Mackenzie's 1st Birthday

I can't believe a year has already passed!! I know everyone always says how fast time goes by, especially when it comes to your children, but this is crazy!

Mackenzie is now one year old!! And to celebrate this incredible milestone, Chris and I threw a birthday party with family and godparents this past weekend. We had fun ladybug themed decorations and a special "Birthday Girl" shirt for the occasion.

Of course, we wanted to do a good party since her birthday is so close to Christmas and I think it was a complete success! She got tons of clothes, books, diapers and toys.


When we bought the decorations online, they had a ladybug cake pan to go along with the theme that I just couldn't pass up. Now, I'm not so good at the "baking" (seriously....I've burned break-and-bake cookies before...more than once!!) so I did a trial run with Mom a few weeks earlier and then again the weekend of Mackenzie's birthday. Mom was a HUGE help!! I coudn't have done it without her! It was a 2 layered yellow cake with rasberry filling and butter cream icing. I'm actually kind of proud! There were no disaters, but I'm glad we made a test cake. It really helped us decide the best way to decorate.

Once all the decorating and food preparing was done, Mackenzie woke up from her nap exactly 13 minutes before the party started. Just enough time to rub the sleep out of her eyes and have a diaper change. Then it was all about her!!

I think she was having a pretty good time!!!

Sitting like a perfect little angel...waiting patiently for all her adoring family to arrive.

We enjoyed a great little lunch, thanks to Publix and their party platters, while we watched Mackenzie's first year go by!!! Chris and I put together a bunch of pictures of her and put them on a CD, then we just let the slide show function on our Wii take us down Memory Lane (with background music and everything). It was a big hit!!!

After reminising and visting, it was time for Mackenzie to have cake for the first time!! She had her own little cake and 16 people staring at her waiting for the reaction. She was a little hesitant at first, but she got the hang of it. She actually didn't eat that much (yesss!).

Then it was time for presents!! What was the hit of the day you ask? Bath toys of animals from the sea. There were 4 kids at the party and luckily there were 5 toys. They all just went nuts for them!!! (Thanks Aunt Joanne and Aunt Heather!) She also got some wonderful dressy dresses, tons of tops and bottoms to wear for the spring and summer, and a pile of books.

Once the cleaning up was done and we had pawned off as much cake and leftovers on everyone as we could, I sat and actually saw the slide show of my precious little girl. I know....I picked the pictures, but it was different seeing them melt across the screen, from the hospital when she was born to Christmas day. I couldn't help but cry. It has been so wonderful having her!!! It's the best gift I could have asked for!!! I was so sad to see some stages come and go, but I'm looking forward to the ones in the future. Walking is next on our calendar!!

It was a great party with all of our direct family and extended family!! Thank you to everyone that came!! Chris and I are so lucky to have family that will fly and drive from all over to go to a 1 year old's birthday party. We love you all!!!