Samantha's Birthday

Samantha turned one this past Saturday!  Despite illness keeping away my family, a snow storm the day before, and a wedding that day which Andrew and I wanted to attend, we still were able to celebrate with her.  We tried to make staying at home as fun and celebratory as possible for our baby girl (is she a toddler now?), and we were so lucky that Colleen was able to come on short notice to watch her while we went to Darius and Cate's wedding (which we somehow forgot to take pictures at, oh well-congrats, though, guys!)

When I was younger my parents always decorated my door for my birthday, so we thought we'd start that tradition here early on!

Her birthday was so cold, and a snow storm the night before her birthday had dumped six inches of snow on the ground that was still hanging around the next day.  I felt so thankful that last year there was no snow storm the day I went into labor!

We had filled the family room with balloons.  Samantha hadn't ever seen balloons before so she was trying to figure them out!

She opened her presents.  Her first backpack!

And read some cards.

And then Daddy made her two special "S" birthday pancakes.

Delicious!

High Chair streamers!

After breakfast and morning nap. We finished opening presents and played with the balloons.

And someone modeled her new birthday girl shirt and tutu!

And she rode around and pushed her wagon.

Oh and her lego car!  She really liked taking all the legos out of her new duplo bin.

Then we had lunch and a birthday cupcake- Samantha's first real taste of sweets.

She was confused by the candle.

And by the cupcake in general.

But then she decided she wanted to share it with daddy!

And then we snuck in a few pictures with the birthday girl before we snuck off to Cate and Darius's wedding.

We love this little one so much!

Happy Birthday sweet Samantha!  How did we get to be parents of a one year old?