Simba turns one!

Yesterday, Simba turned 1 year old. We had a quiet day with balloons, a cupcake and fun playtime. (More partying is to come next week!) Our little girl welcomed in the end of her first year with much of our usual routine and few new things thrown in. As I was reflecting on her first year I am struck by the simple joy that this baby has brought to us and the fact that this year has FLOWN by.

Simba takes in the world and carefully processes it all before she gives out smiles or anything else. She is cautious with others but delighted with her family. She laughs hardest at her sister. And she likes to be rocked by her mama (though Mimi will do in a pinch)! She giggles for her daddy and enjoys lots of people watching in her life. She is a thinker who has started to study books (she will pull each book out of the bin and focus on the pages for quite a long time). Simba is also mellow and seems to take life in stride. She likes to sleep but is not too keen on crawling yet. She is just right for our family and we are grateful to have her.

Happiest of birthdays baby girl!

reflections...

She will be one year in only 23 days.

I will be 30 in only 23 days.

I'm not sure what I think of being thirty as of yet. My recent feeling has been that I spent most of my 20s doing things I "had" to and I would like to spend my 30s doing things I "want" to do. We'll see how that goes. Overall, I think the 30's are going to be good. Though I'm sure I"ll feel a bit more nostalgic for all the memories of my 20s as they come to a close. I mean it's quite dramatic how far reaching the last decade has been for me, I finished college, traveled internationally to at least two continents, received a total of 3 degrees, made significant life decisions, got married, had a baby, made some life-long friends, bought a house, got a real job in my field, learned how to paint a room, became a better sister, defended a dissertation, passed the licensing exam, taught classes to undergrads and grads, buried loved ones, celebrated weddings, learned to be a landlord, started running then stopped running, lived in several cities, and came home to live in Chicago. Basically, I went from being a VERY young adult to being a SLIGHTLY more adultish person (since I'm in charge of another person now I guess I can say it's come full circle).

I have many hopes for the next decade. Though I think at this point in my life the change will probably slow somewhat. Just like Nemo who has had a radical year of growth, her second will likely be paced a bit slower. I think I'd like to savor my thirties, enjoying each year and what it brings. Take a slow and measured pace, cause in 10 years I'll be welcoming 40!

Here's to a wonderful next decade!

I love these two pictures. Two of my favorite people in the world on one of our favorite adventures, the Oak Park Farmer's Market... Nemo loves to hang on her daddy's back while she explores all the sights and sounds around her. And the apple hat helps to set the autumn mood!