Should we be worried about how much she liked the cake?

Neither Tim nor I are big big desert people. Not that I don't like sweet stuff, I just wouldn't crave it, I wouldn't seek it out most of the time. Well, unless we're at a wedding, then I would seek out the cake - not like Kim might seek it out, wrap it in whatever is closest by and store it throughout her home like a squirrel hides nuts for the winter - but I do enjoy the wedding cake. Most of you have heard me say this, but give me a big plate of cheese fries (preferably like those ones in Dallas that were the BOMB) vs. chocolate cake and I'll take the cheese fries every time. So, when Bridget started, albeit slowly and daintily (also not sure where she got that from) to really get into the chocolate cake, I was surprised. At some point, I even heard a couple party goers question when we should cut her off.... I'm pretty sure Aunt Kim and Aunt Aimee were pretty proud of their little cake lover.

All in all, the big ONE was a BIG success. There were too many presents (but in my world there can never really be too many presents) and every single one was great. She got some too cute fall clothes, fun noise making toys, educational toys, a thoughtful Piggy Bank from the Muldrows with a really cute note and idea inside (yes, A-le, of course I opened it...that night...!) and some great books just in time since she is finally starting to get into looking at them. There was good food (courtesy of Viviano's fabulous catering which I highly recommend for events and appetizers courtesy of Mom D) and we all had a fun time celebrating our little Bridgey's first year.

It actually was perfect. Sure I forgot an appetizer, didn't have the best plan for how to cook the food and needed some help from family and friends, but all in all it was perfect. The babygirl was surrounded by family and friends that love her and have been there for her throughout her first year of getting acquainted to this world and I'm pretty sure she knew it!

I worked and stressed and made about 18 different batches of icing to make the perfect buttercream icing (note to future Erin: confectioners sugar is different from granulated sugar) for her cupcake tower, but when it comes right down to it, the only thing that really matters is that tpd, Bridgey and I are so lucky to have all of you in our lives, just as we are all lucky to have her!

So, here's to a great first year of trials and tribulations, and, as surprising as it was, this wasn't that overly emotional to me. I was prepared to feel sad or longing for her babyhood, and, sure it was nostalgic thinking about her birth and the emotions of finally having her after 9 long months, but mostly it was just exciting. Exciting that she is growing and learning and understanding who her family is and, selfishly, exciting that we've made it relatively unscathed. I kinda feel like, yeah, we did this and if we can do this, we can do about anything. We've been through colic (or at least something that caused her to scream for hours on end for the first few months), we've been through late nights, early mornings, being tired to the bone, an overnight emergency room visit and all the way, in between, we've seen the funniest, most entertaining little person emerging day by day. I can't wait to see what the next year will bring!

Of course, I took way too many pictures. Here you go, those of you who don't mind 25 pictures of baby cake eating... click here!

ps - Thanks for the nice birthday tribute Blogging Mommy A-le. It was really sweet!

It was supposed to be Happy Birthday Eve...

but now it's just plain old Happy 1st Birthday babygirl! I am up way too late putting (I would like to say final touches - but it's really more like mid touches as there is sadly still very much to be done) on your big 1st birthday bash. It's after midnight, so instead of wishing you a happy birthday eve, I now get to say happy birthday.

Interestingly enough this year reminds me of last year - I've been working hard all day long, I'm up way after midnight and I'm looking ahead to a lot more to go! Regardless, I did it last year and I'd do it every year from now on for you.

Things won't be perfect tomorrow like I'm sure every first time - first birthday party mom wants it to be, but dad and I will do our best to make sure you have lots of presents, lots of time with family and lots of cake (well, Aunt Kim and Aunt Aimee will definitely help in that department - they like the cake) and sometime - when I have more time I'll blog all about the crazy things your mom has done to get ready for this day.

Let's just hope I'm not still awake at your actually birth time - 4:16am!

I love you! Happy 1st my sweet babygirl.

Is it just me ?

Maybe... probably, but I don't find this cake topper to be particularly cute nor do I think "this whimsical topper also makes a great keepsake for the mother-to-be". Not sure about all you other moms/preggos out there but I don't really need to be reminded that I was so large during pregnancy my scale staged an uprising. Especially not in a cover-my-mouth "he he - I'm taking this all in stride" sort of way.

Don't worry, Sheryl, we will not be choosing this particular "keepsake" for your shower!

Parental Epiphany

Sure I've had many of these along my almost 1 year (yikes!) crash course in parenting, but today surpassed them all. I'm not sure what was different or why it finally clicked, but there it was... click click click... right there, right then.

I was changing babygirl on her table after the morning nap and I was doing my usual rambling/singing/finding any object that will serve as entertainment long enough for me to get the clothes off and diaper changed when I see she is pointing up towards the wall... after asking a couple times "what? what are you pointing at? what do you need?" you know, basically the questions I repeatedly ask her, I say, "the lion? do you want the lion?" Immediately, her face lights up, a huge smile comes across and she starts flipping her hands feverishly back and forth as if to say, "duh, mom, of course that's what I want... you know the lion that you always talk about when you change me..."

