Autumn's Birthday!

Autumn turned one on December 24.  However we already celebrated her birthday this year, back in June on her half birthday.  The weeks leading up to her birthday I would say things like, "for Autumn's birthday we should..." Evan finally said to me, "I am so confused about her birthday.  Are you talking about in June or next week?"  Ok maybe I am a little confused too.  I have a friend whose birthday is on Halloween.  When I asked her about sharing her birthday with a popular holiday she expressed positive sentiments.  She said, "Everyone loves Halloween.  Everyone is always in a good mood. And no one forgets my birthday."  I like that positive attitude.  Having your birthday near a holiday does have its perks.  You typically are with family. There is always good food. And people remember it is your birthday (even if they combine your Christmas and Birthday gifts).  It is better than my sister's birthday (August 1st).  She has celebrated it at a family reunion or girls camp (or by herself because everyone else is at girls camp) most of her life.   

I felt like this birthday, her first one, was crucial in establishing what Autumn's BIRTHDAY (like the day she was born-not in June) traditions would entail.  This is what I came up with.  She will get a new outfit to wear.  Wearing new clothes always makes me feel special.  She will get a special breakfast (as not to interfere with other evening time traditions).  People are allowed to wish her Happy Birthday all day long.  We will have dessert (after dinner) and she can blow out candles (and make a wish of course).  

I want to make her half birthday more of a spectacle with more gifts, a special birthday dinner (which she'll get to choose when she gets older), a party with friends perhaps, and cake with candles. I'll hang the "Happy Birthday" banner, and she can eat on the special red plate.  

There are two reasons I want to celebrate Autumn's birthday in this fashion.  

1.  I want to keep Christmas about Christ.  I want to be able to perform the Nativity each Christmas Eve.  I want to focus on giving to others and sharing the holiday with family and friends.  I don't want to nag/hassle/complain to my family and remind them that it is Autumn's birthday.  

2.  I want Autumn to have a special day.  I want Autumn to be able to choose what we have for dinner on her birthday.  If we celebrate Christmas with family I want them to be able to cook what they want for dinner, plus what if Autumn wants KFC for dinner are they even open on Christmas Eve?

This year we did a good job at keeping it low key.  Even though she had more to open then just her outfit.  My sister made (super yummy) pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and Autumn opened a few gifts.

 

After 1st nap we took a tour of historic Uptown Charlotte.  It was rainy and cold.  Luckily my brother in law had the idea that we could see most of the historic sites from inside the sky scrapers/sky bridges.  It was a good thing it was practically a holiday and the buildings were empty.

Alice and Autumn playing.  We had yummy turkey meatballs Heather made for dinner.  She kept saying how good they were.  I was worried she hyped them up too much.  But she didn't they were amazing.  Then we played Bingo a Roberts family tradition. Then dessert

I (over) cooked a giant chocolate chip cookie cake for dessert.

Autumn loves to share with others.  It is adorable

Oh the dreaded "Month" pictures (and update)...I thought it was fun/cute to take pictures of Autumn on her "month" birthdays.  It was cute for the first 5 months.  Then she started to move around too much.

Autumn had a busy month with lots of big kid things going on.  She is so much more independent and can entertain herself for short periods of time.  She still likes to be in the same room as I am, but she is acting so grown up.  Things she really likes as of late are zippers (loves to pull her zipper down on her jacket, loves to pull at my zippers), buttons, loves lifting the toilet lid, she likes to put lids on containers and take them off, she likes to put things in boxes and take them out, loves getting the Ritz crackers out of the cupboard and feeding them to herself, opening and closing doors, walking, being chased around the house, and most of all SHOES! 

 She typically carries my running shoes around as if to say, "how come you haven't used these in like forever Mom".

Autumn seems tall to me and still a little skinny thing.  She now signs "please" all the time, what a polite little girl.  She cut her top 2 teeth Dec 5.  She now takes a nap without any rocking or aiding from me.  This milestone probably could have come sooner, lets just say it was more of a milestone for mom!  Dec 11 she figured out how to open the dishwasher all by herself.  The next day she said "Yes"-twice, but hasn't done that since.

payback from this

The little girls went to bed.  Then the "big kids" performed the nativity again.