1st Shoes

Deia got her Harry Harris card today :-) That is where I got my first shoes...I think. Anyhow, she was sized...that was fun ;-/ and is a tiny 4. She only fit into one pair of bright red keds. $10 so I got 'em! Then she proceeded to walk like frankenstein all over Beverly Hills. It was quite cute. When we drove home, she decided that eating the rubber sole was the best part of getting her first pair of tennies. 

1st Birthday Party

We celebrated Deia's 1st birthday @ Holmby Park. We had Bay Cities and pizza from D'Amores, some antipasto, fruit, mac n cheese, chicken fingers, cheerios, pirate booty and whole milk. No alcohol allowed in the park, but daddy was smart enough to secure some Sofia champaign in cans! Brilliant. We had a big ralph's cake (there is nothing better than that buttercream!) and cupcakes from crumbs. All of the grandparents were there! All were a huge help in securing the land we claimed at the park at 6:30 am. We put down a tarp, ball pit and tunnel and the kids seemed to be perfectly entertained. Deia walked everywhere and wore herself out juuust in time for singing happy birthday. She cried when trying to put out the candle with her fingers...then when round two of the song happened, she clapped and took it all in. We were humbled by the turnout and are so lucky to have so many wonderful, supportive people around our 1 year old family! Oh, and she wore her first pair of "skinny jeans," too much :-) 

Deia the Bunny

Who said that this holiday is for the kids? Well, when they aren't old enough to pick their own costumes, it's all for the enjoyment of mom and dad. And let me tell you, I had fun this year:-) Jennifer Beals and a bunny in a tutu! Why put a bunny in a tutu?? Why not!

She's A Maniac!

Deia 1st of 2 costumes is Jennifer Beals from Flashdance! She rocked it out today in Jackie's class. Who woulda thunk Nikki would dress her daughter up as some kind of dancer asap....??? Haha.

Deia's 1st Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!!!! She, we, made it! What a marker of time, lol. Thinking about where we were 12 months ago...in the hospital, clueless, hormonal, mastering the art of the swaddle, working up a milk supply, absolutely sleepless, surviving and totally in love. It is amazing how much you learn about babies, all the damn gear, the do's and don'ts of early parenthood, "rules," what to do when "it" doesn't work, yourself as a parent and a partner, entering ruts you are amazed you figured a way out of and understanding how to embrace a new way of life altogether. It's a test on a relationship, for sure, and though our boat was rocked by this little pie, Corey and I live and love on a firm foundation we worked hard to create and we have prevailed through the biggest changes we have ever known. At a year, I feel like we really are a happy family. Togetherness is something we make a priority, so creating and sharing experiences is the most important thing on our agenda. It is incredible to look at this little person and our new life and have visions of the future, other kids and where we will be smiling with them all! Every month of this first year became our favorite month. But I guess it makes sense when you realize how quickly these little beings grow and how much joy you get in truly meeting them at every newer age they are. Deia is now walking, beginning to talk, eating adult food, sharing legitimate feelings...smart as hell and able to manipulate any grown woman/man with ease. We are aware of this and proceed with caution and respect for that thriving little brain of hers! We enjoyed our last few nights of cuddling her in bed in the wee hours in time to sleep train her once and for all. So far so good. Fortunately, the hilarity of her fight against falling asleep offset the sadness of her tears. She resisted laying down so much that she fell asleep sitting up in the corner of her crib! Then later she stood up, her head bobbing and nodding off and when she would startle from her chin touching her chest, she would reposition her feet, stand tall....for another 5 seconds before her face came falling down again ;-) Finally she fell forward and was done for the night. Pretty funny. Hopefully this will be a good thing for all of us! Deia is now beginning to drink whole milk, so bye-bye Earth's Best and the heavy boxes from Diapers.com! She is a pretty good eater when she is not tired and her meals go something like this: bfast - oatmeal with bananas, mangoes, peaches and/or pears mixed in and some cheerios - we are trying eggs, lunch - anything i can get in front of her at a restaurant plus some yogurt, veggie booty, grapes, banana, and a small piece of toast to hold her over...which is really so that I can actually eat something too, dinner - course puree of zuc, squash, yams, tomatoes, green beans and organic chicken, shredded cheese, chicken or turkey meatballs, sometimes some annie's mac n cheese. She LOVES water so much I think she actually has too much of it. From her pink water canteen, to regular drinking cups, to the shower, the bathtub and the faucets, she'll look for any opportunity to guzzle. We have not given her juice yet and might steer clear of that for some time. She seems satisfied with water and milk and she doesn't need extra sugar just yet. Deia is very comfortable with all her grandparents and aunts now, smiling when she sees them and enjoying them on skype and on the phone. Speaking of the phone, she has an old non-working cell and likes it in small doses. She is well aware that there is no one on the end of that line and that just isn't legit enough for her. She must have the iphone....and used her little thumbs to mimik texting. How do they know these things!!!!! It's not unique to Deia...the cell, remote, computer craze. Every toy company has come up with child friendly gadgets, all which these kids reject because they know and want the real thing. Deia is walking pretty well now. It's still not her favorite mode of transportation, but she is doing it more often and gaining her confidence. We can't wait until she is running around! Peek-a-boo is still a favorite game, as is anything that involves sneaking up and catching her/someone. She loves Bluebo and we still need to get more of those dolls so we have replacements on standby :-) And now...da da daaaa, the preschool hunt begins! Anyway, Deia pie, we love you so dearly. You have brought us happiness and wholeness in a way we could have never anticipated and our lives are blessed because of you shnushy shnoosh. A whole year old, amazing. 

Kissing Bandit!

There is no shortage of kisses for Magnus! Deia plants several on him without being asked! He seems to be ok with the attention and gave her a little, flirtatious hair tug in return! Deia is also kissing her dolls and pretty much anyone she likes in the moment.

Deia Loves Dogs!

After being fearful of the little furry creatures, one day Deia decided to become a dog lover! Not only does she want to touch the bigger dogs more than the small, but she approaches them with an open mouth and tongue extended for a big kiss! She literally tried to make out with Gertie for an hour! Well, I guess we'll have to give in...when she is old enough to ask for one :-)