Happy First Birthday, Shelby!

Ohhhhhhhhh I can't believe Shelby is one!!! Thursday, January 29 was her first birthday! *weeps* My last little baby can't really be called a baby anymore.... *sigh* Of course, she shows no interest in walking and doesn't even crawl yet (she's still doing the Shelby Scoot on her tushie), and she refuses to give a sippy cup the time of day. So I guess she's doing her best to remain in babyland...? Anyway, on to the festivities...


The day started out well enough, communing with daddy (whom she adores!)...Mark said he'd never have a Daddy's girl, but when Shelby sets her cute little sights on you, what can you do? She's definitely a Daddy's girl, and Mark calls her his "little Sparkle."


Then we all went to the mall...I decided that she needed more presents, and well darnit, Shelby DOES need some clothes (really! because she's wearing holes in the tushies of all her pants!), and geez, much as I hate to buy clothes for Shelby (ha HA!), we had to do it. So we picked her up some cute clothes and a couple of cute toys - she loves finger puppets and I had to get the doll with pink hair because it was the cutest doll I'd ever seen. Shelby, however, was NOT very enthused about that doll, but I'm certain someday she will be. In the meantime, the doll looks PERFECT in Shelby's room. So there. Form is more important than function (Mark and I's never-ending argument, scientist vs. artist).

We had lunch at Johnny Rockets. Yum yum. Just kidding, it's NOT my favorite restaurant, but if Connor and Mark vote for Uno's one more blasted time I will DEFECT from this family. I can't wait until Shelby is old enough to vote in our family restaurant debates and she can sway the vote AWAY from Uno's. Anyway, Shelby DID enjoy the french fries (but not the hat).


And of course, what trip to the mall would be complete without riding the carousel...look at this photo of Shelby riding....could she be ANY CUTER?!?!? (hint: click on it to make it bigger)


Upon arriving home, we began prep work for her family birthday party. And this was pretty much Shelby's expression the rest of the day..."whatever." Our efforts were definitely not appreciated.

"Whatever."

Usually she adores her brothers, but today...not so much...

"Whatever."

And here's where it got really bad. Mommy got the bright idea to take a picture of Shelby with her cake (and yes, it's a storebought cake, Mark had been gone all week and everyone else, including me, had colds, so her multi-tiered princess cake we'd originally planned will be saved for her 2nd birthday). Anyway, isn't it a pretty cake? HOWEVER, I'd lit the candle BEFORE I put it up next to her, stupidly thinking, "oh a little candlelit glow by Shelby's face will be so pretty..."

"Oh, finally something neat..."

And yeah, you know what happened next...Shelby immediately went for the the flame and instead of candlelit glow we ended up with a black, burned, blistered finger!

"What the @^&#!^!# MOMMY! What did you GIVE ME????!?!??
And why are you STILL TAKING PHOTOS MOMMY!?!??!!??!?!"

After first aid was administered to Shelby's poor little finger, she actually sat and GLARED at the cake for the rest of the "party."

"Whatever."

At this point, I became very concerned that we had NO GOOD PHOTOS to document Shelby's first birthday! So, Mark and Connor and Noah had to put on quite the dancing and singing and jumping show (behind me) for us to finally get this smile out of her.


But what a sweet smile it was! And THAT's the one that will go in the scrapbooks (assuming I ever do those). Shelby never has to know what her mommy did to her on her very first little birthday.

Happy birthday, sweet little pink girlie!

"Whatever, mommy. You better make darn sure that my second birthday ROCKS!"