One Year!



You will always have a part of me

That nobody else is ever gonna see but you and me

My little girl...

- Ben Folds

Dear Lil Lobster Roll,

I cannot believe it.  You're an entire year old already.  Just like that.  Thank you for being the most amazing baby ever.  It was a stressful year for our little family but you managed to keep us smiling throughout all of it, an easy going (most of the time!) little girl who communicates exactly what you want and need to keep happy.

You are the little ray of sunshine in our household and your grin that melts my heart every. single. time. Your smile is so wide that your eyes are forced shut and you have a genuine belly laugh that energizes a room, and a shriek of delight that makes your brother cover his ears because of the deafening pitch. 

You are talking up a storm, with a few actual words including momma, dada, yea, no, hi, bye, and tickle. You are very close to saying you dog (ok not really, you point to them- "aye"), and even closer to saying your big brothers name. Last week at swim lessons when you and I were practicing your "scoot" in the class, Daddy and your brother were playing on a kickboard in the lap lane behind us.  You stopped your scooting - looked up and waved, yelling "nahhhnan!!!", which is close!  You were just so happy that you spotted him you had no more interest in your class.  That's pretty much how things are at home too, following your big brother around - whatever he's playing with you want too.

We had your 1 year appointment and you are 30" tall, 19 lbs 11oz (let's just say 20 for argument's sake), and have a 17 3/4 " head.  75th percentile height, 50th for weight.  My little peanut, so different from your giant 25 lb brother at the same age.  You're climbing steps and cruising like you're going to walk tomorrow.  You've taken 2 steps by yourself but as soon as you realize your doing it you hover for a second then drop to the floor.  Come on lady - confidence!  I keep trying to encourage you by holding your hand and walking around, but as soon as I start to pry my fingers out, you grab on with your other hand, having become wise to what I'm doing. 

You LOVE to wave, which you've been doing for months now, you do not clap or dance nearly as much as your brother did, but they come out occasionally.  You enjoy blowing kisses but even moreso you love to open mouth anyone who asks for a kiss.  You basically will bite their face off, learned from your pal in crime Cannoli.  Speaking of the dogs, we've been practicing gentle touches so you're getting to the point where they enjoy your pat.  You also love your bedtime stories, currently Puppy Love (touch & feel), and Goodnight Moon.  Every time we get to goodnight mouse, you excitedly point to it and keep turning the page back to point again. 

Oh, and your tongue?  You have the longest tongue in the world, like a little lizard.  Gross to say, but as you would sneeze this week that tongue would come right out to catch whatever you lost... And at swimming lessons you lap up the water as you swim through, or after I dunk you under.  It's out when you're smiling, when you're sad, and especially when you're determined.  I know when you're older you'll be that girl who has her tongue out of the corner of her mouth when she shoots a basketball, or is working hard on an art project. 

And just this week, your birthday week, you cut your two top teeth with the other two top following closely behind.  I didn't even realize it until you bit me one night - ouch!  So a grand total of 4 teeth at the 1 year mark, another thing a little behind your brother, but that's fine.  You're mastering the sippie cup and I'm hoping by the end of next week to have weaned from the bottle, already not in use during the day.  We need to work on your spoon handling skills a little more but you're just about down to 1 nap a day so you're ready to graduate from the infant room at school.

As far as your actual birthday celebration, you took after your momma.  Like me at my first birthday (as grandmom kept reminding us), you were sick for your own party.  Not sick sick, but enough to be a snot princess with runny nose and red eyes.  Mommy and Daddy spent all week cooking and cleaning and decorating in order to try and make your party perfect, but we failed when it came to assembling you for the day.  You woke up a sniffly mess so we kept you home from swimming and tried hard to get an extra long nap.  That failed so we tried hard to dress you up all pretty.  Somehow we lost one of your minnie mouse shoes (which I found the next night in Gobble's hamper) so you were all disheveled.  Your skirt, a Christmas gift from one of your aunts, was something I neglected to try on your prior but was determined to get you to wear anyway.  And finally, when it came to singing happy birthday to you, the Mickey & Minnie party hats that I had HUNTED for weeks ago sat neglected in the dining room because I was too concerned with wiping your nose and keeping you from sneezing on the desserts. 

But, I think you had fun.  The aforementioned little imperfections thrown in to the party just made your party all the more unique and memorable.  Most of your friends were there and you got to play a little bit with everyone.  You were hesitant with your smash cake at first, but then, when I wasn't looking (cutting up the cake for your guests), you jumped right in and couldn't get enough!  What mattered most was that the people you love were there, and they love you so very much.

