HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY TO LUCY!!!!!!

My baby girl is one year old today. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't shed some tears over this momentous occasion. My God, I love this BIG girl so much! Words cannot nearly express it. So rather than even attempt it- I'm just going to throw out some of her stats, give a photo montage, and hopefully get a video up this week. I'm going to do that- and then perhaps seek therapy, a cocktail, and the comforting arms of Benny Boy and beg him to remind me that she hasn't flown the coop YET.

Lucy is FUNNY. She's funny, she's fun, she's smart, she's stubborn, strong-willed, silly, curious and just beautiful beautiful beautiful inside and out. In the past year she's gone from melting our hearts by just sleeping as a newborn in our arms, to racing over to tackle me if I'm laying on the ground. She crawls into my lap, hugs and kisses me. She clings to my legs quite regularly. She plays peek-a-boo, she recently has started brushing her hair with her brush, she tries to put on her socks and shoes- though immediately wants to rip them off when they are actually on her feet, she's talking - mostly calling out to every "dog" in the neighborhood, she's sprouting teeth right and left- with 3 in, and 2-3 on the way. She loves to throw herself down on the ground or a bed and then waits for you to tickle her. She chases the dogs to no end, loves to play the drums, loves loves loves to "read," flipping pages, reorganizing shelves. She lately has learned to "put things back" and stores things all over the place. Under chairs, rugs, in the basket on her new bike from Uncle Andrew. She will put on sunglasses and weave from side to side like Stevie Wonder, she can high-five, is a little dancing queen, loves to touch leaves of trees. She loves to eat bread, yogurt, all fruit and apparently she's into chili as well- as Ben made some over the weekend and she ate about 6 bowls of it.

While this year has FLOWN by way too quickly for my liking, as I'm sure all subsequent ones will do as well, I have to admit that I wouldn't go back to day 1 for anything, because I would not trade my BIG girl of today for the world. That she can climb into my lap, hug me and kiss me is the most precious precious precious thing in the world. I love you Lucy. Happy 1st Birthday! Tears.

Day 1 and 1 Month:

2 Month and 3 Month:

4 Month and 5 Month:

6 Month and 7 Month:

8 Month and 9 Month:

10 Month and 11 Month:

1 YEAR OLD: