A Birthday Party and a Big Surprise!

The first birthday party is over and the house it quiet.  Baby and hubby are both asleep and here I sit on the couch with my feet up.  So many thoughts are swirling around in my head - I can't possibly put them all down into words tonight...  My baby is a year old!  She is leaving babyhood and entering toddlerhood.  It's so surreal...

The party was so much fun.  It was just perfect.  And it was made even more perfect by my very best friend Ashley, who surprised me by flying in for Eliza's party all the way from CA.  I wish someone had gotten my reaction on video when she walked through my front door!  I was so touched that she flew all that way to help us celebrate.  It meant the world to me.  I have to take a moment (or a paragraph) to tell you about Ashley (and perhaps totally embarrass her, sorry Ash!).  She has been there for me through so much - college (we were roommates, for better or worse!), my wedding, grad school, pregnancy announcements, my miscarriages, the bad ultrasounds, the good ultrasounds... all of it.  And I will never forget how she took such great care of me (and Eliza!) when I visited her when I was 6 weeks pregnant (and totally scared and worried - this was pre-good ultrasound); she gave up her bed so I could be more comfortable, cooked for me (super nachos, yay!), stocked her fridge with decaf Honest Tea, took me out for dinner...she completely took my mind off of the worry that was threatening to eat away at me that week.  Most of all, she was so positive and so hopeful; there was no doubt in her mind that this was it, that this was going to be The One.  The day after I came home from visiting her, I had my first ultrasound, and Ashley was right: we saw that beautiful heart flickering away.  I sent her a copy of the u/s photo, and she hung it on her fridge.  And nine months later, she cried the first time she held my sweet baby in her arms, and so did I.  She had waited for Eliza all that time, too.  So, yeah... it was very meaningful to have her there to watch my baby turn one.  Thank you, Ashley.  You made a special day even more special by being here!

So, the party!  It was a ton of fun.  Eliza was a trooper and seemed mostly unfazed by allllll the people in our house oohing and ahhing over her.  And the poor thing woke up with a stuffy/runny/snotty/all-around-icky nose this morning, too.  Of all days to wake up under the weather!  :(  Poor thing.  But she seemed to enjoy herself in spite of it.  She got lots of fun gifts - a few new books, a sweet little plush doll, some cute new clothes, some bath toys, a couple of great toys that make all kinds of sounds and music (those are, I think, her favorites!), some blocks, and even a mini ball pit shaped like a turtle.  But most of all, she was surrounded by 14 people who love her so very much, and that made my heart swell.  She is one lucky girl.  Her daddy made a cake for her, and of course she LOVED it.  She even got into the present opening, and I wasn't sure she would.  But she helped open almost all of her presents, and when she found the fun things inside, she got even more involved - ha!

I'll write more when I get all the photos loaded from my camera.  It was a great day spent with wonderful family and friends, celebrating the life of one very happy and very loved little one-year-old.

Happy Birthday, Eliza!