I am so blessed to be your mommy Lil Lobster Roll, thank you for being such a wonderful little girl.  I love you munchkin.

Love,
Momma

Always screaming - with joy of course!

I'll blow kisses to the camera when we part!

Yep I'm crusin... and yep I'm curious - where are my puppies?

So what if my tongue sticks out when I'm determined?  I'm concentrating reallly hard!

I know my party wasn't til saturday, but carrots and zucchini for dinner? at least there was some pork in there too!

Oh wow you gave Gobbles cake!  on a Tuesday no less!

Ahhhhh, that's the stuff!

More guys to add to my castle!  I love them!

A beast, a prince, a mermaid, and a princess having dinner.  What a motley crew!

Why walk when I can be carried?

Mommy had to use a banner to demonstrate my ever-changing hair color

Oh yea, and have we mentioned we love dessert?

See - I wasn't so sick the day of my party that I lost my smile completely!

Party time snuggles!

Poozers is the ringleader!

Mommy's making me walk around with 1 shoe on!

Wow! Fire!  ooooohh!

Squish squish!

Oh yum! again, that's the STUFF!

Here Momma, have some!

Well hello everyone, thanks for coming!  I'll do my miss america wave!

Hey Mom! There's that party hat you wanted me to wear!  And have you found my shoe yet?

No shoe?  Can I just take a nap then?

Spreading the love across Delco.  As Tato quoted in a text "I'm gonna eat the s*** out of this" haha

So that was Christmas

Every year I talk about Christmas in passing but never get to the point of a complete post. This year will be different! And not even a month late!  Our Christmas celebrations were early and often this year, the first year Gobbles actually understood who Santa is and my Lil Lobster Roll's first  Christmas.

It began of course with the decorating- the morning after our "romantic" family anniversary dinner we  went to Terrain again this year for our tree and they did not disappoint. Gobbles enjoyed walking around the yard, petting people's dogs (which I was so proud when he did what we taught him- approach the owner first and ask if you can pet), throwing rocks, and finally selecting a tree. The  Lobster was just taking it all in, grinning and laughing from all the sights and sounds. We got home and set up the tree, and began our tradition taken from my family of a kid putting the star on the top. Gobbles had a ball, but I'm sure he's gonna be pissed next year when he learns it's not his turn.

The next week, as I talked about in Gobbles' birthday post, we rode the Santa train!  Sometime during that week, we started baking.  And baking, and just kept baking.  And went to the kids' Christmas show, which although only 30 seconds long, it was very impressive, my Gobbles sang his heart out.   At the end of the week, we were lucky to be invited to the neighborhood Christmas party. It's a little step-ford-y how much they all hang out with each other and how well they all get along, but I like it and I want in ;). We showed up to the moonbounce place where it was and were completely overwhelmed with the amount of people and the amount of kids! We were the youngest couple there by about 5-10 years, but there were kids there down to Gobbles' age plus a few on their way, so the Lobster won't be the youngest! It was a lot of fun getting to know everyone and and learning the ins and outs of our 'hood.

And then came Christmas. The 4 days of Christmas I should say. The Saturday before the holiday was Christmas brunch at my parents' house, complete with presents galore for the kids. They got a good haul as I encouraged my family to get summer toys since they're both winter birthdays. So now we're set with a sandbox and wagon among other things.

The next day we traveled to the Poconos to visit hubs family. First up was Nana, Who loooves pajamas, and gets then for the kids whatever chance she gets. Then we hung out with my sister in law, brother in law, and niece. Gobbles helped make strawberry santas- a pintrest idea from sisinlaw, and the girls played and bugged their big bro/ cousin. After we had a lovely pizza hut dinner (classic mutual love), Nana went to work and hubs and brother in law went out. I went to bed with the lobster roll and gobbles, bc three was no way the kids were going to have a good nights sleep in a strange room at Nana's.

Next morning Christmas eve, we had breakfast with the Poozers and presents with them, followed by gift exchange over at hubs bff's aka the lobster roll's godfather/ dad of our godson. So to our kids it's aunt b and uncle b. Much easier! (to make it more incestuous, my sister's husband (gobbles' godfather) also bff's with uncle b, and is his other son's godfather! Whew!

Anyway, after a full morning of gifts and "family" we retired to Nana's for naps. After everyone got some shut eye (and I got some mimosas next door with sister in law), it was time to get ready for Christmas eve dinner at father in law's house. This was the lobster Roll's first time meeting a lot of the cousins, and he of course was charming as anything smiling and waving and eating in her lil bumbo seat.

