Happy 1st Birthday Ella Valentine!!

Ella's birthday was such a joyful day! Jason and I decorated the house with balloons and streamers the night before - I think that was her favorite part of the day. She woke up and saw the decorations and looked.....confused/shocked....and then was delighted. She's been enjoying her balloons ever since. We let her open up a present when she got up in the morning - her Aunt Deedee and Uncle Jay and sent her a few sleep sacks, so I wrapped up one of them and let her open it. She just loves the paper so much!!



We had a lovely morning at the house doing our usual "play in our pajamas" thing until her morning nap. We even played dress up ....putting on princess clothes over our pajamas.

After the nap, we went and met Daddy at work to show off the birthday girl and go have some birthday lunch at Red Robin. We ordered Ella her very first meal at a restaurant....broccoli and chicken strips - giving her only the chicken - I sacrificed and ate the breading :)

Birthday lunching....

The Youngs dropped by and snapped a few shots of Ella - I'll have to share those in the next post, and then Jason came home and we did a little celebration of our own. Ella got to eat her first cupcake! That darling little girl never even got messy. I tell you, she ate that cupcake like a little lady. We gave her the whole thing thinking she would get frosting everywhere, but she just used her little pincher grasp and slowly pinched off pieces of cupcake and placed them in her mouth. Darling...

Now she was ready for her presents....we didn't actually get her one, but she had a few from relatives....

And this was her first ride in her Radio Flyer wagon!! Thanks to Grandma Gretchen for the fun new toy!

Its was such a good day.