HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL

Wow. I can't believe my baby girl is ONE today! I've been trying all day to think of a cleaver post to do for her birthday, but not much has come to me. She is one, so I cant make a list of only one thing I love about her, because there a million things she does that I love. But I did decide to make a slide show of her first year of life (on smilebox). So far, I've used about 150 pictures. I'm waiting to finish it tomorrow night, after her little party. I'll post it here tomorrow night, but it is very long, and I promise I won't feel bad if you don't watch it. While looking through all my pictures (I probably have 1500+), it just amazed me at how much she has really grown. Not only in things like weight and height, but also in personality and smarts. She has been clapping she was about 7 months old. She claps when she's happy, when I'm happy, when we pass another baby, and sometimes when she cries (which is the CUTEST thing ever!) She LOVES playing peek-a-boo. She has learned to cover her eyes, and wait for you to say "where's Makayla?" and she'll move her hand and watch your reaction when you say "There she is!!" She will kind of play patty-cake...But its just the 'roll it, and pat it' part. She'll pat her hands, and just get the biggest smile on her face. Earlier this week, Auntie Taylor taught her "so big" If you ask her how big she is, she will raise both arms up and giggle. Ahhh...I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this girl. She is just all around happy. Usually most of the time. Even when she had double ear infections, on top of teething! Every once and a while, I just look at her, and it hits me that she is human. Ha ha that sounds crazy and weird, but its true. I've always known it, but for a while, she was my little baby, who just laid in my arms and made cute noises. Now she is my toddler. Getting into EVERYTHING, eating my food at meal times, splashing around in the tub, watching morning cartoons, fighting nap time and bed time because she would rather be up playing with me and all her toys. Plus, she is SO CLOSE to walking. Well, she basically is. She can walk about 6-10 steps now before she topples over. Its cheesy to say, but my little girl is growing up too fast...

Some people ask me if I ever wish I wasn't a single mom, or that I didn't have Makayla at this time in my life. My answer is ALWAYS no. It's weird. I've never really given much thought about how my life would turn out after high school. I didn't plan on getting pregnant, but at the same time, I have always felt like being a mommy was what I was meant to be in this life, and while I was young. I absolutely LOVE being a Mommy. And I couldn't pick a more perfect daughter. I was worried that she would be one of those babies that cried for hours on end, or one that didn't ever sleep through the night. I got so LUCKY. Makayla hardly EVER cried when she was a newborn. She is still that way. Well sorta. She is learning what 'No' is. Like example..."No no baby girl, don't go near grandma's stairs that would probably kill you if you fell down..." she will then proceed to get upset, because she has rarely been told no. She is spoiled (thank you grandma...), but not bratty. Thank goodness...

Top 13 Things I Love About Miss Makayla: (Since her birthday is on the 13th!)

* Her smile

* Her eyes

* Her personality

* The way she holds onto me at night when she doesn't want to go down to bed

* The way she catches onto games, and will keep playing and playing, just to keep my attention
* The way she giggles when i give her kisses under her chin
* She lets me dress her, sometimes 4 or 5 times a day
* How her hair looks in a little pony tail
* Her scrunchy face
* The way she gives me kisses
* When she cries, She stops when I pick her up
* The way she talks to herself in the mornings
* That no matter what hard situation I'm going through, she is always there to make me happy. [[Cause face it, there is no being sad around her and all her cuteness!]]