Mia Takes Miami!!!

We had a lovely surprise this past weekend when we found out Uncle Vinnie, Mia's godfather, was going to be in Miami for the first round of the NBA play-offs with his team, the Philadelphia 76ers!  It was Vinnie's first time traveling with the team and how cool that it was to South Florida!  Of course we immediately moved our schedule around so we could make the 1 1/2 hour trip down to visit him on Sunday afternoon after the team's practice.  We arrived at the Four Seasons (not too shabby I must say!) just after 4 pm and the first thing we did was check out the view from Uncle Vinnie's room!

 Mia was simply fascinated with the window seat and looking out the window at the Miami sky line.  She probably would have stayed there all afternoon if we let her, just walking around the little area and pointing out the window, but we had places to go and things to see during our quick little trip!

Next up on the agenda....a cocktail outside on the patio (Cheerios for Mia)

I could get used to lounging on these comfy couches!

Then once Mia saw the pools, it was all over....and the window seat was forgotten!  We stripped her down to her diaper and into the little wading pool she went!

Mama, won't you join me?

Of course I will my little love...and off we roamed all through the pool, walking, crawling, laughing and splashing....she was in heaven to say the least!  Until it was time to get out that is...then someone had a screaming fit and did the whole arched-back, throw the head back and scream thing that I love oh so much!!

After we finally got you calmed down and dressed, we headed out to grab a bite to eat at Brickell Village, down the street from the hotel.  We found a great burger place and although you weren't a fan of your grilled cheese (should have went with the chicken fingers like Daddy said!), you did love the sweet potatoe fries.  After wrapping up dinner, we got you bathed and in your jammies for the car ride home, where you drifted off to dreamland (and so did Mommy!)....a great way to end the weekend!

Mia and her godfather, Uncle Vinnie

Simply Stated....Heavenly

Is what life is like in the FL Keys....and Mia truly enjoyed her first trip there for the annual 7 mile bridge run weekend (although she didn't get to run!).  We have been making this trip since our first year in FL back in 2006 and only missed it once ~ last year ~ since I had just given birth to Mia a month before (although I was honestly convinced that I could indeed run 7 miles after having a baby ~ who was I kidding!?).  This year we stayed on a different key, Islamorada, Long Key to be specific, and it couldn't have been more perfect.  Just under a three hour drive, the almost in our backyard location made us feel like we were millions of miles away...

As always, Mia was a perfect angel the whole time ~ from naps to relaxing at the pool and beach, meals out to early morning drives for coffee and to watch the sunrise.  We couldn't ask for a more well-behaved little traveler and I hope that is always the case...because now I'm spoiled and expect it!

Enjoying our own little private beach for the afternoon....big comfy lawn chairs, blankets sprawled on the sand, watermelon, a pink tutu swimsuit and a little white sun hat made for a perfect day!

Loves watermelon!!!

Love that face!!!

Family photo at sunset on the pier :)

Giggles with Dad-Da!!

Look at that smile!

Watching for birdies over the water at sunrise

 Robbie's at Islamorada....a great local place

Enjoying the view from the bar

Our signed dollar bill which we will look for next year when we return!

Wish we could have stayed forever....but all good things must come to an end, at least that is what they say.  We'll be back again soon, hopefully we a few friends for Mia! :)

The First Year in Review....

It is truly amazing to see how much you have grown and changed over the past 12 months....from just laying there and letting me snap away to rolling, sitting, crawling, standing and basically being all over the place and anywhere but where I wanted you to be for a picture!  It has been so much fun taking these pictures...whether I was home on maternity leave with you or rushing home from work to take them before bathtime.  I loved the teeny, tiny little being you were (it is hard to remember when you were that tiny...it seems like ages ago!), but love even more the independent, spunky toddler you have become!  Each month has brought more fun, laughter, and love than the previous one....and I know that will continue for the rest of your life!

Such a wee little thing

Starting to fill out in the face a little :)

Hand in mouth...at all times!

My lil chunky monkey!

Lovin' that tongue

Sitting up is so much fun!

