Celebrating Baby's Birthday!

Saturday was my baby sister's very first birthday!  Her birthday party is next Saturday.  We were originally planning to be in Ruston again this weekend, but our plans changed at the last minute and we stayed home.  So, Mommy and Daddy decided we should have a little impromptu family dinner to celebrate her birthday on her actual birthday.  

When I got home from riding the Natchez in New Orleans, Mommy had cooked dinner and made cupcakes.  Grangie and Paw-Paw, Uncle Donald (Madeline's Parin) and Aunt Barbara, Gram and Poppa, and Grandpa were coming over to eat and celebrate with us.

While we were waiting for them all to arrive, I asked Mommy to help me make a birthday sign for Madeline.  She was thrilled to help.  I asked her to write the letters on the paper to say "Happy Birthday Madeline!" so I could trace them just like we do in school.  Mommy and Daddy said I did a really super job!  I wanted to make sure when everyone came, they knew it was Madeline's birthday!  Mommy says we can hang it again next weekend for her 'big party', too!

After everyone ate dinner, Madeline got to open her presents.  I helped her a lot!  (I almost forgot to let her do any of the work!)

Then, after presents, we gave Madeline a cupcake.  We also got some too!

I Ate on a Boat!

When Mommy and Daddy took their cruise, Grangie and Paw-Paw, along with Madeline and me, took them to New Orleans to get on their ship.  I was completely amazed that they were going to be able to eat and sleep on their ship.  I wanted to ride a boat, too.  So, Grangie and Paw-Paw were going to take us to ride on the Steamboat Natchez.  It's a paddle wheel river boat that runs a 90 minute tour up and down the Mississippi River at New Orleans.  Well... we got there to get tickets, and they had a private rental for the day and weren't selling any!  I was sooo bummed!  So Grangie and Paw-Paw promised me they'd bring me back soon.

Since our plans changed, and Mommy and Daddy decided that we weren't going to Ruston for the weekend as we had planned, Grangie and Paw-Paw made good on their promise Saturday and took me to New Orleans to ride, and EAT ON, the ship!

Yep... We took the ride and we got to eat lunch in the on-board dining room!  I was amazed.  I loved the paddlewheel - especially liked getting 'really wet' from the spray!  It was a great day!  Thanks so much, Grangie and Paw-Paw, for making my dreams come true!

Go Bulldogs - Game #1

Last weekend we went to our first Louisiana Tech football game this season.  Despite Madeline starting to feel bad about halfway through the first half of the game, we had a good time.  I loved watching all the people, especially the Band of Pride!

Silly Socks Day

School is going really well for me.  I'm really enjoying it a lot!  Mrs. Erin, my teacher, tells Mommy how great I'm doing each time she talks to her.  Each week, we learn a new letter.  Last week's letter was "S".  So, Friday was "Silly Socks Day" at my school!  I think wearing two different silly socks made me look extra silly!  I asked Mommy to take a picture of my socks, but then I didn't want to look at the camera.  I was being silly!

One "Cars" sock... one with stars!

Happy 1st Birthday Madeline!!

It's hard to believe my little sweety is already a year old! Just a short year ago, I fell in love with this little baby. I skipped meals to rush to the hospital so I could feed her. I refused to let anyone else hold her because she was okay with just me. I hugged her and kissed her all over. I just really love her!

And I still do today! I love the little bows she wears in her hair and always make sure she has one (even if it doesn't remotely match her clothes!). I give her my garbage trucks and garbage cans to play with (well, my old ones, not the good ones). I feed her snacks when I have a snack. I love to splash around the bathtub with her, and even let her play with my bath toys. I hold her hand in the car sometimes just because I can reach her now. Sometimes I get a little aggravated with her, but not too much. But I do love her so much!

Happy Birthday, my sweet baby Madeline!

My Baby!

Because, sometimes my baby deserves a little attention, too, here are just some recent pictures of Madeline that Mommy's taken with her phone.

Amazing Portraits!

A few weeks ago, right before their cruise, Mommy and Daddy took us to Kleinpeter Photography to visit our good friend, Mrs. Lindsey.  (Her daughters are Sophie and Izzy, "MY twins" that I love!  She calls me her son-in-law!)  She's a photographer there, so she took our pictures on a steamy and sticky Saturday morning. 

The Kleinpeter Photography studio is, in one word, phenomenal.  Their outdoor studio is literally breath-taking.  It's so meticulously set up and maintained.  There's so much variety!  We started outside. 

After a little while, we went inside to cool off.  Mommy had to blow-dry Madeline's hair to dry the sweat off my poor baby!  But we endured, took some more outside, then went back in to do some with a birthday cake for Madeline.  We thing they turned out great.  Mommy and Daddy are going to be spending  LOT of money to order them all!  (How could they not?  They're fabulous!)

Here are a few of the shots that the nice lady at the studio posted to Facebook for Mommy to share.  Gorgeous.  Love them.  Enjoy!