Ruthie turns 1

I have a big girl on my lap as I type, and as I muttered aloud, "Ruthie turns one," she repeated in a sing-song voice "Ruthie turns one, and you turn thirty, and I turn *pause* three . . ."  Can't get anything by that one!  (I  also think it's time for a new blog header, especially since one particular word is becoming less true by the day!)

Ruthie's birthday was the day after Christmas, but we had her party on Saturday, which was also my birthday!  I'm going to have to figure out how to plan well in advance for Christmas and her birthday as she gets older, so she doesn't feel glossed over in the wake of the other holidays.  Still, for throwing it together at the last minute, I was very happy with how her party turned out!  We put up balloons and reused garlands, made cupcakes and ordered pizza, and John's best man even express-mailed the birthday outfit and baby book to us in New York so we could have them for the big day!

We did carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for Gemma's first birthday (also here), and I think that will be our tradition for firsts!  

Ruthie got her own baby (it was actually a Christmas gift, but babies are pretty slow with opening gifts!)

She loves it, truly!

Big sister wasn't on her feet yet at this age!  Gemma was just getting up on her knees to crawl around her first birthday.

(I got a new camera for Christmas, can you tell?! It is SOOO exciting and I have soo much to learn still!)

She finally cut her first two teeth!

Time to open some more gifts . . .

It's a homemade sweater from Grammy, and mittens, too!

It even matches her new headband from Aunt Abby.  :)

Happy birthday, singing, stair-climbing, darling, cuddly little girl!  We love you more every day!