i can’t believe claire is one!  this year has flown by unbelievably fast.  on sunday, we had a birthday party for her (her real birthday is the 13th).

claire was a pretty chipper birthday girl, and ended up demanding cake time–she kept reaching for it when she was in the vicinity.  when she was finally allowed to go at it, she was hesitant at first…

then she got REALLY into the smashing thing, then she decided she was over it, and started flailing her hands, which made cake fly everywhere.

after that she ended up wiping her face, smashing cake all over it.  silly birthday girl!

after claire got cleaned up, it was time for presents! claire was mostly interested in biting a pair of cute tights she got, but she seemed to enjoy the festivities, sitting with mom and the two great grandmothers.

first up, her apparel for baseball season next year

new cousin aiden was not impressed

brandon and i got claire a xylophone, which she seemed to love! she got a huge grin on her face when she heard it. i tested it out before i purchased, to make sure it wasn’t too loud. luckily, it was all wood so not too loud at all. the woman at the store said it was a favorite amongst one year olds, and it certainly was a hit with claire.

all in all, a wonderful celebration for a precious niece! now i have to get back to the task of figuring out which photos from her photoshoot to purchase–not an easy choice!