Party Hardy

Well blog, it's been awhile.  Abby turning 1 came and went so fast and now we're into the second year!  We threw her a birthday party at our house, on her birthday, May 22nd.  To keep with everything else, it was nature/bird-themed and we just had family and close friends over for a cookout in our backyard.  The rain held off and it was a cloudy day but good enough for hanging outside by a bonfire.

Granma helped out big time by staying overnight that weekend since we had a wedding the prior day.  The morning of the party Peter and I were running around like crazy setting up everything in the backyard, picking up the cupcakes and cake, balloons, making finger sandwiches, decorating, and figuring everything else out.  Abby then took her nap as we continued to work and she woke up a bit later when people were starting to arrive. 

I thought that she'd cry and get shy when she saw everyone but she actually did great and didn't freak out or anything!  Maybe because she knew it was her birthday or something, j/k.  She won't remember any of it and can only go off of my million pictures in the future!  She had on her party dress and got to see everyone and be the birthday queen for the day.

It was a special day.  :)

Me and the special birthday girl!

We set up two tables of yummy food on the side porch.

So many presents...

I made a lollipop tree (lifesavors in the bucket).

Favors were flower and veggie seed packets.

The Abby Cadabby Special drink

12 months of Abigail!

Took me awhile to make these "blue jay" PB&J finger sandwiches...

Mingling guests

The Calders and the Wikes (+ Sophie)

Abby got a swing for her birthday... she is lookin' quite lazy here!

Yay, party girl!

Sophers was excited to celebrate too!

Opening presents - she loved her Abby Cadabby doll!

Time for dessert!  Butterfly and ladybug cupcakes...

The Rhines' came up from Virginia for the weekend!

Daddy giving the birthday girl tickles and hanging her upside down.

"Ok people, bring on the cake!"

One candle!  Singing....

Time to touch the cake and play with it!

My very own cake!

Everyone watching Abby.

Just a little cake in the hair...

Abby meets her future GW partner in crime, Evelyn.  :)

Cake covered hands

One Uno Ein Une Een!

On May 22nd last year (2010), a little girl weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces was born at 7:08pm.  She was our beautiful daughter and we named her Abigail Grace.

Abigail Grace just had her first birthday and is now a 1 year old - less baby, more toddler.  Where did the year go?  We keep saying that the year went so fast, and it did - but yet it seems like so long ago that I was watching marathon episodes of Cats 101 and Dogs 101 in our Bryn Mawr hospital room and listening to my iPod "baby playlist" (Hi Pam Beasley), trying to make it through those contractions.

But here we are a year later with a full-fledged one year old who brings so much joy and happiness to our lives and our family members' lives.  It's amazing how much a baby grows and learns in 12 quick months.  A-maz-ing.  What's also amazing is how much we learn as parents and how quickly our lives have changed, our priorities have shifted, and how much love we have for this tiny little person.  Being a parent is not always easy and not always the most glamorous thing, but the love and fulfillment I have from watching Abby and interacting with her is simply the best thing.

The past year has been exceptional and has been a life-changer for sure.  We love you Abigail Grace Maugle!  I hope you've enjoyed your first year of life.  Happy Birthday!  Here's to the next!

           

Farm Parkin'

Some pictures to share from a day with Abby, strolling through the Norristown Farm Park until it started to rain and we ran back to the car!

That hat stayed on for ohhh, 3 seconds.

Which way should we go?

Enjoying the farm park!

Poufy hair!

Sweetie pie enjoying time with her Ma Ma

Pretty sky

Deep thoughts by Abicus

Skies getting dark, better go!

Ma Ma's Day

I'm a little behind on my blog but that is expected I suppose when we have a million things going on including moving (more later on that). 

I had a fantastic first Mother's Day last Sunday!  Peter had to work but I got to spend the day up in Bethlehem with Abby, Nana and Pop Pop, and later on a little bit with Granma and Aunt Julie.  There was an arts n' crafts festival going on in Bethlehem on Main Street so we walked around there for a bit, then went on a hunt for ice-cream.  Apparently Heavenly Hedgehog closed down for good and Confetti Cafe was closed for the day.  So we drove over to The Dairy Store (aka Mauers or The Cup, depending on what era you're from).

I also received some flowers, cards, and sweet mommy related books for me to read to Abby.  

I am so lucky to be Abby's "ma ma" and wouldn't change a single thing.  Being a parent, especially a mother, is such a special, special thing to experience and I am extremely blessed.

With Abigail on Main St.

Forever making rasberries!

Trying to steal some of Ma Ma's chocolate ice-cream!

Time for some tickles from the TICKLE BUG STORE!

Tickle, tickle!

So fun!

The ladies on Mother's Day!

   

Creepin' n' Crawlin'

I never thought I'd see the day... Abby is finally crawling!  I thought she was going to be one of those babies that skips crawling and goes right to walking.  I have officially marked in the book that she began crawling on May 7th (11 mo. 2 wks old).  She has started out slow and crawls in a peculiar way, but she has gotten faster just in the past two days and it gets her moving to where she wants to go. 

She's also been trying to pull up and climb a lot more.  Uh-oh, better start baby proofing the house and get some gates!

Trying to pull up on the bookshelf and pull out books...

Crawling to get her favorite bath toy.

In action!

Seems...so...far...away!

This is what she was going for; her face said hello to the tree.  :(

She pulled out this book from her shelf and was so proud.



Little Big Girl Adventures

A little while ago, I walked in Abby's room in the morning and found her doing this:

A crib climber!  Time to lower the mattress!  Since then we've lowered the mattress and today we went in to find her standing again (but she is safer since it's down far enough).

She got introduced to bubbles for the first time and wasn't sure in the beginning but is now warmed up to the idea:

I finally tried the shopping cart cover with her the other day at Walmart (a store I have avoided for awhile now, but I had to give in because of the convenience).  She liked it, especially when we came upon the talking Elmo section:

Just hanging around in the kitchen, sticking her belly out:

Learning to wave:

Being wild, cruisin' down the trails of Valley Forge, wind in her hair: