Happy Birthday, Madeleine!

From Day 1...

... to now!

We celebrated Madeleine's birthday on the weekend with a skype party with Grandma and Grandpa Gibson and Great Grammy Inez. She got to show them her new highchair, her first balloons, and her first taste of chocolate, which she loved. We skyped with Grammie Jean later in the day and again with Grandpa Mark the next day. Madeleine is certainly an experienced skyper! It's hard to imagine living so far away from family without getting to see and talk with them every week.

On Monday, her actual birthday, I took her to the zoo to show her all the creatures big and small. We spent the most time watching the chimpanzees and giraffes, but I have to admit that I think she was most taken with the iguana that simply stared at her.

Her new highchair arrived a couple of weeks ago and the box has been lots of fun for Madeleine to play in. She loves crawling inside to peek out the window, and when we crawl inside to look out, she comes over and gives us a big slobbery kiss. 

Now that she's one, she thinks she's ready to start some more technical reading, such as the Fundamentals of Optical Design - one of daddy's favourites.

Needless to say, she has brought so much joy to us this past year. We are so thankful that she has been healthy and happy, and every day she makes us smile and laugh. We don't have any more Plunket follow ups until she is 18 months, but I did sneak a weigh-in for her when I went to visit the Children's Ward last month, and she was 24lb. Part of my reason for visiting my old work, was to hand in my resignation letter. As much as I love being a nurse, I am so happy to be able to stay home with Madeleine.

She has only taken a few more steps on her own since the famous "first steps" but she loves walking around the furniture, walking from room to room with her walker, and walking with just one of our hands. She is very chatty these days with lots of stories to tell, but none of them have any real words yet.  She is a busy girl, good at playing on her own (until she gets hungry or tired), and still a fabulous eater. So far the only foods I have found she really doesn't like are carrots and kiwifruit. I don't tell many people here that she doesn't like kiwis!