Happy 1st Birthday, Violet!

Our sweet baby girl is one year old today! Even though she is Baby #4, every milestone is such an excitement in our household. We never get tired of celebrating each one. Jamie, Clare, and Simon get even more excited than Mommy and Daddy, if that's possible!

We decided that Violet wanted pancakes, grapes, and bacon for her birthday dinner. (Pancakes being her favorite food and a dinner that everyone would eat - okay, I did make a cheddar and tomato frittata for the grown-ups.) Violet eagerly dug into her pink frosted cupcake. No hesitation there. She is our most advanced one year old when it comes to gross motor skills, deciding that her birthday was the perfect day to demonstrate that she can go up the stairs. Thankfully I caught her when she was only on the third stair because she does not know how to get back down other than just leaning back and hoping someone catches her! It was so much fun watching her go crazy with all the exuberance in the room as she opened her presents. She was everywhere! Violet LOVED the baby doll that Jamie, Clare, and Simon picked out for her. Baby dolls are one of Violet's favorite toys right now - she crawls around the house carrying one a good portion of the day. This birthday present is her very first baby doll (Clare has been generously loaning hers out). My sister Christina sent an adorable dress and hat - isn't that hat precious? I have a feeling it will be a part of her one year professional photos. Violet received a walker/ride-on toy from Shawn and I, which she also loved. She is so close to walking (stands alone and has taken two steps so far). She was zooming all over the living room with her new toy. I have a feeling it will be the push she needs to walk on her own. Then it converts to a riding toy, so she can keep up with her older siblings.

It's been a crazier-than-normal week in our house. We started off with a huge snowstorm on Monday. Simon has decided this week that napping is not for him anymore. And it really was not a good week for Simon to start this because Clare has come down with the flu - this was her official diagnosis today at the pediatrician's after three days of a fever and horrible, bronchial cough. She is now on antibiotics, Tamiflu, Tylenol, and nebulizer treatments. Jamie has had two migraines, and Shawn was in Philadelphia for two days. And, of course, while Shawn was in Philly, we were blanketed with more snow, so I had my once-a-year crash course in running the snowblower. After all that, to have my baby girl turn one and have a fun little birthday party this evening was such a bright spot in an otherwise not-so-good week!

Happy Birthday, Violet Grace! We love you so much! You are a ray of sunshine in our lives!