Birthday Girl!

Birthday party pictures! Above, my aunt Camille holds Iris, with my mom and brother in the background. Below, we were entertained by trying to capture a photo of Iris with the "birthday princess" hat on, which she loved to take off as soon as it touched her head :)

Below, Iris approves of her all-organic strawberry cream cheese icing (strawberries from the family farm). "Mmmmm!" she says.

Those eyes!

Camille pointed this out: look at her feet. She was curling them up in sheer enjoyment!

And just so you all know how manic I truly am: I cleaned the porch (which was a truly disgusting job, involving much chicken poo and steel wool), Brad killed and dressed the chicken (in the oven as I type), Brad finished painting the kitchen cabinets, and I straightened the house before the party. I enjoyed myself and now I'm rilly enjoying the house. I just sit and stare and absorb the finally finished state of the cabinets... ahhhh.

This time last year my contractions had gotten serious and I was laboring in the newly installed tub, waiting for the midwife to arrive. What a beautiful birth, and what a beautiful baby girl. I am filled with gratitude.