One Looks Good On You, Girl!

Even after an entire year of not getting to sleep through the night, I can honestly say this year flew by. On Friday, March 26, 2010, Heidi Sage turned 1! It's hard to imagine that there was ever a time she wasn't with us. To say she brought an indescribable amount of joy to our lives would be an understatement.

At 1, Heidi Sage is reaching all kinds of milestones. She started walking a few weeks ago while we were in Vail, of course. She's almost running now. And we're working on mastering the outside terrain so she'll be ready to be the AWESOMEST flower girl ever at Aunt Zsazsie's wedding in a few weeks. Bebe sent word today that her green, sparkly, cutest-shoes-ever arrived in the mail and Heidi Sage is desperate to get such delectableness on her feet! (I kid you not, the girl loves sparkly shoes. She SCREAMS when you take them off of her feet! Crazy, girl.)

She says a few words. She calls both me and Rodney "Da da", she calls Clinton "nin non" with the same voice inflection I use when calling his name, and she can say Bebe and Nana. She's also been attempting dog and duck...I think...they sound identical, but I'm sure the intention is there.

And she has found her voice....and not her speaking voice that communicates brilliant thoughts and adorable one liners, but the voice that tears through the house and your ear drum when things aren't going exactly as one might have hoped. This girl has honestly come by a tried and true temper. And boy has she let Clinton have it a time or two! He just gives me this look like, "What the hell, Mom?" Sorry, son....but you'll need to get used to that.

While she can let her mind be known in a fierce way, she also has the sweetest disposition of any baby I have ever been around. She loves to cuddle. She loves to hug. And she loves to be tickled. She is also very social. She loves new people and is happy with just about anyone. She's a favorite at the church nursery. They make us feel so special every Sunday when we arrive.

She's also recently found her appetite and FINALLY hit the 20 lbs. mark! She'll eat anything you put in front her....especially macaroni and cheese. I've never seen a child put away mac-n-cheese as quickly as she does. It's one of the meals she has to eat in her birthday suit. She also likes veggie soup, lentils, pancakes, scrambled eggs, fettucine alfredo, and the free cookie at Publix. I was letting Clinton feed her the cookie in small bites until I realized he was eating more of her cookie than she was, so now they each hold their own cookie and Heidi Sage is handling it quite well.

With Rodney's back surgery we've been a bit swamped here, so throwing a big bash for the birthday wasn't exactly possible. So we had a small family party....and it was perfect. I wanted everything to be sweet and girly like the guest of honor. For dinner we had brunch. Bruncher, if you will. I made chicken salad rolls, bacon & spinach quiche, smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers, spinach dip with pita chips, strawberries with fruit dip, and shrimp. I also purchased the most beautiful Gigi's cupcakes, but they had an accident in the car so they were a bit damaged by the time I got them on the cake plate. But we all lived....even if I had to shed a tear or two and take five (or ten) deep breaths.

Heidi Sage loved opening her gifts. She got started ripping the paper as soon as she noticed a gift, so we just let her get after it. She got an awesome outdoor water sink/table, a Radio Flyer 3-in-1, and lots of dishes and food for her new kitchen. Unfortunately, her kitchen was not ready in time for the party. And it still isn't ready. But it will be....soon. I can't wait to post pictures of it!

Heidi Sage has been playing with all of her gifts and it's so fun to watch her face light up each time. She has such an amazing smile. Her eyes have such a sparkle. Unless, of course, she's doing that earth shattering shriek, then there's more of a fire in her eyes...but more often they sparkle. I really love it when they sparkle. The fire scares me a little.

Heidi Sage's birthday is special not just because it's the day we celebrate her coming into this world and enriching our lives with sugar and spice, but also because she shares her big day with someone very special....her Great Mama Peggy. My dad's mom, Peggy, was also born on March 26th. There's been a number of coincidences with dates on that side of the family. For example, the Christmas after Rodney and I married, Peggy gave everyone calendars with important family dates on them. We realized then, we had gotten married on what would have been my Great Papa Sid's 100th birthday (Peggy's dad). Then just 4 years later, Heidi Sage was born on her great grandmother's 75th birthday. I'm hoping next year two of my favorite girls can celebrate their birthdays together!

Heidi Sage--We had such a wonderful first year with you! You have found your place in this family and are, of course, a perfect fit. You fill mommy with joy, melt daddy's heart, and give Clinton the companion he'd been longing for. We are so looking forward to each and every day that God allows your presence to bless us. Your beautiful smile, endearing laugh, and overflowing heart have been nothing short of daily miracles in our house. We can't wait to make a lifetime of memories with you! Much love--Mommy, Daddy, and Clinton

Wishin' that dress came in my size,