The magical four-letter word

Finally, the word I have been waiting for...Mama! And I actually had a witness for the first time so that no one can tell me I imagined it. I was picking D up from daycare on Friday, and she was thirsty (her own fault since the stubborn little girl still refuses to drink her milk!). I gave the cup to her teacher and asked her for some water. Delaney clearly didn't feel like waiting, and the impatience motivated her just enough to yell out "mama." Unfortunately, just about every time she has said it since has been when she is demanding something, so I guess I should be careful what I wish for.

Another exciting first on Saturday were her first steps. Luckily, Linwood and Grammy were both there to see them, too, so now we don't have to worry that her first steps will take place at daycare where we'll all miss them. She is obviously her grandmother's granddaughter since she walked betwen items that were out at a yard sale. She knew exactly what she had done, too, and seemed very pleased with herself. And of course, the video camera that I absolutely "had to have" was nowhere in sight. That is life as we know it.

Celebration

I can't believe it has taken me over a week to publish this entry, but I feel like it took me that long to recover! We celebrated Delaney's Christening and her first birthday with a big party on the 7th. It was Linwood and my first time hosting a party at the house, so that was pretty stressful. Luckily, Grammy came over early to entertain Delaney so we could finish all the preparation!

The Dedication ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Reverend Merritt invited all of our guests to stand in a circle around us during the blessing. Her words were inspiring and a timely reminder to Linwood and me about the importance of family and the responsibility we have to raise this child. The promises that we, along with godparents, made to Delaney were perfect and touching. Delaney even behaved herself throughout the entire time! She provided a little comic relief when she snapped her flower in half, since she always insists on having something in each hand.




You'll have to ask someone else who came to the party how it went, since most of it is a blur to me. I have a whole new appreciation for party hosts! Luckily, we had a beautiful day and most people enjoyed staying outside. We were especially thankful, though, that we invested in a new tv, since there were plenty of people posted in front of it to watch the Patriots season opener. Even though Brady went down in the first 7 minutes and is out for the season, the Pats scored a win under backup Matt Cassel. And of course, Delaney got to debut her new Patriots outfit!




We decided to splurge a little on the cake for the big day, and luckily it was a much bigger hit than the first. Delaney dove in with both hands and loved it! All in all, the day was a success, and I couldn't feel luckier to have such a special little girl.

The Big 0-1

This is the blog that I should be dedicating to Delaney's first birthday, but since I am still in denial that it has actually happened, this presents a challenge. As much as I am loving her more and more everyday, seeing my little baby grow and change so much is an emotional rollercoaster. That being said, I wouldn't change being able to see her smile and reach for me, or listen to her big belly laugh when she cracks herself up. Nor would I take back all the little things she is learning every day.

We had a nice day on the first, which was appropriately Labor Day (insert "what were doing this time last year" joke here). We went to the Marlborough Parade with Grammy, Joe T, Auntie Kristen, Uncle Chris, Jack and Chad. D really seemed to like it, and didn't even cry when the guns went off (Daddy was very proud).

We topped off the day with a small party at Grammy's house, where Delaney loved her keys from Joe, her wagon from Grammy, and her bath toys from Jack and Chad.


Ironically, the big moment of the day....the cake was not a big hit. I definitely don't know WHERE she would get that from. Certainly not me. You would think we were torturing her after she took her first bite! Hopefully the yellow cake will be more her style at her big party this weekend!

Davis Farmland

Finally, I had a day off and was able to enjoy an outing with some great moms from the Mamas and Munchkins. We had a beautiful, fall-like day, and the babies really enjoyed themselves. Delaney was more interested in the kids than the animals, but considering that she is manhandled by a 60 lb dog on a daily basis, this is understandable. As Mary said, they should call this place Davis Goat-land, but nevertheless the goats were pretty cute and very friendly. Delaney got to practice her "woof-woof" sound that we have been teaching her in response to "What does a doggie say," and spent the entire day barking at the goats. Gotta love it. I think she also roped in her first admirer...one of many I am sure!