeking out at us beneath a furrowed brow. And sometimes her face gets really red. And all times we laugh really hard and pull out our cameras. 
• She is unhealthily obsessed with phones. Like the rest of us. But she can think of nothing else most of the time and is at her happiest when she has a REAL phone in each hand. She is, however, loving the toy phone Grandma and Grandpa Lyons gave her for her bday. 
• She is also very much into going through my wallet and pulling everything out. She loves holding credit cards. Hopefully that changes.
• She opens cupboards, drawers, and loves to push doors open and closed. Her favorite cupboards to open are those that include all harmful chemicals and cleaners. This is probably a typical 12-month landmark.
• She loves to feed me her food. I'm trying to teach her to share but I think it's just her way of pawning off food she doesn't want anymore.
• She lays her head on my shoulder a lot now, and it's even sweeter than before because she does it because she loves me-not just because she can't hold her head up or because she's tired.
• And overall she has just become sweeter. She was always sweet but she is giving lots more kisses, putting both her hands on my cheeks and touching our foreheads and noses together, freely giving out scrunchy-nosed, squinty-eyed smiles to strangers (though she won't go to them, don't worry). It melts my heart.
• She loves to dance and loves to watch other people dance.
• She can totally wave, but she does it selectively, so usually not when we want her to.
• She has eight teeth and possibly molars coming in as well.
• She has been upgraded to a big girl car seat and she feels mighty cool in it.
• She keeps trying to grab the spoon when I feed her and then usually sticks it in her mouth, bites down real hard, gives me the cheesiest, most satisfied grin, and pulls the spoon back out with all the food still on it. And then she picks the food off the spoon with her fingers and spreads it all over her tray. This is most commonly done with cottage cheese. I have become no stranger to messes.
• She is close to walking and in the last month has demanded that anyone near her hold her hands and walk her around as she practices taking steps. She LOVES the small carpeted steps at Gma and Gpa McKeans' house and sometimes wants to do nothing else but walk up and down them. She has also taken a liking to pushing baskets, trash cans, chairs, and the stroller so that she can lean on something while she walks. But try to make her take a few steps on her own and you will feel her wrath. She will certainly walk when she's ready.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Actual Birthday, March 10 2016

During the day on her actual birthday Grace and I didn't do anything too fancy or special, although she opted out of both her naps, peed on the bathroom rug, splashed applesauce all over me (I was actually dressed and ready for the day at this point), and threw a fit in Target (which she never does when we're out shopping). She took the liberty of doing all the things she doesn't do every other day. And I just smiled and kept singing Happy Birthday to her. I have to give her credit though, because for the first time, she stood on her own, RECOGNIZED that she was standing on her own, and KEPT standing. And she even clapped for herself. Naturally. I'll applaud that.

James got off work early and we took Grace to the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. Grace fell asleep on the drive there of course, since she'd skipped both naps. But she woke up with enough energy and attention to point at some fish and quickly lose interest. James and I liked it, but it was definitely overpriced and we saw everything in an hour, so I think it's safe to say we'll never go back.

We then took her to PetSmart right next to where we live. That was free and Grace LOVED the guinea pigs. She even tried to give them a kiss. Thank goodness for the glass in between that kiss.

Then we took her to Sweet Tooth Fairy. Mostly for me to be honest...but also for her. We bought her the most delicious raspberry lemonade cupcake which she promptly smeared across her tray after we sang to her. The biggest smile spread across her face as we sang. It was perfect. She is perfect.

She must have known it was her birthday when she woke up.

Balloon chase just after waking up

Okay so she was pleasant at Target...once we were outside leaving Target.

Told you she grabs the spoon and ALWAYS gives me this smile when she does.

Kissing guinea pigs.

Cute pointer finger.

We got her to smile like this again by singing Happy Birthday again. Also, that cupcake was divine.

Party with the Lyons side (Gpa Lyons' actual birthday), March 11

Friday night, the night after her birthday, we had a joint birthday celebration for Grace (March 10) and my dad (March 11). We had the apartment decorated with balloons, streamers, and flowers. We enjoyed pizza from The Pie, a purple birthday cake and ice cream, presents, and especially watching Grace go crazy casting spells at us from her high chair and dancing to our pounding on the table. She was totally on one. And she was thoroughly spoiled with her gifts.

Holding her new phone, which is truly no bigger than the iPhone 6

Smiling at all her adoring fans.

Purple cake for two purple-lovers.

Grandpa blew out her candle just in time.

Note: Grace has two phones.

Party with the McKean side

Saturday night we  had another joint birthday celebration for three McKean cousins, James's brother and his dad, although LBH (let's be honest), it was mostly about Grace and her cousin Lily (who is just two weeks older.) More cake, ice cream, presents, and less evil spells...which was refreshing, because at Sunday dinner she was back at it. Where did this come from?!?!

We all look awesome.

As you can see, not as many pictures were taken at this party.

And this was taken the day after the party. And it is my sister-in-law's picture. And I stole it off of her instagram which is probably a felony, but I think she'll forgive me.

To end on a sentimental note-the other day my mother-in-law asked James and me what has been our single most favorite thing about the past year with Grace. It seemed like an impossible question to answer initially, but the more I thought about it the more I realized it was the feeling of constant excitement. Every single day for the past year I have felt excited: excited to hold and kiss her, excited to come home from clinicals or a date and see her, excited to pull her out of her crib in the morning or after a nap, excited to watch her learn new things and try new foods, excited every day for something. It has been a truly amazing year of Grace.