First Birthday

Today was Alexis' first birthday.  We can't believe our baby girl is one year old!  This past year somehow managed to feel like the longest and shortest year ever.  We have loved watching Alexis grow and develop into a little person.  It seems like everyday she does something new.  We love her so much; we're so happy that we get to be her mommy and daddy.

Here are some things about Alexis at one year old:

• Alexis loves water.  She loves to drink water, she loves to take baths and she loves to go swimming.  I've been taking her to 'Mommy and Me' swim classes since she was six months old and she is a natural.
•  I hesitate to say it, and hopefully she'll outgrow it fast, but Alexis tends to be a picky eater.  She knows what she likes and she knows what she doesn't like.  And there is no tricking her.  It's partially my fault, because she also knows that if she fusses enough, she'll get something she likes.  She has this 'determined' look that is so cute.
• Alexis is a very happy baby girl.  She is always smiling and laughing.  Her giggle is so funny sounding.  She is also very dramatic.  On the rare occasions when she is unhappy, it is a quick change.  There is nothing in-between happy and sad for her.
• Alexis is very curious.  She is constantly pointing at things and asking "dis?" ("this?").
• She never stops moving!  Alexis is very active and never really sits still (unless she's interested in the story you're reading).  She loves to climb up and down the stairs and cruise along the furniture.  If there's music on then she shakes her bum around in a cute little dance.
• Alexis loves to be outside.  If she's not outside, then she loves to stand at the window and point at everything she can see.  She blows raspberries on the window too.
• Besides swimming, Alexis' all-time favourite thing to do is read.  She is equally happy reading a book to herself (turning the pages and pointing at the pictures) or having you read to her.  She likes to pick out the book and then sit in your lap while you read to her.  She almost always wants to read the same book multiple times before she chooses a different story.
• Alexis is very affectionate.  She loves to cuddle and give kisses, usually slobbery, open mouth ones.  We're trying to teach her how to blow kisses.  So far she has the "mmmmaaa" sound down, but not the hand part.
• Alexis can now sleep through the night without me having to feed her, and in her own room too!  She has been doing this for about a month now.  We are loving the extra sleep and having our own room back.

The first thing we did to celebrate Alexis' birthday was to open up presents.  We skyped Nana so that she could watch Alexis open her present.  Nana gave her a baby doll.  It was love at first sight.  Alexis loves her doll and loves to cuddle it.  And no matter how many times I say "baby," Alexis says "Dada" (which is ok, because she usually calls John "Da").  So now the baby's name is Dada.  It's so cute.

Alexis got to open all of her other presents too.  She loved ripping the paper and seemed to know exactly what to do.  She got so many fun gifts.

Later that day we headed to the Strand for a birthday lunch.  Doesn't Alexis look adorable in her birthday dress?

We met up with our friends Peter and Dorothy who were visiting from Perth.  We ate at Jamaica Joe's, a restaurant on the water that we have always wanted to try.  We were so happy to have Peter and Dorothy with us to celebrate.

It was a pretty low-key birthday, but we have more celebrating planned for this weekend.  I know that I said it before, but we can't believe that Alexis is one!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!