Getting better at this sitting business

How tall you have gotten!

Getting ready to crawl....

And then you're off!

Sitting pretty (not sure how I got you to sit this month when all you want to do is cruise around the furniture!)

Yep, I'm a big girl now....last month of my first year, officially no longer a 'baby,' but you will always be Mommy's baby girl! 

A wonderful year gone by.....

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."

This quote pretty much sums up my feelings toward this precious baby girl....

Good morning birthday girl ~ you are one today!! 

Let's go out and celebrate....our love for you and the happiness you have brought into our lives!  You make our mornings brighter, fill our days with laughter and our evenings with cuddles and a shower of kisses from your head to your toes and every square inch in between....

What way better way to start a birthday than with special banana and blueberry pancakes!?

Two thumbs up from my excellent eater! :)

Mommy took the day off just to spend this day with you....and as soon as Daddy got home from work, we showered you with love, starting with a trip to the zoo ~ your first visit!  We saw flamingos, monkeys, a tiger, koala bears (our favorite) and some other animals from down under! 

Dad, I see the tiger back there ~ I can roar just like him!!

Reading up on Abby, the koala bear, with Mommy.

Checking out some animal that I'm not too sure of....but that's OK, Daddy will keep me safe!

Keeping an eye on us to make sure we're still there....

Enjoying some lunch along the way...while yelling at the animals!

 Cuddles with Mommy

 Family photo!

 The view from up here is great!

 Enjoying my new tiger purse as a memento from our trip to the zoo!

 Someone is exhausted from all the animal watching

And she's out....didn't even wake up during the transfer to the car seat :)

Not too long after we arrived back at home, we had dinner and then brought out your smash cake (you are a pro with this cake business by now and love icing!!) courtesy of Aunt April and in your favorite color!

 Starting to dig into that icing!

 A little purple from all that icing....and again, you were not happy when Mommy took the cake away!  Bath time was fun with all that icing all over you too :)

After tubby time, you got to go outside and play with your new Pewi bike from Mommy and Daddy....and loved it!  All smiles even though you can't really touch the ground quite yet!

Before you know it, you'll be a pro riding up and down the street...with Mommy and Daddy chasing after you! 

That brings our 1st year together to an end....a perfect finish to a wonderful day and an even better year!  Mia Antonia, you truly are an amazing little being and I could have never imagined what being a Mommy would feel like when I brought you into this world a year ago, but my heart is overflowing with love, joy and pride!  Although it is so hard for me to believe that an entire year has passed, it has been full of the best moments of life ~ watching you observe and figure things out, mastering skills, loving new foods, your constant babbling and how much you love to cuddle ~ I break out in a dance every time I see you figure something out and how excited you get.  Life is so much more wonderful through your eyes and I look forward to the years to come and all that you will teach me! 

I want nothing more for you than a life full of love, happiness and amazing experiences.  Spread your wings and fly baby girl....we're next to you every step of the way!

All our love,

Mommy and Daddy (Trippie too!)

1 Week....

From today we'll be wishing our sweet baby girl, the apple of our eye, bundle of joy, light of our life....well you get the picture.....a Happy 1st Birthday!!  I can't believe it....simply cannot fathom that a year has flown by at lightning speed.  Somewhere in between all the cuddles, kisses, tubbies, jogs in the stroller, wagon rides around the neighborhood, late night feedings and rocking her to sleep while singing lullabies, my baby girl grew up.  She is now so full of energy and is constantly on the go....crawling from room to room, cruising the furniture, chasing Tripp, playing with her toys, talking up a storm, and just learning more and more as each day goes by.  It has been truly amazing to watch her develop into this little person, one who is becoming so independent and knows what she wants and when she wants it (aka right NOW!), but she still loves to be held and cuddled (thankfully!). 

The tears have already started flowing.....and I'm sure there will be many more to come as we celebrate the best day of our lives....

Milk....It Does a Body Good!

So we officially began the transition from formula to whole milk today earlier this week and.....so far, so good!!  I have done a lot of research and discussed with many of my mom friends on what the best approach is to not only switching to milk, but also weaning from the bottle.  There were varied responses and methods of course, but I figured I'd just try to switch both at the same time instead of dragging out the use of bottles. 

