They say it's your birthday.....

We had Ursula's 1st birthday party last Saturday and it was a big hit! We had it at Gammie's house since she has a carport and they were calling for severe scattered thunderstorms. It turned out that we actually had NO rain (well, I take that back, a few drops fell a couple of times), but it was a great, very hot day. I think it was in the mid 90's. Anyway, it was a low-key affair, only about 30 people ;) and I think everyone had a great time, especially the birthday girl herself. She loves being around a lot of people and enjoys the attention. She opened her presents, with Mommy's help, and ate her birthday cupcake like a champ. She started out only using one hand and delicately ate all of the icing, then when she discovered that there was strawberry filling, dug in and there was no turning back! She had it all over her hands and face, and even put her hands in her hair...much to Mommy's dismay. Oh, how I wanted to wipe her face! But I held back and let her, AND everyone else, enjoy the show! Ursula had fun hanging out with her "Aunts" and "Uncles" she had met before and a few new ones that came to meet her along with some "cousins" and family friends too. I think we've made most of the rounds, there are only a few more people she hasn't met yet, but hopefully within the next couple of weeks, we'll see them as well.
Let's see, a few new things for this week...she is walking across rooms on her own now, though she still prefers holding on, she is walking on grass and even crawled on it the other day, but she's still not 100% liking it yet, most of the time she'll sit with her hands in the air and whine to be helped up so she doesn't have to touch it. She knows where lights are if you ask her and she does a lot of things with me during the day that she doesn't seem to repeat for others. Examples of these are.... making animal sounds, like "What does a kitty say"? I say meow and she says something similar in a high pitched voice, even sometimes when she sees the cat she'll do it too. She makes a panting sound for what a doggie says, and says "bock, bock" for a chicken. We made up a game the other day that she has yet to do in public, but it goes something like this...I say "patty cake, patty cake" and she claps with me, but instead of going any further, she just dives on top of me! So it goes "patty cake, patty cake, yeaaaaaaay" and we just laugh! I guess the song is just too long right now for her :) Also, her new thing is climbing on top of things. Mind you, she isn't completely walking yet, so mastering climbing wasn't something I was expecting. She's done it twice now, once she was actually standing on top of one of her new riding toys she got for her birthday and I swear I saw her no more than 2 seconds before just trying to put her leg over the thing. I glanced over again and she was balanced fully on top of it with both feet! I ran over quietly, so I wouldn't scare her and send her tumbling backwards, but I whisked her off of it and told her how we don't do that and put her on the floor, to which she just looked at me and went...."Wahhhhhhhh". So much for not scaring her!:) Then this morning, I was getting ready in the bathroom and she was in there with me. We have a pedestal sink, which she clears by the way, and there is a little stool in there on the floor next to it for when we give her a bath (Easier on the knees!). Anyway, she was just walking around and all of a sudden I kept hearing this sound...thump, thump, thump and felt the movement on the sink. I look down and she is on her knees on the stool and every time she tries to straighten up, she plunks her head on the sink. Now I know what they mean when they say you can't take your eyes off of them for a second!
I've learned a few things this week as well. I've learned that all the expensive toys in the world don't stack up to: empty milk jugs, soda bottles, utensils, measuring cups, magazines, and cardboard boxes. We actually made a trip to the dollar store for some of her very own kitchen ware that she has in a basket in the kitchen to play with every morning. I'm learning more and more about her personality and I like to think I know her pretty well. We are having a great time together and I'm enjoying my time off to spend with her...it's been invaluable to our bonding!
This weekend we are going to a local fair, and to see Daddy play in his jazz band. We're also taking Steve's dad out for dinner for a belated Father's Day dinner and then to a friends' daughters' birthday party. So after a pretty packed weekend, we're hoping for a calm week ahead and will be packing for our big beach trip the following weekend! We are so excited to spend several days down at the shore with our friends and their family! We do this every year and this year it's even more exciting with our little addition. Ursula's "cousin" Kylie, who is 2 1/2 is anxious to show Ursi around and get her familiar with all the "hot spots" we frequent while there. So for anyone in the Ocean City NJ area between June 28th and July 2nd, look us up!
Here are some pictures of the last week and Ursula's 1st birthday. Enjoy.....


My look pre -party....



Now I'm all ready for my party in my birthday outfit!Presents, presents everywhere!Want some?Outside on a beautiful day...My big girl!Hello? Hello? You only wanted half a cup of sugar?