During dinner, snow had begun to fall and was coming down pretty heavily. I'd been pushing hubs to leave earlier but it's hard to get all the family stuff in. We eventually packed up to trek home, and what should have been a 2 hour ride ended up being over 4, and yes, in order to keep the overtired uncomfortable children calm, I was wedged in between the two car seats in the backseat. First, we got stuck on the turnpike behind a bunch of snowplows that weren't letting anyone through. Then, we managed to blow a tire, thankfully after we'd gotten off the highway. Shortly before midnight we made it home, slipped the kids into bed, and helped Santa put out his gifts.

The next morning, the kids awoke to the joy of Christmas, and even though they'd had 3 prior days of gifts, I could still see the excitement in their eyes that Santa had come! Gobbles had finally gotten the telescope he wished for, which paired perfectly with the planetarium from his uncle b the day prior. He also got the batman toys he'd been after, although I haven't seen him touch them since, I fear that, even at 3, he really only wanted them to say he had them when his friend at school asked him. The Lobster Roll got her first "big" toy that is all her own- the little people Disney princess castle, naturally.

The rest of the day we spent as a family, going to church then going to my Aunt's house and hanging out with my big fat Italian family.  Somehow, Gobbles stayed in a good mood with no nap and the rough previous night, and the Lobster Roll was still meeting some family members for the first time, where she of course charmed everyone.  It's neat to hang out with my baby cousins, some of whose diapers I used to change, all grown up, in college or even finished.  It seems like it's come full circle when they are the ones cooing over my and my other cousins' kids.  I know my kids will never have the 28 first cousins that I was lucky enough to have, but they can still experience my giant family for years to come in all our craziness.

The days following Christmas were pretty quiet around our house, as the kids spent time with Grandma & Grandpa while hubs and I worked.  We had a little playdate with our old pals Lil Buddy and Mooshman the next weekend, though I only got about 2 pictures before the lights went out (I REALLY don't get why we always lose power when we're hosting friends!  regardless of the house!), but the kids still had fun playing by flashlight and running around like little nuts.

Our New Year's Eve was to be low key as well, with the Poozer family coming down for the night, but the Princess Poozers (my niece), had other plans.  After we had dinner, we put the kids to bed, but the poor lil girl could not get comfortable in the pack n play, so she ended up basically staying up until midnight with us.  We drearily toasted and hubs and I passed out pretty quickly, while my poor sister in law was worn out, rocking her toddler eventually to sleep.  She reminded me a lot of Gobbles and the way he just would not sleep sometimes, and felt a calm relief realizing that so far, the Lobster has been a dream Dreamer.  Even if she is an early bird.

And so that was Christmas.

one of the Christmas card attempts... FAIL!

Gobbles is perfecting the choke-hold

Ginger child!

Seriously mom?  I think these are for dogs?

Cannoli - move!

Thanks mom & dad for choosing a kid-friendly anniversary dinner this year.  We know we keep things romantic for you!

And by romantic we mean chewing on our placemats and cracking up about it!

This one looks nice!

Rocks and puppies - this is like Christmas!

 

High in the sky!

I helped decorate by taking all the ornaments out of the box

Let's go for a ride!

Mom - it's the WINTER SHOW.  not the CHRISTMAS show!

 

Penguins penguins, snow... anything nondenominational!

Mmmm! Icing and sprinkles!

When it's time to decorate cookies at home I'm an expert now - check these sprinkles mom!

Oatmeal craisin

Mrs. Cook's cookies.  Who the eff is that?

YUM more sprinkles!

And a few chocolate chip!

Seriously?  All those pictures of cookies and I get a puff?

Allright Gobbles, on the count of three - lift!

Listen to the band!

Love my annual Hess gift!

When the ponytails come out I totally look like ace ventura!

Seriously - a little help with the hair?

Much better - now let's get to the gifts!

I've got this present thing down!

Thanks nana for letting me bring my dog!

Squeeze the whipped cream, then eat!

Let's go Poozers - let's bust this joint!

We are not twins, but you guys aren't going to stop with these outfits are ya?

Very concerned children

What did these girls do to me?

Hahaha let the chaos ensue!

Love my bow!

My parents are his Godparents, his dad is my Godfather, and my brother's Godfather is the other one's Godfather.  WHAT???

Pretty with our bows!

Gigi loves us - we're no trouble!

Santa came, a nice simple christmas!

And he left these dollar store hats that the dog chewed!

I love my brother's gift the best!

I won't lie, I feel like a princess in this dress!

Telescope - score!

 

Mommy - you talked all about Christmas break - but not about the snow!

My first time sledding and I LOVE it!

C'mon lobster, let's go!

Snowman break! MWAAA!

Peek a Boo!  Happy New Year!

New year's kiss.  Or shoulder chew.

My girl!