The Princess has Turned One!

Aaliyah's 1st birthday was on Saturday. I can't believe how fast this year went! We have been through so much in just one short year with her. When you have children, it doesn't take long to forget what life was like without them. When you have two, it only takes a couple of days or maybe weeks to forget what life was like with only one. I still remember all the events leading up to her birth and the chaos that surrounded it (or maybe I was the only one thinking it was chaotic). The weird thing is that every year on my children's birthdays I think back to what I was doing at that moment how ever many years ago. For example, I remember with Aaliyah that at 12:00 noon the doctor finally came in (she hadn't seen me since my appt. the day before) and asked me right off the bat why I hadn't gotten my epidural yet. Now two things happened in my head at that point...1. I thought, "ooohhhh, epidural. It will get worse, better get it now before I really can't take it anymore." and 2. "she's giving me and out and permission to take the drugs!!" Now the problem with both of the scenarios is that I wanted a natural birth and I had told my doctor this several times. Well...I got it even though I got the epidural, too. We have discovered after two children, three epidurals, and a spinal block that my body rejects the medicine. So...IF there are any future children, we will save ourselves the pain of the needle in the back and the pain of the anesthisiology bill by just telling them that I can't have an epidural anyway so don't ask.
Anyway...my daughter is now one and it doesn't seem real. Maybe it's because we didn't have a big party like with our son. Not because she's the second, but because where are we supposed to fit 16 adults and 22 kids? We did have some great family time, though. We went to Chuck E. Cheese the night before (mostly for Kyler, but she doesn't have to know that) and then had steak and cake at Grandma and Grandpa's house the evening of her birthday. I'm sure we'll have more cake at Nana and PopPop's, too, now that they're back from vacation.
I'll post some pics of the cake feeding later as well as her one year pictures I took of her out in the yard.