Happy Birthday Miss Adelaide!

I can't believe it has been a year already since our Adelaide was born (and look how dark her hair was). She is such a sweetheart and Rick and I have enjoyed our first year learning how to be parents on our little guinea pig of a child.

As every parent does, we just adore Adelaide. Some of the things we especially love:

Adelaide is (almost) always happy. I can't count how many times friends, family and complete strangers have told us, "I've never seen such a happy/friendly/smiley/giggly baby."

Adelaide loves to eat. Perhaps she got this trait from her parents? We thoroughly enjoy our family dinners eating and laughing together.

Adelaide is very smart. She is a problem solver and figured out early in life how to bite off the lid of a puffs container and reach her little fingers inside to come out with a handful. She is extremely inquisitive and curious.

Adelaide makes funny sounds. She started out with distinct pterodactyl sounds as an infant but lately has begun making human screeching and screaming sounds. She especially loves to make these quirky sounds during church or while holding an exciting toy (i.e. plastic ball).

Adelaide is a great travel companion. She has been on 17 flights during her first year and traveled to San Diego, North Carolina, San Jose, Boise, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City. She was a constant flirt with the flight attendants and other passengers. She also travels great on our camping adventures and road trips.

Adelaide is a water baby. She loves bath time. She loves to swim in the pool even if the water is too cold for her parents. She loves the beach and would fearlessly crawl straight out into the ocean if left unattended. When we walk near a fountain she gets upset that I don't let her get in.

Adelaide is a great workout buddy. While I trained for my half marathon she sat in front of me in the Bob stroller for the majority of my runs. She also has been on numerous family bike rides. She sits there babbling to herself and occasionally nods off to sleep.

Adelaide is great at entertaining herself. She loves some of the typical things like her baby doll, stuffed animals and books, but her very favorites of course are recyclables, rugs, lotion and shampoo bottles, phones, cords, remotes, cameras, computers, printers, iPods and wallets.

Adelaide loves animals, especially dogs. They love her too at first, but then she overwhelms them by her squealing and French kisses.

Adelaide is a mini-Rick. She literally looks exactly like he did when he was a baby. And they have so much fun being crazy together.

Adelaide has beautiful eyes that I am constantly staring at to try to figure out their color. They are like a deep grayish blue and I love them.

Adelaide is very social. Even at the grocery store she will try to catch people's attention and once she has eye contact she will smile and be all cute while they admire her. Basically she constantly craves attention and loves to interact with anyone and everyone.

Thank you God for sending us such an adorable and wonderful baby. We love her so much and can't wait to watch her grow up in years to come.