Click - insert light bulb here.

Almost every time I change her, I talk about this little lion my mom painted on the wall near the changing table. We talk about the color and how grandma painted it and how there is a palm tree and then how much mommy likes palm trees and beaches and Jimmy Buffett... and, well, you can see where this is going, but basically we talk about the lion. Well, today I wasn't talking about the lion or showing her the lion and she knew it. She was telling me to talk about the lion. SHE was telling ME what to do. She is a person with her own thoughts and desires and feelings and it was just so shocking. Obviously I knew this on many levels prior to this occurance, but to have her point it out to me in such an obvious you-shoulda-had-a V8 sorta way, was just eye opening. I'm not sure why, in the past, it hasn't been as eye opening when she hits me and screeches at me because she wants me to stop changing her, but that doesn't make for nearly as cute of a story and I just never made the connection I made today with that behavior, so I'm sticking with the little lion. It was so innocent and so cute and so perfect.

Thanks babygirl - you made my day.

Is this my college fund mom?

yes, it is babygirl and apparently it should also be the "buy Bridget some more clothes" fund, too.

Hmmm...questionable, but so darn funny

*Warning* - questionable bleeped language. If anyone watches Jimmy Kimmel, this is pretty funny - or even if you just have a monster crush on Matt Damon like me.

If short on time, slide over til about 2:26 minutes are left. I think this will be funny to everyone but I could be clouded by my LOVE for Matt Damon, so pretty much anything he does is fine by me.

Making our daughter perform purely for our enjoyment

For growing up in a video household long before any of my friend's parents had video cameras, it has certainly taken me far too long to figure out how to post my videos to my blog and youtube. My dad would not approve. Now, to be fair, I do this for clients all the time and it's no big deal, but MY camera has to be super difficult and old computers didn't help the situation. So, finally just in time for the big #1 birthday, I have conquered the video beast - a new cord and a few new computers later, we are ready to roll. Look out blog readers, it's about to get interesting... or incredibly boring seeing as how every time I turn the camera on she immediately stops doing funny stuff.

So, for my first test post, a quick clip from tonight. It highlights a few of her new tricks: where's your monkey, being a snickelfritz (sorry big d), finding her nose (sort of), and being bonked in the head by brogan - that one is not so much of a trick but an everyday occurance - don't worry she was fine it phased her more than normal since she was tired and up past bedtime.

I promise not to bore you constantly with "things I think are funny that my baby does but really they are only funny to me" video clips every other day, but I really am excited about finally joining the video world, so for tonight indulge me with an "I know this is not really all that exciting but it finally works PEOPLE!" video.

21 days, 11 hours and 7 minutes

I'm just a little excited... so excited I wanted to change my whole blog to reflect the upcoming fantasy football season and then decided that was incredibly bad mommyish of me considering BEFORE the fantasy football season begins I have another major event for end of summer 2007...Bridget's 1st Birthday! So I guess we will wait on the FF headers until I have given that monumental event it's proper attention, but still... GET EXCITED friends its FF season. Hey, if I can get excited about doing a FF draft with a 7 day old, I can certainly get excited now!

Yup, I totally stole this from you, Courtney

Not that my summer vacation wasn't awesome and fun (vomit and all), but man, pictures of gorgeous beaches, beautiful streets and cliffs over looking the water in FRANCE sure look good to me too, people.

Here's my favorite pic stolen from Court's blog. I would blow this puppy up, add a slight glow and subtle blur to the edges, get rid of that big power line and hang this in my living room I love it so much. In fact, I just might...

Bad Asses are not for Church Meetings Client Services Lesson #1

When going to meet with a church about designing their website, it's best not to bring the laptop that you've chosen to name "Bad Ass Erin Delanty" as the adminstrator login name (you know the name and image that pop up as soon as the computer fires up, the one that everyone can see right there in the middle of the screen as they're all waiting anxiously to discuss their website options...you know, that one.)

It can easily seem like a good idea: a newly purchased laptop, giddy with new laptop excitement, sitting in your living room in comfy pants, and the first question your shiny new piece of hardware asks you is what name you would like for your administrator account. You think pensively for a second....hmm...the perfect name for the login screen.... and then it just becomes obvious - BAD ASS! Of course! That's it! How obvious, how magnificent, how perfect, because, after all, you are a bad ass...

Friends, don't let this happen to you - don't let that little manipulative perfect piece of HP innovation fool you... friends don't let friends name their computers "Bad Ass". Let this be my lesson to you for the day - you are not as bad ass as you think you are.


So, to sum it all up:

ps - Aimee, I bet I have a SERIOUS PG-13 rating now - ass, ass, ass....

pps - I'm sorry to anyone I may have offended by using the word ass over and over again in this post, though not nearly as sorry as I was to the 4 women and one pastor who undoubtedly saw this word on their *professional* (I'm using that word loosely now) web designer's laptop.