Happy 1st Birthday To Me!

Driving the pontoon with Grandpa!

My First Birthday Party
Well folks, it's true. I survived my first year and I'm one! No more counting by months; I'm the big, solitary numero uno! I had a wonderful time celebrating my first birthday (except for burning my hand on the candles) at the cabin on Balsam Lake with my whole family! We played lots of games, including trivia, pin the fin on Nemo, soccer dribbling, minnow races, and even had a Nemo pinata. We had a fish theme with treats like "dirt and worms" "jellyfish" "goldfish" and "fishing poles" and served in sand buckets with shovels. Very cute (see photos below)! I was more interested in my personal cake and the balloons than everything else but I think my cousins had a good time. It was a beautiful day and almost everyone was there. I took 21 steps on my own (and with my hands up) so I think we can officially say that I walked by my first birthday. I also had four new teeth come in and so I woke up (and woke everyone else in the cabin up) in pain every night.

"Look at me!" I took 21 steps a week before my 1st birthday!

We were in Minnesota/Wisconsin for 10 days, mostly relaxing at the lake. I went swimming in the lake for the first time. Mommy threw me off the pontoon to Daddy who nearly drowned but the noodle saved the day. I am good at blowing bubbles now and putting my face in all by myself. I also throw the toys and swim after them too. Grandpa hung swings so everyone loved pushing me and I could feel the cool breeze from the lake in my hair.

Swinging!!

Mom and Dad got to go fishing, sailing on Grandpa's Hobie Cat, waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, and jumping on the water trampoline. I think Maya, Zachary and Danika liked the trampoline the best (or was it catching the most fish?)! We had a wonderful week (except for a few minor accidents, which I won't get into detail here but let's just say the kitchen table turned into an operating room and our home firework finale didn't go quite as planned) but I managed to avoid mosquitos, ticks, and the sun and only cried for 10 minutes on the plane ride home.

The Pastorius Cabin on Balsam Lake, Wisconsin.

Beautiful sunsets!

Look who's turning one! Me!!

I have a paparazzi?!

My birthday "smash" cake...mmm!

Before...

After!

Pastorius family photo (Daddy, Mommy, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Dan, me, Auntie Anne and Uncle Eric)

Rocheford family photo (left to right: Mommy, Molly, Grandma, Rita, David, Grandpa, Larry, Me, Dan, Michele, Tom, Lauren, Anne, Colleen, Eric, Sara and Beth)

The whole gang!

The Benziger Family (Grandpa, me, Daddy, Keith, Nicole, Mommy, Maya, Grandma, Zachary and Danika)

Enjoying a little wind blowing in my face on the pontoon.

Big Eater
I ate my first (and second) hot dog cooked over the campfire and my first s'more - mmm! I burned off so much energy learning to walk to all my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents that I spent the rest of the day eating, nearly non-stop it seemed. Blueberries, avocado, bananas, eggs, cherries, more blueberries, grapes, watermelon, corn on the cob, string cheese, apple sauce, yogurt, more blueberries and puffs (my favorite). Mommy said my butt turned blue, I wonder why? More blueberries please! In other news, I've graduated to the sippy cup and I can chug with the best of them. Watch out Uncle Dan!
I had my one year check-up and I weigh 25 lbs. (75th percentile) and am 32 inches (96th percentile). Not bad for a premie! Daddy weighed only 22lbs 9 oz but was 33.5 inches at age one...

My New Friends
I got to meet all of Daddy's college friend's kids on Saturday. I held my own with the big kids on the scooters and even met a few cute girls my age. Unfortunately with eight kids under the age of seven it was hard to get a group photo but I'm sure we'll see them next year. Thanks Kevin and Jill for hosting! My new friends: Henry (6) and Dylan (2) Wilson, Miles (4) and Sylvie (10 months) Golden, Cooper (2.5) and Emerson (8 months) Bitzenhofer, and Walter Hinkley (3). I weigh just as much as some of the kids twice my age. Chris and Katie Harmes also came up to the lake one day and I got to meet Callum (6) and Sada (5), too!

Photos from my birthday party and at the lake

Family photo

"Jell-o fish", pretzel fishing rods, gold fish, "dirt and worms" and so much more delicious food.

Lauren's "Pin the fin on Theo/Nemo" game

Minnow races

Twelve months of my onesies - size newborn to 24 months!

It's game time! Theo Trivia

Airplane!

Hanging out with the gang drinking...

Minnow races. Everyone takes a minnow from the bucket, names it, and puts it in a cup. When it's your heat, you drop you minnow in the tube and first minnow to reach the bungy wins!