my tootsie wootsie... {year one}

In honor of Marnie's first birthday (today) I'm posting some of my favorite pictures of her from this year. I can't believe that it's been a year since these first two pics were taken... She's grown so fast!
















you can practically hear her yelling in this one, huh?




Dearest Marnie Jayne,
One year ago your Daddy kissed me goodbye at 6:30AM, as he left for work, and I tried to get a little more sleep before your brother woke up. (I was trying to store sleep like a camel stores water. I must have sensed how long it would be until you slept through the night.) I never did go back to sleep though, I started timing contractions instead. As if you wanted to celebrate the moment I first knew that you were on your way, you woke up this morning at 6:30AM, just as your Daddy kissed me goodbye and left for work. After snuggling and getting some "ta-ta" (as you put it) we watched birds out the back window. You signed "bird" over and over, then "tree," then got bored and said "bubbah" and signed "sleep," after which you ran down to Britt's room, flung open the door and ran to his bed to give him kissies. This is typical of our mornings for the past year. :)
We could not love you more. You have such a fun and charismatic personality. You love to laugh and kiss and play and run (you always seem to be running somewhere). If you know Daddy is home, you can't leave him alone. Yesterday, as he laid sick in bed, you snuck in, took a headphone out of his ear and held it to your own ear. Then the dancing began... :) It definitely helped Daddy feel better. You are so much like your brother that way; you hate to see others feel crummy, so you do all you can to help. You make us laugh constantly (you've learned from the master in that, though). You are so beautiful, it still takes my breath away. The first things I noticed about you were your dark hair and your big lips (it was like looking in a mirror!), and I admit, I was a little sad to see your hair change color. I love your spunk. I love your smile. I even love your fake cry. You are SUCH a girl! :) I'm so glad to have a girl. I'm so glad I can look forward to ballet classes and fake high-heel shoes and nail polish. Thank you so much for all the fun and love you brought into our family. Thank you for putting up with me when 8 months of not sleeping for more than 4 hours at a time made me a little cranky. Thank you for FINALLY starting to sleep all night (last month). We love love love you. We're so glad we could be your "momma," "dada," and "bubbah."

now let's have some cake! :)