My Baby Girl Is 1.

I can't believe that we celebrated Olivia's first birthday today. It just doesn't seem possible that it's been a year since we first met her. Every detail is still etched in my memory as if it all happened today...getting to the hospital early, waiting for a room for 2 hours, starting my IV, the power going out in the hospital, staring the IV again, waiting, visiting with Mom and Kara, telling Mom and Kara that I was kind of hurting, hearing Olivia's cry 6 minutes later, seeing my sweet baby girl but hurting too much to look at her :), the boys arriving with Jean and Jerry in a wheel chair (a nurse pushed the boys in a wheel chair for fun), the boys kissing and oohing and aahing all over their sweet little sister, Isaac telling me that Olivia looks like his cousin, Caitlin (I love that), being so exhausted, bringing Olivia home, putting a bow in her hair, the boys acting awful and me wondering what happened to my sons, the boys calming down, Olivia and Mommy time at 3 a.m. (I really did cherish that time SO much!!), Olivia's first laugh (I'll never forget it), and lots and lots and lots of other beginning memories. Why did it have to go so fast? Why am I so sad that she is growing up? Can you tell that I'm having a bit of a hard time with this?? I guess that I just realize that there is only a small window of time when your baby is just that...a baby. I have enjoyed my daughter. I know that I'll enjoy every stage...I just really liked this one. :) Oh well, time goes on and she has to grow up and learn new things. I'm excited about it. I'm moving on as I write. :)
Well, today was very sweet. It was so fun to not have a big party. It was just us. We took Olivia to the beach to celebrate her first year. She had a ball. We took a King size sheet with us (Ilene's great suggestion...and I'll always use it!!) for Liv to sit on. But it didn't last very long. She touched the sand and never went back. She dug into the sand with her hands and crawled all over the beach. She even sat in the water for awhile until the water came up too high and got her too cold!! It was very peaceful out there...which is perfect...Olivia's name means "peaceful one". Hmmm.
After the beach, we went to St. John's and ate at The Cheesecake Factory. Olivia got lots of sweet comments and looks from people in the restaurant. She had on her new pinafore from http://www.lassiegirl.etsy.com, my cousin's boutique. The wait staff came and sang "Happy Birthday" to Olivia and she was ALL SMILES!! She loves attention. Surely she didn't get that from my side of the family, or from her Daddy... She grinned from ear to ear as they sang and as she looked at her candle.
We came home and all took a late nap, the kids didn't wake up until 6:30. So...they were all finally in bed at 10:00. I took pictures today of each moment (and somehow I put the same "good morning" picture on twice...I don't know how to change it without starting all over!!): waking up, ready to go, the beach, restaurant, and bedtime. What a special day with our special girl. She really is our little princess.
My mom wrote "name" songs for all of my brothers and me when we were little. So, I passed on the tradition and wrote songs for my kids. Mom's were sweet and simple, mine might be a bit over the top. But, here is Olivia's (hers is much more simple than the boys...in other words, just a chorus, no verses or bridges. ha)

Olivia Anne, Olivia Anne
You are so sweet and pure.
Olivia Anne, Olivia Anne
You are love for sure.