Haddie is ONE!

Oh where, oh where has my baby gone?!?!!  Little Miss Hadley Rose is ONE today!!!!  

One year ago, we were so excited to have our family grow....I really thought we were going to be bringing home another little boy and Aaron thought for sure, you would be a girl....and he was right!  I remember being in labor and delivery...you were kind of a stinker and really did not want to make your grand entrance, but when you did....and the DR said, "Its a girl", I screamed and cried....and then told them to check again.

I feel like it was yesterday that we were just bringing you home (still in shock and awe, that we had a little girl) and I sat down with your dad and grandparents, had a cup of coffee and just felt so complete and at ease.  I mean don't get me wrong, I was so scared too....I mean 3 kids, four and under is a CRAZY undertaking, but I felt so happy and so complete....and knew that God would help us through and he sure did.  Hadley you are such a blessing and joy.  Talk about an EASY, textbook baby----that was you. You ate, you slept and were VERY rarely fussy....of course we had hard days....but you were SUCH a good baby!  I remember consulting the baby books, and you would do exactly what they said a baby your age would do.  

Your brothers are madly in love with you.  Marshall reminded me again today that he is going to marry you and he loves to give you kisses.  Brayden lights up every time he plays with you and holds you...I know that you will be one well protected little girl!  

You have gone from such a sweet newborn, to a joyful baby and now you are becoming more curious and adventurous.  You want to keep up with your brothers....if I do not watch you close, you are ready to climb on anything and want to take off up the stairs (which of course you have already mastered).  You have taken about 8 steps at one time....and love that we clap and cheer for you....but then, you go back to crawling....and I must say I am quite alright with that....no rush to grow up!!!  You love to clap and wreck everything your brothers are building..I think you may have a wild streak in you!!!!  Since you are my last baby....I am really guilty of not pushing a sippy cup....you really only want bottles....and to be honest, I want to keep holding you and giving them to you....you are just such a cuddler when you eat!  And for the pacifier...you only use it at night, but I am such a softie with you, I'll probably let you keep it until you are 20 :) if you want too.  

Hadley, you are such a daddy's girl....and let me tell you, you have him by the heart strings too.  He always tries to beat me to the punch, putting you down at night, because its so nice to have that quite time to read with you and snuggle....and lets be honest, you are a sinch to put down.  You have slept through the night since about 4 months and continue to sleep longer than your brothers every night.....oh if you could just teach them!

You love to eat....and eat EVERYTHING....you love all fruits and veggies, cheese, yogurt, puffs, and more....the only thing you are not too crazy about is meat...but hey thats alright!  Just today while Marshall and I were baking your cake...you and Marshall enjoyed a few handfuls of sprinkles...you really do like sweets like your mama. 

Last night, as I read you "On the Night that you Were Born" I really was in shock (and of course tears) that a whole year has gone by.....and I cannot even remember what life was like without you in our family.  Having children in such a blessing....but the fact that God has given us 3 amazing children....and is allowing us to help you each step of the way....and watch you grow, change and learn things is such a blessing.  I love being your mommy....and as sad as I am that my little baby girl is growing up way too fast, I sure am enjoying watching you grow each step of the way.  I love you little Haddie....I am sure that your Grandma Rose is watching you grow too...and maybe she is partly responsible for your good behavior, wild side and sweet tooth too!  Happy First Birthday!

Here are some pictures from Haddie's first birthday party in Belleville...

Christmas!

We headed to our annual breakfast with Santa event.  As always it was a great time with our friends...a yummy breakfast, crafts, meeting Santa and a magician....

Santa time

We made a gingerbread house...and thank goodness that mommy remembered to buy the preassembled one this year....everything went SO smoothly, nothing broke, no bad words raging in mommy's mind..it really was fun!

 Cinnamon rolls for little Haddie's 11 month birthday....we were a little later eating them...sometimes it just works out better to wait until the weekend.....but never the less, we all enjoyed!!!

 This year we went to the Morton Arboretum for their Christmas lights...Illumination...it was amazing.  Some of the lights are motion/hands-on activated....here the boys are hugging a tree making it change colors.  It was a pretty awesome light display, not to mention it was about 50 degrees that night!

 Our whole family wore silly animal hats....

Here is little Miss Haddie....just being happy!!!!

 Cookie time!

 They turned out great and tasted even better

 Hadley helped from a far....

 How I LOVE our 2 weeks off...I just love being at home with the kids....here they built a magna tile tower for baby Jesus and his crew

 they listened to their books that Grandma Ann and Great paw-paw had recorded too

 Christmas Eve....we headed to 3pm mass and after had a special dinner of cincinatti chili and homemade cinnamon stolen

Its tough to get all 3 kiddos to look at the camera!

 Christmas Eve dinner....

 A cute real gingerbread house given to us as a gift....

 into everything!!!!

 We let the kiddos exchange gifts they had picked out and bought for each other...they were so cute and appreciated the gifts very much

 Haddie hanging her ornament

 Christmas morning!!!! It was a long night on Christmas Eve...little Marshall was sick all night....so the morning festivities were a little delayed but once we started we all loved celebrating!!!!  We must have been good, because Santa sure was good to us!  We of course sang happy Birthday to Jesus and had left over cinnamon stolen to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas

 It sure was fun this Christmas getting a mix of nerf guns, legos, garbage trucks, princesses, and baby dolls!  It is so fun to watch the magic of Christmas through a child's eyes.  I am a little sad its over, I loved seeing thm look for Eddie Elf and the Star each morning.  I loved reading parts of the bible each night that went along with a link for each day of December leading up to our Savior's birth. Christmas really is such a wonderful time of the year.

On Christmas Day, Grandma and Grandpa Jefford came in for the night...we had another great celebration and such a yummy steak and lobster dinner!

 This dress that Haddie wore on Christmas my grandma made for my sister for her first Christmas....it was so stinkin cute!

 We went out to Dixon on Saturday to see GG, Aunt Reena and Jaron.  Too many stories to be told on here.....but lets just say it was quite and eventful trip....a sick baby, tired kiddos, a hard cookie that led to a lost tooth!  But we got a few pictures through it all...it was great to visit!

 And then we were lucky enough to see little Sadie and her parents Lisa and Andrew before they headed back to Boston.  These 2 little girls are only about 5 weeks apart...and just too cute!