Day 199. One Year Old.

One year ago today, this precious baby girl was born.  She is the first baby girl to grace this side of my family since my little sister was born (who just so happens to be my niece's mommy :).

We were all quite smitten with her from the moment we met her.  We had no idea the adventure we were about to take!  On the morning they should have brought little "H" home from the hospital, my sister called me in tears.  "H" had stopped breathing several times throughout the previous night, and they were sending her to Children's Hospital to evaluate the situation.

We were very blessed.  Her stay at Children's was a short one.  Her test results came back with encouraging news, but the doctors have watched her closely for the wonderful year she has been with us...

...and for that year, they've watched her grow.... AND grow!  She crawls.  She talks.  She throws things (like tantrums!)  :)  All of her milestones have been reached, and she keeps on GOING!  She is a perfectly healthy, wonderful, GORGEOUS one year old baby girl.

If you were one of the many, many friends or family members who prayed for our family during that time, THANK YOU!  God has blessed my sister and her husband with a little ray of sunshine in their sweet daughter.  We have all been blessed to see God work in her life!

...And here we are, a WHOLE year later, celebrating her first birthday!!!

Her mommy treated her to a day out with the girls (her mommy, Mammaw, both aunts... and Big Brother came along for the fun, too).  First, we went shopping at Target... because it's fun!

My nephew "tolerated" it.  :)

Lunch at Bread Co.  Here, Aunt Laura tries to get just ONE good picture of the two of us.  Yeah, not so much.  She was getting grumpy by then, and needed her nap!  :P

Had to bring along some birthday treats to share!

She didn't seem to mind.

And that was enough fun for one morning....  Look at her little, chocolate-covered fingers.  Later, we'll celebrate in style at her party.  But this was a great way to start off the birthday festivities.  :)  I LOVE being Aunt Laura.  :)