Let her eat cake...

Well, it happened. Somehow, our baby turned 1, and I am still reeling at how fast this year went by.

Part 2 of our celebration included Ansley eating her very own birthday cake, something that at one point during the first year of her life, I wasn't sure would ever happen. If you've been around here, you know that she suffers with severe allergies to milk and eggs (and earlier in her life, to MANY other things). Thankfully she got to eat her very own ladybug (not to be mistaken for porcupine :) ) cake:
The winning recipe (I tried several) was 1 box Classic Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix (the only milk free kind I have found), 1 can of pumpkin, and 1/2 cup of water.

We stripped her down to watch for rashes, but there was no need because she did GREAT!

I made each of the cousins their own bugs and the adults cupcakes with these cute toppers.
We started off her party with a prayer from Patrick over her precious life.
Then we ate lunch. I served only things that Ansley could eat, and our menu was barbeque sandwiches, baked beans, chips, apples, and cake. The kids had some hot dogs too. Ansley had her favorite: bananas and peas. :) She'll end up being the healthiest eater of all of us.
Then we had cake!
And opened presents...

Then we went outside for some family pictures.





For treats, I got the girl cousins ladybug cups, stickers, and bubbles. I got Sawyer a book and bubbles. I also displayed her costume picture that I took on her actual birthday, the invitation the Haley designed for her, and her costume. We ladybugged it out! :)
And finally, my sweet girl on her birthday:


At one-year-old, Ansley weighs 20 pounds, 3 ounces and is in the 30th%, is 29 3/4 inches long and is in the 70th%, and has a head in the 95%.

She is learning to walk, and takes more steps and gains more confidence each day.

She moves her mouth all the time, and some of her new words are "gobble, tree, night-night, peas, potato, chicken, Bible, this, look, book, Elmo, Big Bird, Dora, and Boots.

Her favorite foods are peas and bananas and cheerios. As of last Thursday, she is no longer a breastfed baby! She is drinking 20 ounces each day of the second stage soy formula from a cup (but I still give her a bottle at night)! We are going to keep her on this for a little while so that she can have a complete nutrition for a little longer, and then we are going to transition her to straight soy milk. She is eating a mixture of finger foods and pureed foods. Getting her nutrition is my main concern with our slow start, so I am taking my time with making her do all finger foods.

She loves books. Elmo's So Big, Are You Ticklish?, Twinkle Toes, and Brown Bear are her current faves. At night, when I am reading to her, she signs for "more" when we finish a book. It makes my heart so happy.

We are thankful to have a happy little one year old in our house! Thanks to everyone who celebrated her birthday with her. She is so blessed!