First Birthday!

I seriously can't believe my little baby is one. The last few months have flown by. I want her to stay little, but there is nothing better than watching her learn and grow. It seems like after 11 months she just went crazy with what she can do. I should have made this list of things that happened over the month on her birthday and not a month later...I can't remember everything.

Learned her first two words in sign language (more and please).
Still loves to read books and turn the pages.
Loves to play in the tub, pool, etc. Anything with water.
Knows how to walk but can still craw a lot faster (that changed about a week after her birthday now she is running all over the place and won't ever crawl).
Loves to eat and will eat healthy food luckily. She is trying so hard to use a fork and spoon but still needs a little help sometimes.
Loves to play with other kids. Glad we have so many cousins and friends close by.
Loves to cuddle before bed and naps.
She has mastered giving loves (hugs) and kisses...but mostly will only give Matt and her baby (my stomach) kisses.
Has eight teeth (and likes to bite).
Says mama, dada, and more.
Love her milk and water, she can down more water than I can.
Obsessed with her silky blanket.
Puts the phone (or anything resembling a phone) to her ear to "talk"
LOVES to hide and play peek-a-boo
Loves to "wrestle" with her dad and be tickled
Started throwing tantrums (YIKES!!!)
Likes the remote, the fridge, emptying cupboards and drawers, watching about two minute of Dinosaur Train, and animals (as long as they aren't real).
He first Thanksgiving was fun...except she didn't really want to eat that day.

She would NOT cooperate for these pictures so they didn't turn out great. We tried twice and just couldn't get her to hold still. Oh well, something to remember about her at one!

We had her birthday party on December 1st. I was so stressed about what to do. I am SHOCKED by how far some people go for a one year old's birthday party. We kept it really simple but I wanted to do something fun. I am so completely creatively challenged so it was hard to even come up with an idea. Since she was a couple months old I have called her my little monster. So we decided to have a "good" monsters party. 

We made a Sully cake from Monster's Inc. Matt and I have never even attempted to make a cake so I let his steady dentist hands do most of the work. For a first time attempt from a couple of amateurs I think it turned out ok.

And a few Mike cake pops to add to the fun!

Lesson number one from birthday party planning...don't buy a HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner from the dollar store or it may say HPPY BIRTHDAY. Matt noticed it and thought I made it and didn't know how to spell happy :)

I was so proud these simple crafts only took me a half a day to figure out. Not really they were easy that is the only reason I could do them.

Thank you Pinterest. I loved these veggie/fruit tray ideas.

She loved when we sang to her. I thought she would go to town on the cake given how much she loves to eat, but she really didn't eat very much. I don't think she knew quite what to think.

We kept it simple and just had family at that party. I was going to do a little friend party, but is just felt silly at this age. I wish I would have taken a picture of everyone that came but I didn't so I'll at least write it down so she can remember someday.

Mom and Dad
Grandma and Grandpa Jorgensen
Grandma and Grandpa Jacobsen
Great Grandma and Grandpa Miller
Great Grandma Jacobsen
Aunt Christ
Aunt Amy (with Dalaney, Sam, Hailey, and Eli)
Aunt Kylie and Uncle Chad (with Mya)
Aunt Jen and Uncle Rick
Aunt Mandy
Melanie and Brett (with Ezra, Audrey, and Owen)

On her actual birthday we were in Florida so we took her out to dinner at the hotel and spent the week at Disney World. I took a million pictures, but here are a couple.

The food was actually terrible. Glad we were in a "boat" on the middle of a "lake" to help compensate.

First Halloween..yeah I'm that far behind

It seems like we did a million Halloween activities this year. I guess that what happens when you have a child to entertain.

Discovery Gateway (the children's museum) had a fun Halloween event the weekend before Halloween. Charlotte was a little young to really care but she loved all the new toys.
 

One day Matt had a few hours between rotations so we went to This is the Place State Park since it is just a couple miles form the hospital. They had trick-or-treating at the houses, a petting zoo, a donut shop (Matt favorite), train rides, panning for gold... Charlotte was more than entertained for a couple of hours. We have been there for their Christmas thing but this was the first time we have been there on Halloween. It was lots of fun. Can't wait to go back next year when she will really enjoy it.

 

 We took a couple of trips to Gardner Village. The weather the week before Halloween was awesome. It was in the 70's almost 80s the first day we went with some girls in my neighborhood. Charlotte (my usually easy going child) was having a hard.time at first but she snapped out of it about half way through.

The next day we when with my parents and sisters We walked around and had dinner.

Charlotte "Defying Gravity" :)

The week of Halloween our ward did a trunk-or-treat. I found this costume the day before and decided to  get it. Still not exactly sure what it is but she looked cute.

On Halloween a bunch of girls in my neighborhood went trick-or-treating on main street in Bountiful. It was awesome because all the businesses pass out candy at 4:00 so it is light and you don't have to go to a bunch of strange houses or walk around forever. Charlotte actually loved it. Afterwards we had five couples come over for dinner. Matt got the old smoker going and cooked up some delicious meat. Besides having 12 adults and a load of kids scrunched into our little condo, the night was great. Matt was on call that whole week and luckily he didin't have to go in. It made the night even better. My parents stopped by while we were trick-or-treating and of course brought Charlotte a load of toys and Matt his annual Halloween basket. Matt's parent's stopped by later that night and brought Charlotte a Halloween present. Holy cow her grandparents spoil her rotten.