Since we've been practicing with a sippy for awhile now, I knew she wouldn't have a hard time with that part of it, but she is like clockwork with her bottle feedings so I was worried she would still expect the bottle or not be full after drinking whole milk versus the formula.  I thought maybe a sippy cup with a straw, which we had never tried before, would most closely mimic the bottle.  I bought one on Sunday and thought maybe we'd use that for milk and the other regular sippy for water.  It took her a few days to get the hang of the straw, but once she had the hang of it, we were golden!  Wednesday morning was the day....we came downstairs after getting dressed and ready for the day and I sat on the couch with her in my lap and the sippy of milk....she just looked at me and sucked it down, no problem!  I thought, it can't be this easy!  Sure enough the next morning she had a little setback and didn't want to drink from the straw, but after a few minutes, I think she realized that was the only way she was going to get milk and she took it no problem. 

Tomorrow we will start giving a sippy of milk after her morning nap too....and the goal is to be completely done with bottles by her 1st birthday, which is quickly approaching in a week and a half!  As sad as it makes me to be done with bottles because that means my baby is growing up, I will be ecstatic to not have to clean them any more....

We Wish You a Merry Christmas....

We hope you all had a magically wonderful Christmas spent with loved ones....we sure did!! Pop Pop, Nana, Uncle Shawn and Aunt Jillian came down to spend Mia's 1st Christmas with her and it was simply perfect! I loved having the whole family here, although I would have preferred to have gone up north where we would of had a white Christmas, but I'll take the 'cold front' that we experienced and not complain!

Someone was simply fascinated with Christmas ornaments....

....and the wrapped presents under the tree!

The week began with Christmas shopping with my Dad....something we've done together every year a few nights before Christmas Eve.  I truly cherish the relationship I have with my Dad and have learned so much from him....and I know that Mia will make many great memories with him too!  Christmas Eve was spent relaxing, getting everything ready for the delicious dinner that would take place that night and of course mass.  Now normally we would go to the 'midnight' mass at 9 pm, but with Mia's bedtime at 8 pm, we figured we'd go earlier, however, it was difficult to find a time that worked with her nap schedule and/or meals....we finally settled on 5 pm at the cathedral.  Of course Mia decided she wasn't into napping that day (which rarely happens), so mass was pretty interesting....she didn't want to sit in the pew with us and needed to be walked around the back of the church or passed back and forth to everyone!  We made it through church and came home to begin preparing the traditional fish dinner, in honor of Mama....she was definitely in our thoughts and prayers on this special day of the year.  We enjoyed each other's company, ate like kings, drank plenty of wine and then after our family left, Steve and I talked about the magic of this time of year with our daughter....and how the joy she has brought us over the past 9 months was enough of a gift for us!

We finally went to bed around 2 am with visions of sugar plums and Mia dancing in our heads! :)

Family photo time! :)

Mom and her daughters

Sleepy babe....visions of bottles dancing in her head!

Santa's Milk & Cookies

Mia's Christmas List

I wasn't really sure how Mia would react to all the gifts on Christmas morning and if she would get excited about the toys being that she is still so little, but she surely did enjoy it all!  Tearing wrapping paper, waiting patiently while Mommy or Daddy or whoever had her at the time would open the box to reveal its contents and then the squeal of pure delight....it was the best gift we could have received!

 Mia opening up her gift from Santa - a ladybug rocking horse! 

Video call with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Vinnie in OH while opening gifts from them!

So much to take in all around her....

Listening to 'Frosty the Snowman' with Pop Pop!

Yay for my wagon from Nana & Pop Pop!

The next Mozart...like father, like daughter

Mia in the Dale!

 The weekend couldn't have been better.....family, continuing traditions and enjoying the innocence of a child...what more could you ask for?

Well....a date night with my hubby would be nice...oh, thank you Aunt April! :)

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas.....and have a Happy New Year!!  Here's to a terrific 2011!