Happy Birthday to ME!

Everybody SING with me! "Happy Birthday to ABBY! Happy Birthday to ABBY! Happy Birthday dear Abby, Happy birthday to you!" That's right! It was my first birthday last Wednesday. I was a bigger deal than usual!

I got all sorts of presents - so many presents it could overwhelm even a princess like me who is quite accustomed to being showered with gifts.

I received (delicious) fan mail from near and far.

And I was so excited to get a package from my friend Lila (and Emma, Matthew and Johnny!) I was ALL over it.

Turns out one of the best parts of receiving gifts is sampling the paper they are wrapped in. I found that tissue paper could turn your mouth and hands different colors - but a good Hallmark wrapping paper was a savory treat.

A good birthday girl doesn't just rush through her gifts; she takes a moment to enjoy each one. Here I am reading about my role model, Fancy Nancy's latest adventure. That girl is just full of one great idea after another.

Of course a princess always gets some fancy new clothing.

Now here's the thing I didn't know about. On your first birthday they give you this thing called a cupcake. I didn't understand why they insisted on taking off my pretty party shirt before I could have this thing. I mean, really, how embarrassing! Who eats in their diaper? So I picked at the cupcake and was distraught to find it to be a sticky, yucky mess!

Mom and Dad were so busy snapping pictures no one was going to get me a wash cloth to clean up with - so I took matters into my own hands and decided I'd have to lick myself clean. Which is when I made the best discovery of the day...

Cupcakes are DELICIOUS! Sticky? Yucky? Try WONDERFUL! Where the heck have you been hiding THESE all year Mom? Seriously, perhaps I would not have had these weight gain issues back in the day had you introduced THIS stuff. I can't believe you held out on me like that.

Just in case it's a year before I ever see one of these again - I went strong. I brought my "A-Game" and killed that cupcake.

When Mom said "Make a Wish" I think I heard Callie wish to be two inches taller. Dream on, Doggie... come back for those nasty peas or something - I have this cupcake handled.

After I got wiped down - I posed for a picture with my parents. Happy family pic!

Now, here's the best part: we celebrated my birthday AGAIN 3 days later with a heart-themed "What a Year It's Been!" birthday party... and better yet: a WHOLE cake just for me!!!!!!

Let's just get this wax thing off of here... I'm an old pro at this cake thing now... let me at it Mom.

Since this cake was big, I had to put my game face on and really show the cake who was boss. GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Oh - oops! Forgot about the "hands-covered-in-frosting" bit...

Well, wear it with pride, I always say.

My friends (I swear I have some - it's just that Mom and Dad got all busy chit-chatting with them and they totally forgot that I had assigned them the job of photographing the event... don't worry - I'm checking with my legal team about having them fired.) Anyway, my friends brought me some awesome new toys. They are quite complex as you can see. It takes a highly intelligent baby such as myself to master these things.

I also got a Band in a Box. I am ready to JAM!

When that music touches my soul, I just bang my cymbals...

Later that night Mom told me my birthday was all over for this year. "WHAAAAAAAAAT?" "What you talkin' 'bout Mommy? That's just wrong..."