Ashley's FIRST birthday!

Recently we have been watching home videos, and the kids have loved it. The latest one that we watched was when Allison turned one year old. In the video, I made her a chocolate chip pancake and put one candle in it. Ever since then Andrew and Allison have been so excited to do this when Ashley turns one. Well the day came and yes we reenacted the same scene we did for Allison 2 1/2 years prior. Ashley didn't know quite what to make of everything. She did manage to  pick out all of the chocolate chips.
Ashley Marie has been such a beautiful gift from God. She brings out the best in all of us. Allison is so kind and loving to her. She can't wait for Ashley to be her little sidekick and play with her. Andrew calls her "my baby" and enjoys holding her, carrying her and taking care of her. When she starts messing up his Legos or transformers he will pick her up and put her behind the baby gate and shut the door. She screams and he looks at me with a guilty look on his face.
As for me, I am enjoying her soft baby skin and her squishy cheeks, arms, tummy and legs. I love kissing her open mouth and I am guilty of holding her too much. Although I don't think a baby can be held too much.

Paul loves his "You There". He enjoys that she is an odd ball like her siblings. There are moments when he sits back and observes the chaos we have created and says "The whole bunch of you!"  He loves those crazy out of control moments, even though he pretends he doesn't.
Ashley was a cool breeze we needed amongst the painful heat of life and I am so grateful to have her in our lives.