Birthday Week

Ta-dah!

We made it.  Piercy Joye turned a year old last Friday, and I cannot over-emphasize how elated I am.  The last year has been beautiful, wondrous, sweet, and magical. It has also been hard.  We managed to score a margarita machine for Piercy's backyard garden party bash because we were truthfully thankful to all be alive, in good health, and still married and in love.  Despite the astronomical number of books you can find on parenting, marriage, and child development, no literature or class could have prepared us absolutely for the fact that we arrived at the hospital, childless, and returned with a little baby that we knew only theoretically how to care for.

We were also unprepared, as I think most couples are, for the jolt that baby-dom would bring to our marriage.  Hormones, little sleep, changing family roles and dynamics, new responsibilities, finding our groove, balancing the element of one parent who travels for a living, and the remainder of an endless list of new challenges took Greg and I apart from each other, and ultimately brought us back together again, bonded more securely than we were at this time last year. I am so grateful to be married to the best man I know.

This time in Piercy Joye's life is so sweet.  Every stage is beautiful, but I'm clinging hard to my girl right now.  She is turning in to such a sweet and sparky little thing. I cannot get enough.

Channelling her inner Jerry Lee

 We started the preparation for birthday week by going to Zilker Garden Festival at the gorgeous botanical gardens last weekend.  We took the Jeep down, and Piercy got to ride with the wind in her tiny hairs! Her daddy has never been so proud.

The next day we drove to San Antone for a quicky trip to see my most hysterical Uncle, Paul Huddle, who was putting on a great race, the Walk Run Wag 5K9.  Piercy was delighted to meet her Great Uncle Paul.  Can you tell?

A monkey and a monkey's Great Uncle

The family

Monday was a day for Bluebonnet pictures: part tradition, part rite of passage here in the Lonestar State.  Our blue-eyed beauty picked out one of her favorite dresses and we headed out to meet her buddies and get some photos in the flowers.

Sweet angel baby

The recorder queen

Favorite group shot, especially you, Eliza Louise!
(Willa, Bryker, Eliza, Hunter, Piercy Joye, McCrae, and Brooklyn)

Classic. 

Graham Cracker Catharsis

I also stayed up late to watch a house move (in two separate pieces) down the street to another location as a neighbor is clearing his lot to build a new home. It was incredible.

Tuesday Greg and I did a lot of prep work for the party while we handed the baby off to each other, and did even more work when she was sleeping.  We skipped a lot of sleep for ourselves last week, but I hear that's common in this whole parenthood gig. Who knew?!

Sweet little birthday invitation

Zinnia seeds for party favors!

Wednesday was Wednesday.  Every Wednesday night my sweet grandmother, Angel (who gave Piercy the Joye in her name), has all of the family over to her house for dinner. As my lovely Aunt Debi explained it to someone recently, everyone in this family gets two cakes for their birthday: a cake for Angel's house, and a cake for the actual birthday celebration. On Wednesday, I tried my hand at Piercy Joye's first ever Famous Flanagan Chocolate Cake (whose origins are rumored to have stemmed from the back of a cocoa can).  Turns out I just followed the Hershey's cocoa can. It worked swimmingly. 

Thursday I had a couple of appointments and errands to run so Greg had some major father-daughter time with Little Miss. I enjoyed playing the music a little louder in the car, but missed my little grocery store helper a tiny bit!

 Friday was Piercy's actual birthday.  We started the day with what we hope will be an annual tradition: Pictures at our family rose garden downtown and a run.

We followed that with a leisurely breakfast a Kerbey Lane Cafe and lots of visitors, including both of her grandmothers and one of my dearest friends, Kim.

Saturday was party day. It involved lots of scrambling, and lots of help from incredible family members and friends.  I don't know how I was so unprepared after a week of working to get ready, but thanks to the help of my sweet sister-in-law, my brothers, my mother-in-law, my Dad, my numero uno cousin Seana, and Greg of course, we pulled off a beautiful garden party for Little Miss.  There were approximately 4 outfit changes for her, which means it was definitely a good time!

1

Greg's cousin April and the Birthday Girl 

April's Ryland taking a leap

Splash!

Bunting and Family

Brooklyn enjoying Piercy Joye's new favorite: The Cozy Coupe!

Julia and Paddy

Sweet Joe

Ringing the Bell

My favorite flower girls!

Angel and her favorite Yellow Dog

Happy first birthday, Darling Girl! I love you, Piercy Joye!