Where Does the Time Go?

It seems like just yesterday our family went from 2 to 3, feeding my sweet girl rice cereal, weaning, 1st birthday, first words and before I knew it we had our first night in our big girl bed and I'm planning her 2nd birthday party. ::sniff::

I just took this picture a few minutes ago. Can you believe it? We had to finally take the from rail off because my belly was getting too big I couldn't reach over it to lay her down. :) A friend of mine gave me the tip to put a swim noodle under the mattress sheet as a railing to keep them from falling out. Even though she apparently did fall out once. :) Her first night I checked on her and she was still in her bed, then when Dan went to bed he checked on her and she was on the floor so he just picked her up and put her back in the bed and we haven't had any problems since.

So last year I made Gwen's birthday outfit and took her picture in it so I felt like I needed to do it again this year. This is my sweet girl last year...

 And the booty...

Friday I decided to go and take Gwen's pictures but I was trying to think of the only place in Texas that might have some green grass since were in a serious drought down here. I knew we would have to go somewhat early weather wise and attitude wise. :) We ended up at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. ...Beautiful.

Cheese!!

Monkeys...the theme we decided on for Gwen's birthday. As you can tell she loves them :) This is her favorite monkey that Dan and I got her when she was a few months old. Plus, she is completely into Curious George and anything monkey and if you know her at all you know she IS a monkey! 

Ready.Set.Go!

I'll post on her outfit another time, but it turned out pretty cute huh? While we were at it I took a few different outfits to take her picture in. Last year for her birthday she received a TCU cheerleader outfit from Dan's cousin and it is fitting her perfect so I thought it'd be cute to get some of those. (as you can see monkey didn't leave her arms the whole time.)

So sweet. I took so many pictures! During outfit changes it was so hot I let her play in the water in her diaper for a few minutes, she kept trying to jump in to swim :) I'll post pics of that later.

In the last year she has changed so much! Even in the pictures, she wasn't even walking yet for her first birthday. Now she's running, jumping, chatting your ear off and is such a huge joy in our lives. To think that such a little person can change your life in so many ways and for the better. I had someone ask me if this is how I had expected my life to be and I had to laugh! Absolutely not! I had all these great plans and dreams I had in my mind then that guy came along and changed everything. But I told Dan just yesterday I never thought I would love being a mom this much. I just didn't think I was that kind of person, but I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Was it ever that way for you?