Addy's First Birthday!!!

Hand Cut Sign...                                                                    ...Check.

Homemade apple crisp in half pint jars with ribbon...                   ...Check.

Chocolate chip cookies...                                      ...Check.

Assorted Baguette Sandwiches...                                     ...Check

A beautiful & happy wife because you made all of the aforementioned things and more...       ...Check.

Yes, 'tis true, my wife and I worked our butts off to put together this Martha Stewart Oasis in the middle of the park. And it was worth every second. We had a great small group of friends and family with us on what turned out to be a perfect Fall day.

One Year ago I was in a birthing pool with my wife, I reached down to feel a silky soft head... moments later a tiny little person came out of the water and up to Mommy's Chest, my arms wrapped around her... I looked, there was the girl I have been waiting to see, there she is... My Adeline, Our Honey Honey. Happy Birthday from your Daddy.

When is a Baby a Toddler?

I'm trying to figure this out, can my baby already be... say it isn't so... a Toddler? Well, to me she will always be my baby, but I had to do a little searching on the (oh, so all knowing) internet, to see how much longer they say I have. As with just about everything you look up using a google search, there are tons of answers, and a decent amount of them are pointing toward the beginning of *sniff, sniff, cry, cry* Toddle-dom. Let's talk this through, ok?

•I'm seeing some statements that it happens at the first birthday.... AHHH!!! wait a minute, Addy's first birthday is one week from today! We even had a shared birthday party over the weekend, for the big baby boom that happened last year in our hood. (thanks Jen, for capturing this)

•These "experts" are also saying that she is a toddler once she is walking. Let me tell you, she is loving running around holding nothing more than Daddy's Pinky. And, at the party over the weekend there were multiple times that she took 3 (unassisted) steps. So, not full out walking yet, so we are in the clear... for now!

•How about being a toddler when she speaks? Well, she is definitely very vocal and expressive, but What is the real sign that your child is speaking anyway. Is correct grammar important? I could possibly be safe in this one too, I haven't heard any verbs yet... mostly nouns... and it's mostly Dada, which rules!

•My favorite statement is the small number that are saying 24 months, that would give me one more year with wikipedia allowing me to call Addy a baby. Hey, who am I kidding, she is and always will be my baby. And I am loving every step of the way. If you asked me at any point of the last year what my favorite stage in Addy's life has been... I would have said "this very second", and I probably always will.