Happy Birthday, Eden!!

This morning Eden woke up a big girl . Although she was officially 1 at 2:55 a.m., we figured she was a little young to get any humor out of us waking her up when she was born. Good thing. Ashley got to sleep in quite a bit this morning! Perhaps as a testiment to her big girl status, Eden woke up at 8:45.

After lounging around the house for about an hour, we packed up and headed to Southside Produce to get some veggies for Eden's party tomorrow. That's where Ashley found a perfect last minute present ...

Then it was off to one of Eden's favorite restaurants, McAllister's (really she just loves their chicken). At the table we talked about some of our favorite memories from the past year: Ashley sitting awake holding a sleeping Eden with me asleep next to them at 2 in the morning with snow falling outside, the first time Eden seemed to recognize the fact that Ashley and I were always around, the first time she ate sweet potatoes, Eden going crazy and squealing with delight at the Christmas puppets, the first time she crawled ... so many fun memories!

We also talked about what we're enjoying about Eden at this age ... she can "tell" us what she wants, she sleeps through the night, she's about to start walking and talking, her personality is really beginning to shine ...

After lunch, we had planned to go to the grocery store for ingredients to make cupcakes, but Eden had other plans. She started to fall asleep, so we figured we wouldn't chance it. We came home and put her down.

While she was taking a nap, I got some much needed yard work done. As I was weed eating and blowing and bagging 120 gallons worth of debris from our back patio I realized it has been over 4 years since I have done any yard work at a house where I live. FOUR YEARS! Nope, I did not miss it at all. While I was working in the yard Ashley was busy wrapping things up for Eden's big day tomorrow. She has been sewing a little stuffed owl for Eden's bed, making a birthday outfit (top and pants), painting Eden's furniture (baby dresser, end tables), and planning her family party for tomorrow (there are no less than 5 pieces of paper on the back of the kitchen door to remind us of what needs to get done).

By the time Eden woke up, the patio looked 1000 times better, Ashley was nearly done with that owl, and we were almost ready to get back in the car for those cupcake ingredients. Upon our return from the grocery, Eden ate some dinner then crusied around all her favorite furniture. While Eden was pretty much entertaining herself, Ashley and I hung some decorations in Eden's room making it just a little bit more "done."

As we now sit on the couch (me watching an Auburn-Florida basketball game, and Ashley putting the finishing touches on Eden's owl pillow) it does not seem real that our little girl is already a year old. We do know that most if not all parents say something similar, but that does not take away from the surrealness of the experience. We feel so blessed and know that there are many more wonderful years to come. Happy birthday little girl! We love you!!