Ariana's First Birthday

With a fun vacation starting very early the next morning, we just had a small birthday party for Ariana. It was great to have our dear friends celebrate with us on a super sunny Saturday. We grilled burgers and hot dogs (her fave) and the kids bounced in the bounce house.

Ariana's First Year

Ariana1YrComp from Natalie on Vimeo.

Ariana is ONE

And just like that our busy bee is ONE. We are having so much fun with our baby girl. The other day at the park, Zara told some other little girls who were talking to Ariana, "oh, that's our baby. Isn't she the best baby ever?" Ariana pretty much has the four of us wrapped around her finger.  I can't go near Lexi and Zara with a hairbrush, but Ariana pulls their hair constantly and they just laugh. Hmm.

This girl never stops moving. Unless it time to eat, then she is begging to get into her highchair. She is an early riser lately and often has breakfast before her big sisters are even awake. Then she begs to get back in her highchair to eat a second breakfast with them. She can't miss out on being part of the breakfast table chatter. She is climbing the stairs and sliding down safely feet first on her belly. Since we are moving very soon, we haven't baby proofed so she is opening all the cabinets, checking out the toilet water, unrolling the toilet paper, digging thru garbage cans and anything else she can get her chubby hands on. She has an intense focus and will not be deterred or distracted. Thankfully she isn't really into putting tiny objects in her mouth so we can trust her to play in the playroom. 

Ariana's favorite toys right now are the cat piano, play kitchen, activity garden, books and toy dogs that bark. She loves tickles, baths, being flipped over backwards, mommy "airplanes" and flying down slides. 

I am slowing weaning and we are down to nursing just first thing in the morning and at bedtime. She drinks whole cow milk out a sippy cup with meals and is great at drinking out of a straw too. Her normal breakfast is cheerios, sausage, eggs and fruit, but she likes pancakes, waffles, oatmeal and bacon too. Lunch and dinner are usually whatever the rest of us are eating, but her favorites are ham, hot dogs, avocado, sweet potatoes, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, mum mum crackers, cheese quesadilla and beans. 

She usually sleeps 7pm to 6am and naps around 10 and 2. I think she will be ready for one nap soon and hoping that might help her sleep in a little later in the morning. 6 am is too early for me!

So sad that she isn't a "baby" anymore, but I think she is always going to be the baby - youngest kid in our family and youngest cousin on both sides! We love her like crazy and think she is the cutest and sweetest thing ever.

Stats:

Birth: 6 lbs 12 oz | 18.25"
2 months: 10 lbs 10 oz | 23"
4 months: 13 lbs 10 oz | 25.25"
6 months: 14 lbs 14 oz | 26.75"
9 months: 17 lbs 11 oz | 28.5" 
1 Year:     19 lbs 9 oz (45th percentile) | 30" (75th %)

Tulips

Tulips are in a fierce battle with peonies for my favorite flower, but the tulips arrive first so what can  I say? For the first time ever (only took 12 years) we visited the Woodburn Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival today. It was gorgeous and sunny and we all had a blast. We saw the beautiful blooms and shared an elephant ear. Lexi and Zara rode ponies and jumped on huge trampolines. Then we headed a little bit farther east to Silverton and had the BEST authentic Mexican food at Los Girasoles. I will find a reason to go back there for sure.

Grandparents Day

There was a Grandparent's Tea at preschool last week, complete with a musical performance. Zara told me with big serious eyes, "Mom, if your grandparent isn't there, you can look at a different grandparent." Since Lexi and Zara's grandparents couldn't attend, we took a video for them. My favorite part is "our parents need a break.." Cheers to that!


P4080236 from Natalie on Vimeo.