A long crawl

Maddie's b-day party was a success, thanks in a large part to Jody's hard work & help from her family & boss Pam. The food (soup, s/w, & chicken wings) was great & the decorations were pretty cute. A highlight was when we let Maddie try to eat her cupcake. She didn't like to touch the icing but seemed to enjoy the taste, so she bent over to lick it off of her highchair tray. Thanks to all who came to make it a very special day!
This week, she's been eating more stage 2 baby foods, starting to learn how to drink from her new sippy cup, & using her thumb to pinch & feed herself fruit puffs w/out choking. She also started playing w/ the bubbles & splashing in her tub instead of only chewing on her bath toys. One morning, I sat Maddie in the middle of our living room w/ some toys to entertain her while I took the dog out before leaving for daycare & work. As Holly was finishing, I could hear her cry inside getting louder & louder. After rushing inside, to my surprise & relief, she had crawled around the corner and was now in the kitchen. Lesson learned - use the mini pack-&-play from now on. Thank goodness she didn't get hurt. It's officially time to thoroughly baby-proof!

Maddie's 1st birthday & WVU game

Yesterday was Maddie's 1st birthday! She can say Dada, crawl, pull herself up, & is starting to cruise holding onto the couch. WOW - all of a sudden she's not a baby any more. Thanks for all our blessings & support! It's been a year we'll never forget full of surprises & challenges.
Well, now we're in the middle of a busy week weathering a snow/ice storm ... tonight, the WVU - St. John's game I won tickets to from the radio yesterday; tomorrow, finishing the party plans & cooking soup; Friday, baking & decorating cupcakes & cakes; & Saturday, her big family party.