Rae's 1st Birthday

Happy Birthday little one!  This post is months late but it's finally posted.  This last year has been one of the hardest, most rewarding, and most beautiful years.  I've grown in ways that are not seen and you have grown into a crawling babbling 1 year old.  I want to stop time and at the same time I want to sit down and live in every moment soaking up all the things that make you you.  

You have the best faces which may come from spending a lot of time with your big sister.  You respond to everything I say.  I feel like I'm constantly having a conversation with you that feels one sided but I'm pretty sure you feel like we are really communicating.  You have 8 teeth....are you in a hurry to grow up?? Your sister only had two teeth at this age.  Teething is not your favorite thing.  I can always tell when more teeth are coming because your favorite place to bite is my shoulder.  Now that you have a few it's starting to hurt when they come together and pinch my skin.  Bruises are sure to come...can't wait for molars!

Now that you walk you also dance.  We dance to the same song every morning before Audrey starts school.  It may sound silly to dance to the same song everyday but I think helps all of us to start the day and it helps you to understand our routine a little better.  You are used to dancing every morning now and scream at my legs if I don't pick you up to dance with me. 

You still sing very time I put you down for a nap or for bed at night.  I hope that never changes.  I love hearing your sweet little voice with mine.  

This birthday was pretty spectacular. It gets dark early so I started early on photos and we opened up gifts as soon as Dad got home.  We ate cake before dinner which may not have been my best idea.  You ate more cake than I thought you would.  I can't say I blame you...it was pretty good!  You took right to opening gifts like you were a pro.  Audrey got you some animal bath toys in hopes that you will start liking the bath more.  We bought you peg people that pop up when you push on their heads and we also bought you a ball tracking toy.  You loved all of them.  

I am so lucky to be your Mom, you will always be my Rae of sunshine!

Here are a few of your favorites right now.  

• Favorite Book: Look, Touch, and Feel With Buster
• Favorite Activity: Dancing
• Favorite Song: Baby Mine and I am Like a Start Shinning Brightly
• Favorite Food: Cheese and Pancakes

Fall and Halloween

September and October are the best!  Every year we pick up a few boxes of fruit and we eat peaches for breakfast and lunch, and in desserts everyday until they disappear.  We pay enough for them that I have a heard time wanting to do anything with them other than eat them fresh. I'm salivating just thinking about it!  

We also enjoy all the little events that come around in a small town during the fall.  A particular favorite it the corn maze.  It was cold when we left the house and then the sun came out and we'd all wished that we had not worn sweaters.  We bought grain to feed the sheep.  It turns out after eating grain from peoples hands all day your not terribly hungry.  That left the cows.  I cringed when putting my hands under their mouths knowing how messy they are when they eat.  I ended up with spit and snot all over my hands and then handed the rest to Audrey with a smile on my face and told her to give it a try.  She hesitated having never fed a cow before, but I told her it would be fine, it's even fun I said.  I'll never forget her face as she looked at me with spit all over her hands.  She said it was disgusting and their tongues were rough.  She didn't want to feed them anymore. :)

She did enjoy the slides, tire swing, and getting us lost in the corn maze.  I'm pretty sure toward the end we cheated.  The stalks were in pretty bad shape and there was a hole before the end that let out to the finish.  Audrey walked right through it and I looked over at Paul and he shrugged and said, "we've been in here long enough".  

There's a tiny trailer that has a maze inside for the tiny kids.  I couldn't even be around when Audrey entered without having to take long deep breaths.  Even writing this and thinking about it is making me hyperventilate a little.  She didn't know it wasn't for 10 year olds. She came out huffing and puffing and said it was a nightmare not worth living again.  Her elbows hurt and her knees hurt and she'd wacked her shins a few times.  I honestly don't know how how she made it through without getting stuck with how tall she is.  It's all in the pictures.  

Halloween was great.  We went early and treat or treated downtown on Saturday and later in the evening there was a trunk or treat at our church.  Sadly I didn't make it to that one.  Raelyn was exhausted and wasn't going to make it another hour. Halloween was actually Sunday so I made Audrey dress up again after church just to take a picture with Rae.  I'm not going to lie it made me a little sad that I missed most of the Halloween festivities.  I love Halloween so so much.  Don't ask me why, maybe it's the time of year, maybe it's memories of the past, maybe it's scaring little kids that aren't my own.  I jut love it so hopefully nest year Rae will make it past 6.