Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

 4/4/14 We put you to sleep our beautiful, sweet 11 month old.....

 4/5/14 ...and when you woke you were our beautiful, sweet 1 year old!!! 

Happy birthday Madelyn!!! You enjoyed your favorite, pancakes, for breakfast on your birthday!  You also tried cows milk for the first time, you took sips and let it run out of your mouth all over your face but you kept trying!

You are a pro now at your chalkboard photos in your signature pink onesie

One year old and beautiful as can be, love your dimples and your smile, not to mention your beautiful big eyes and perfect hair....yep, I can say it, you are as perfect as they come.

"I'M ONE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!"

Dear Madelyn,

You are 1 year old!!  Where do we even begin to describe or sum up the past year of our lives...at 5:15pm exactly 1 year ago our lives were forever changed when you came into the world.  Since that day your contagious smile, bubbly laugh, and loving hugs and cuddles have filled our days and nights.

Every month that passes is different than the last.  We are always asked if we are sad about you getting older.  Our response is, we are all getting older, it's bound to happen, we just happen to be lucky enough to experience it with you.  We are getting to see the world now through your eyes, the excitement of little things and new experiences.

When you were tiny and new snuggling was fun, and just holding you in our arms was the best feeling in the world. Then you started to sit, then crawl which allowed us to interact with you more; then one day you wanted to play roll the ball, and you wanted to read books with us, eat with us at the table and give us big hugs!  Now at 1 year we have so much fun playing with you!  You like to pass toys back and fourth and sit in the tray we keep in the family room and wait for one of us to pull you around for a tray ride.  One minute I'm folding laundry, the next I'm chasing you because you've decided to push the laundry basket away!  You look so cute when you take a few steps on your own, you teeter back and fourth a few feet then plop down on your butt all the while smiling so big and you are so proud of yourself!

Madelyn, every second with you is a gift.  We are so blessed to have you in our lives, you have made us a family; we will always laugh with you and be your play mates when you want to be silly, hold you and hug you when you are sad, calm you down when you are scared and above all we will love you with all of our hearts.  This has been the best year of our lives and we look forward to what the future brings for all of us!

We love you xox - Mommy and Daddy

Now I'll leave you with some of your gorgeous 1 year pictures.  You are absolutely beautiful sweetheart. 

You were having a bit of a rough day for your birthday pics, we asked the photographer for this particular background with the ducks; we never were much into nicknames but your dad and I called you our little ducky when you were first born, and you're still our little ducky :) What are the odds that these ducky shots are our favorites? :)

Oh sweet pea, here you are looking so cute with your little cupcake.  However, we have no photos to capture how much you hated the cake on your hands or in your face...but I promise you learned to enjoy the taste of cake by your birthday!