O N E


Just like that, our girl is one.

I can't get to the stage without thinking about all the times (alllllll the times) I would see other mothers with older babies and feel like they were somehow untouchable. Experienced. In the groove of it. And I can't help but feel in complete denial that we are already there at one year? And we don't feel like pros yet. But we have learned a lot.



And if you started following along here when I spilled my tragic (I felt) breastfeeding story and then wondered what happened, rest assured: It got better. Not for months, but it slowly got better and better. And now my little lamb can feed herself a bottle of milk, which for us, is just CRAZY after her feeding aversion as a little baby. (If you are stuck with feeding issues, sleep-feeding and breast refusal, and feeding phobia, email me!)

And you know, we still call her Little Baby and probably always will!
She's not quite walking yet so I don't have to face the brain-bomb of calling her a toddler yet. Phew.

How a year changes things.
{To think I hadn't slept in 3 days but the delirium was keeping me going!}

{Easter 2015}
From a little wrinkled prune to a child that purposely makes you laugh and loves to play together.

I sometimes think we have the most loved baby in the world. I'm sure every mother thinks that! But what a support crew we have. The best. And see this woman below? My daughter's namesake, my own grandma who is in her 90's and didn't know if she would be able to make it to see her first and only great-grandchild. But her she is, and I visited her just 2 days ago. She is still sitting up like that, still enamoured with our girl.


Ella has got to have the most energetic Dad around. I mean he's crazy, so it's lucky he has someone to wear him out ;). And he is BESOTTED with her to ridiculous levels.


 Hightlights from this year:

A family ski holiday to Queenstown and Wanaka...

Another trip to Australia for her Uncle's wedding, including her first hammock sleeping experience.

Her debut as a ring-bearer for her other Uncle's wedding...

... lots of family holidays, swimming in the ocean and Lake Taupo, and of course her first birthday party and also her dedication at church. Which we left a little late and ended up combining with her first birthday!
{This somewhat shabby looking cake represents literal blood, sweat, and crocodile tears and looks NOTHING like the pinterest image in my head. But it's kind of precious to me now.}

If one thing astounds me more than anything else, it's seeing her personality come through. We didn't do that. We didn't make her cheeky and funny and relaxed. We didn't make her love people and be so incredibly smiley. Babies, huh? A miracle.

This post was brought to you by the power of coffee, morning-nap-time-so-I-can-get-anything-done, and lots of mummy love...

...you know?

xAmy