She's a Wild 1

With lots of laughs and so much fun,

Our adventurous Eleanor just turned one!

A year ago, at this time, we were adjusting to our new normal and finding our footing as a family of four.  Meeting our newest daughter was life changing, of course.  Over this past year, Eleanor has smiled, waved and climbed her way into the hearts of so many people around her.  She is a happy and outgoing baby who has never met a stranger.  She loves animals, people, waving, clapping, climbing, food, music and most recently, books.

From the moment she was born, Eleanor’s presence in the world has kept us on our toes.  She has endured Amelia’s love from the get go, even when it isn’t always gentle.  She is Scout’s best friend and loyal follower.  She is our little bit, who isn’t so little anymore.  Where Amelia hasn’t stopped talking since the moment she was born, Eleanor hasn’t stopped moving.  Seatbelts, shelves, steps and chairs are no match for this one.

Eleanor is a brave girl with no fear.  Hopefully, a healthy amount of fear will turn up during her second year of life.  She has been brave in the face of ear infection after ear infection, a cranial ultrasound, unidentified allergies, eczema and ear tubes.  We are so grateful that these are all minor battles.  Eleanor smiles through it all.

So, when it came time to celebrate our littlest girl, we did not hesitate on a theme for her party.  As soon as we came across the idea of a “wild one,” we knew it fit her perfectly.  We approached it more as an adventure theme, but decorated with wild flowers and wild animals.  The party favor was animal masks; the decorations were all pinks and greens.  The food included “Choose Your Own Adventure Trail Mix,” “Hippo in a Blanket,” “Lion Cheese and Crackers,” “The Watering Hole,” “Zebra Cookies,” and of course, cupcakes (which were arranged in the shape of a flower).  My favorite decoration turned our banister into a jungle of monthly pictures depicting an ever growing, but always-recognizable Eleanor.

Eleanor simply loved her party.  I will admit that she had moments of uncharacteristic clinginess, but this was minor.  She loved having people in our house and spent most of her time crawling from person to person.  Eleanor’s least favorite part of the party was the icing on her smash cake.  She didn’t hesitate to put her hands in it, but once she tasted it, she immediately gagged.  That lovely moment aside, Eleanor was a big fan of her birthday.  We didn’t have to deal with any meltdowns or tantrums.  Eleanor (and Amelia) was social, content and only dealing with a slight-sugar high.  Like all overzealous parents, we took picture after picture.  So, prepare your hearts, social media, for an onslaught of even more pictures of my adorable one year old and her party.  They’re coming.

As we celebrate the near-constant milestones as a family with young children, I am once again overwhelmed with gratitude.  I am thankful for the family and friends who not only celebrated with our girl, but who also cover her with love daily.  She is one lucky little girl and as her parents, we are so grateful to be a part of her adventure.

Thank you for celebrating our wild one, whether it was in person or from afar.