HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY ABIGAIL!

Dearest Abigail,

At this exact time, one year ago today, you came screaming into this world and changed mine and your Daddy's life forever.  You were beautiful, perfect, healthy and everything we had been dreaming about for the previous 9 months.  We both loved you from the second we laid our eyes on you.  Your Daddy was so gentle in the hospital when the nurse handed you to him.  And he was so watchful as you got your first bath and waited in the nursery for Mommy to recover from surgery.

This has been one of the hardest, best, craziest and maybe the most wildest year we've been through.  We've had our ups and down's and not a whole lot of sleep, but we sure have loved the ride.   You won our hearts and we wouldn't change a thing.  We got a crash course in learning to be parents, and you have taught us well.

Each month you change and grow.  And each phase you are in I sometimes think to myself that I'd wish you would stay just this age because I love it and I couldn't possibly love the next stage any more.  But I do.  Every time.  Every day I love you more and watching you grow up and learn new things every day is absolutely one of the most amazing things to see.

I look forward to many, many more years.  Happy 1st birthday sweet girl.

Love,
Mommy

Vintage Abby.

It's my party....

We celebrated Abby's 1st birthday a week early this year since unfortunately I will be working on her actual birthday.  But nonetheless it was a fantastic day and I think everyone had a really good time!  She got so many gifts - and loved every single one of them.  Both sides of her family were there, including all of the dogs!  My friend Lindsey just happened to be in town that weekend from California visiting, so she also got to come along with her handsome little 14 month old, Calan.

Thank you so much to everyone that came and made it such a fun day for her!  We missed everyone in Houston and Indiana, wish you could have been there!

Enjoy the pictures!

My girl in her birthday tutu and owl "Look whoo's ONE outfit!"

She's sitting in her little wooden rocker from her Grandma Heign.

That's a baby rump.

Candy and treat buffet table.  

Her little "smash" cake was vanilla and the main cake was a yummy red velvet!

Calan says "what is this you are wearing Abby?"

"What pretty eyes you have..."

Rockin' the Radio Flyer trike she got from her Aunt Heather!

Family photo!

So glad Great Grandpa Abram could make it!

"Hmmm, not sure what I think about this"

"Well, OK, maybe I'll try it"

"I don't like thiiiiisss!!!"

"Hey - I like it though!"

Happy girl!

Happy Halloween!

It's Abby's 1st Halloween and she LOVED it!!  We were invited to a block party on the street behind us and there were over 50 people there and we had tons of pizzas before the trick-or-treating extravaganza started up.  Abby surprised both Matt and I and was walking around, checking out the kids and their costumes, and dancing to the music (so, so, so cute...she has some moves!).

We came back home to pass out candy and she was having so much fun we let her stay up a few minutes past her 7:30pm bed time. :)  Every time the doorbell rang, she was off to answer it.  When we'd bend over with our bucket of candy to pass it out to the little kiddos, Abby would sneak up behind us and scoop up a couple pieces herself.  She was totally into it!

Here is a picture of our little skeleton (or as Matt says in deep husky voice: Skelatooor)...she looks all alone on this big road, but I promise where were tons of kids the other way!

Abby and her little friend that's just a week younger than her...

Traveling, traveling, traveling!

This past couple of months I've been on the road a lot...seems almost every week I'm traveling somewhere.    Early September we went to Indiana, early October I went to NYC (Jersey Boys on Broadway ROCKED!) and last week I was in Scottsdale.  This week I'll be in Lakeway, TX (at least it's close to home!), and the following week I have a conference here in Austin.  It's making the time fly by so fast...which means each day Abby is getting closer to turning ONE.  Can you believe it?

The newest little Guggenheim...

Abby has a 1st cousin, and Matt and I are first time Aunt & Uncle!

Sydney Anne was born today, October 23, weighing in at 7lbs 2oz!  Her parents are Matt's brother Victor and his wife, Francine.  She's beautiful and has an awesome head of strawberry blonde hair.    I'm so happy that Abby gets to have a cousin (and a girl!) so close in age.

What's in here?

Abby found our cabinets...

And the pantry....what you can't see in this picture is that she also took every single one of the 54 bags of chips out of the box for us.  She's so sweet like that. :)

11 Months Old!

Abby is 11 months old today.  Can you believe it?  And not only is she just a month out from being the big O-N-E, she's WALKING.  She's not "perfect" on her steps just yet...but she loves to practice all day long.  Literally.  All day long.  I think it won't be much longer before we are chasing her. :)  Abby is so interested in her world around her.  Trees, dogs, airplanes in the sky, birds...everything is so amazing to her.  And she loves to point at each new thing she sees.  I love watching this pure innocence...sometimes I wish she'd stay this little forever!!  

Happy 11 months, sweet girl!

Walk, walk, fall. Walk, walk, fall.