Happy Birthday, Hazel!

On December 5 our Hazel turned one. I feel like I'm supposed to say, "It feels like just yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital," but really when I think back to the day she was born last December, it feels like another lifetime. A year ago we lived in a different place and had a whole other set of daily concerns. Our little family has a lot of momentum and rapid change right now as we plow out of Geoff's residency, through this fellowship year in Minnesota, and toward a more permanent job, and our beloved and daily-growing Hazel is a central part of that--constantly moving us forward. Her presence this year has changed us a lot. Already we wouldn't be us without her.

We decided we would celebrate the end of Hazel's first year by having a party with the Illinois side of the family while we were visiting them the week of Thanksgiving. I liked having the party before her actual birth date. The infant year goes by so fast and as the mom it's kind of bittersweet to see it end. Having the party in November made it a time to celebrate Hazel's year without having to say good-bye to my eleven-month-old quite yet.

Hazel's Grandma and Grandpa decorated their place and had everyone over for dinner and cake and presents.

Cora and Logan were more than willing to help with any present-opening--any at all, really, right there ready to help--that Hazel might need. They were very good and let Hazel open her own presents as much as she was able.

Hazel took care to taste each gift.

 

I had made Cora a caterpillar (Corapillar) cake for her first birthday, so I decided I would do my best at a ladybug cake for Hazel's. That made a bit of a ladybug theme for Hazel's party. I told my parents I didn't have a dome-shaped pan to bake the cake in, and they put their collective problem-solving abilities into finding just the right containers among their kitchen wares to make a ladybug body and head. They even baked a practice cake.

The final product was nothing if not made with love:

Here's Hazel in the three seconds in which she deigned to wear her party hat:

She hadn't had cake before, but she needed no instructions when we put that slice down in front of her:

I love this kid:

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Since you can never have too many parties, and since Geoff had to work over Thanksgiving and hadn't been able to travel with us, on Hazel's actual birthday of December 5 she had a second little celebration at home, including Dad.


Cora was once again on hand to help with presents.

We put up a few of the decorations from Grandma and Grandpa's house (and now they're adorning Hazel's bedroom). And had ladybug cupcakes:

She remembered just what to do:

 

Happy Birthday, Hazel Crazel. We can't even tell you how much you've added to our year, or how much we're looking forward to sharing the future with you.