Elise turns 1!

I can't believe that a year has passed since Elise was born! I know that everyone says it- but it is true!  Our sweet daughter turned one on December 29th.  It was so special for us to be in Utah with all of our family to celebrate with.  Here are a few things that our one-year-old is up to lately:

-She climbs on everything!  Loves to pull herself up to tables and slap her hands on them.
-Laughs when you cough or sneeze.  She thinks it is hilarious!
-She LOVES other kids.  Anytime she sees them she starts giggling and kicking her legs.
-Hasn't always been the best sleeper but has started to sleep through the night once again-hooray!
-Has 4 teeth with more working their way through.
-Still has lots of beautiful brown locks.
-Is quite the chatterbox.  No real words yet except Mama and Dada but loves to just talk all day long.
-Likes music and enjoys bouncing up and down to it when she hears it playing.
-If I had to guess her favorite color, I would say yellow because she is always more drawn to those toys.  Maybe because it is so bright?
-Loves to play peek-a-boo and clap her hands.
-She is a very social and happy girl.  If we are in a big group and everyone else laughs, she will start to crack up with you too!  It is so fun!

I don't have any of her yearly check-up stats since we haven't gone to the doctor because we are still in UT.  When I get back to Wisconsin we will take her in to get all checked out!

We celebrated her birthday with my side of the family while we were away at a snowmobile trip up in Bear River, Utah. I had been planning the theme of her birthday-circus theme- for months and I couldn't wait to finally put the show on!  We had a great time and I was surprised at how much I loved celebrating Elise!  I was so excited to see her react to her gifts, how she would do with us singing to her, and how she would "attack" her cake!  We had a great time and I think it's safe to say all the cousins did too!

Here is a view of the all the circus decor!  I was quite proud of myself!
I got all of the decorations from Dimple Prints

Close up of the cake and cupcakes as well as some other party food.  I made the cake and it is supposed to be a carousel.  I used straws and then frosted some circus animal crackers to it with a colored plate as the top.  That was a cake my mom made for me years ago, and I decided to replicate it.

 We also had some jumbo gumballs on the table and it took Elise .03 seconds to find them and lodge them in her mouth.  Is she not the cutest thing you have ever seen??

Our family with the birthday girl! She was given that outfit for Christmas.  When I saw it I knew she HAD to have it.  Or at least I did...

She opened some of her gifts too!  Here she is with her new blocks!

When she opened her doll out of the box she grabbed it and put it up to her face all on her own!  This is not a posed photo.  It just melts my heart- I love it!

She got a darling book from Ryan and Becky- thanks guys!

 And what birthday would be complete without cake?!  We gave her a healthy helping of chocolate cake and she knew just what to do with it!  

I can't believe how much our lives have changed in the past year and I wouldn't have traded it for anything!  We love you so much Elise and look forward to the many more birthdays we will get to celebrate with you!  Happy Birthday darling girl!