Today was my daughter’s first birthday. We didn’t plan a huge party with tons of guests or
go out to a fancy restaurant or some play place. Instead, we spend most of the day at home playing in the loft, going for walks, chatting on skype with family, and enjoying dinner together. The happiness exuded from Athena and therefore us as well. We may not have spent the day skydiving or rafting down class five rapids, but my adrenaline is still pumping from my bucket list day… or maybe it’s from all the cake 😉
This morning, when we woke up, the first round of gifts began. We walked into the loft to Athena’s new Joovy Pink Tricycoo Tricycle. She was so excited that I couldn’t even capture it on camera. She was quickly flying by with the biggest grin on her face. She was even so bold as to stand up on the pegs as her father pushed her around the room; like mother like daughter I guess.
Then, this might not have been my brightest move, we put on her new birthday dress. I bought her a special, peach dress that was prefect for the Spring day. When I say special I mean I actually paid full price; a whole $14.99 at TJ Maxx. It lasted a full 12 minutes.
At first, she liked it although she couldn’t quite figure out how to stand up without stepping on it. Using my leg helped.
Then she found others things that interested her like my camera, my phone, and a hanger. Before the hour was over she ripped the dress with the hanger and spilled breakfast all down the front, despite the bib. I guess she’s just that good at getting back into “regular” clothes.
By the time we went for our morning walk, she was exhausted.
Round two for gifts began when Grandma called on skype. Low and behold… another dress appeared. (Take note that this is the third outfit for the day and we didn’t even have lunch yet.)
She loved the gifts from Grandma and uncle Marshall. Her favorites included a new dress, a tent, and books, but at the top of the list was the box that the gifts came in. She paraded around the room most of the day caring the box and using it like a cane. She’d push it in front of her and take two steps, then just repeat that for about two hours.
By the time the cake came out, I’d already learned my lesson with dresses for the day and off it came.
To say that she was excited about the cake would be a gross understatement.
By the end of her piece of cake I said, “Let’s just toss the onsie!”
Lessons learned from Athena’s first birthday:
1. Don’t put the birthday clothes on too early.
2. Any time of day other than pictures is too early for birthday clothes.
3. The best birthday gift of all… boxes.
4. Take all clothes off of the baby before giving her cake.
5. Don’t buy a birthday cake with hot pink icing.
6. Bathing a baby doesn’t get hot pink icing dye off her skin… or Mom’s clothes.
7. A first birthday only happens once; enjoy every minute of it.
Happy birthday my beautiful princess. You’ve made every day a bucket list day and given every second of my life purpose.
Just adorable. What a precious day and what great memories. I have always loved her name since the first time you mentioned her in the blog. Happy Birthday, beautiful Athena and happiness to you all, always!
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A great celebration!
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Whoa! The kid’s one already??!!! How time flies. I remember your posts from last year about prepping for the baby’s arrival. Wow.
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She’s really a lovely little girl. What a sweet post, thanks for sharing!
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This was so cute to read! Happy Belated Birthday Athena! 🙂
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Happy Birthday for Athena! She is so cute! 🙂
Hope she had a fantastic day. I was pretty bummed out that you weren’t in the top 5 in voting for BBB, but I now I think about it, you have something much more special right at home 🙂
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Aww this is so beautiful Lesley! God bless your family.
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Sweet! She’s adorable!
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Happy First Athena 🙂
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Happy Birthday Athena!!
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loved her smiles when the cake appeared. God bless you and your family!
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TJ Maxx!! You scared me there for a second, I was convinced you had gone all out at some designer baby store. She can enjoy the pretty expensive threads when she gets older! Congrats on your baby turning one. My birthday was just last week and my mom couldn’t believe I was already turning 25. I’m the first born, therefore as my mom likes to remind me, my birthday is also the anniversary of the day she became a mother. Something you should pass along to Athena when she gets older. It makes me appreciate my birthday more. 🙂
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Beautiful, adorable pictures! How sweet to see the enjoyment and sheer fun you and your family had with this milestone birthday! You are so right when you said, “A first birthday only happens once; enjoy every minute of it.”
The GREAT news is that they’re ALL like that, and they just keep getting better and better and better!
Please keep these updates coming. I have an 18-year old and a 12-year old, and this brought me right back to that very sweet time. Very, very fun!
— x
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The boxes were a hit? Every time! :0
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She is very cute. Convey my best wishes to her!!!
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She’s very adorable! Happy Birthday Athena!
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what a pretty little girl!
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She is so beautiful… Happy Birthday Athena 🙂 Wish her all the happiness in the world!!!
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She is cute…. 🙂
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AWWWWWW how wonderful! Happy Birthday in your new home Athena! Can’t wait to see the adventures she joins you on!
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Happy Birthday Athena! Looking at all the smiles looks like she enjoyed her birthday to the fullest! Great that you could also celebrate it in your new home.
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Happy Birthday Athena!
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Happy birthday to your Athena! I love the last picture best. You’re doing a great job, Lesley.
Blessings ~ Wendy
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Happy birthday Athena!
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Belated Happy Birthday, Athena !
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATHENA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Happy Birthday Athena!!! I’m so glad we got to share in your happy celebrations 🙂 you have an awesome Mom, but you know that already!!! Here’s wishing Mon and you a happy year filled with bucket list moments!! God Bless 🙂
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Thank you for sharing with us this very special day and a milestone in life! Happy One Athena! May there be many many more wonderful days like these! Hugs, Sharon
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Aww! 🙂 so precious! Happy Birthday baby-girl!!
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Happy birthday Athena!
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Adorable…love her smile. Happy Birthday Athena…may you have a wonderful and exciting life ahead! 🙂
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Happy Birthday Athena! 🙂 x
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Happy Birthday to Athena! The smile on her face when she’s getting her b’day cake is so adorable!
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Happy birthday to the cute li’l princess in the pink dress and the luck pink cake!
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Adorable!
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Soooo cute!
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Cute kid. Great shots. Great life. Keep it up.
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Gorgeous!
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Awesome post. My son’s just turned 22 and your post took me back to his first and quite a few of the ones in between. Memories like that are truly priceless. Enjoy it, soak in it. Although it’s hard to believe when they’re so young, the time does fly and one day you’ll be standing next to a 20 something young woman.
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1st birthdays are the best!! Lovely photos:)
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ow cute!! Look at her outfits! Looks like she had a happy one!!
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Happy birthday all the way from Australia, Athena! May you one day do great things in your life, just like your mother!
Daniel
http://www.myworldatyourfingertips.com
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What a cutie! Happy birthday Athena!
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What a stunning little girl 🙂 I love that you shared what you learned from the “1st Birthday”, beginning with “don’t put the clothes on too early”…..I learned the SAME thing at my Claire’s 1st birthday….she turned 3 in January! Time flies and it looks like you have lots of fun. Treasure every moment and take care!
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adorable baby! happy birthday Athena!
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So sweet! 🙂
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Sounds like perfect bucket day to me! And a wicked first birthday.. The messing of the dresses had to be half the fun!
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Happy Birthday, Athena! She is sooo adorable!
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Such a sweet post. Looks like a perfect birthday, with a very happy little girl 🙂
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