Valentine's Day and Birthday Month!

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that Berlyn just turned 11 months old. She has 11 teeth, can barely fit on her changing table anymore, and has decided to do away with naps altogether. I don't know if it's her teething or WHAT, but this kid will not take naps anymore! Don't get me wrong, she is a great sleeper at night (sleeping 12+ hours straight), but for some reason she wants nothing to do with napping. I can't complain though. She doesn't cry in her crib when we put her down, but she will play, laugh, bounce, and shout. She will do this for two hours sometimes... And the end result is a baby who is still just as happy as ever. Maybe she doesn't need those long morning naps anymore? Who knows...

This month is a bittersweet one for me. Valentine's Day will be Berlyn's last "first" holiday and she will be turning one in a few weeks. I can't believe that just a year ago I was just about to go on maternity leave and now here I am, a mother of a beautiful, healthy, almost-one-year-old. Life has certainly changed for the best in the past 11 months. Every month brings new surprises, new milestones, special memories. Berlyn is my pride and joy!

I also want to brag just a teeny bit that Berlyn now WILLINGLY gives her mama open-mouthed kisses. I have been trying to get her to do this for MONTHS but she would always fling her head in the other direction the second I moved towards her. The other day we were grocery shopping and I looked at her and said, "Can Mama have a kiss?" And she opened her mouth and moved towards my face. My heart melted.

Being that it's February and B's first (quarter) birthday is in a few weeks, I am now in full-fledged-first-birthday-planning mode. Her party will be Minnie Mouse themed (some ideas compliments of Pinterest), complete with a Hot Diggity Dog station and Minnie Mouse smash cake. I really don't like birthdays that are too "themey" so I decided to just go with bright pinks, blacks, and whites. Oh, and of course some polka dots and Minnie ears! I will be scouting out the perfect invitations for her party this week as well as some more decoration ideas!

As far as gifts go, I have a few ideas in mind of what I, myself, would like to get her. As for our guests, I have absolutely no clue what gift ideas to tell them! Birthdays for one-year olds are so hard!

Does anyone have any good ideas for one-year old gifts? Ahh!