Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

So June 26th was Elizabeth's first birthday! We've been pretty busy and I haven't had a chance to post the pictures from that momentous day until now (I'm posting from Michigan, where we're visiting my in-laws).  Much fun was had by all, and I'll be posting a special episode of Elizabeth's Baby Food Review with more pictures from that day, after this post. 

Here is a picture of the birthday girl that morning (the bow did not last long):

 

And here is a picture of her sitting with Daddy beside the table with her gifts, ready for the afternoon's festivities:

 

And here is a better picture of that table, complete with gifts and cards from her adoring fans:

Here's a picture of the cake (before the destruction):

 

And here's a picture of Suzie begging for cake:

 

And one of Elizabeth's tranquil face as she bathes in frosting:

Mmmm sugar....

Some new facts about the birthday girl:

• She can mimic eating with utensils, but she hasn't figured out that the spoon works best if it is turned a certain way, etc.
• She does very well drinking with a straw--better than with a sippy cup, in fact.
• She still hasn't said any real words, though she does spout quite a bit of gibberish on a routine basis.
• She is doing very well with petting the dogs, and sometimes Suzie will even turn over to let her pet her belly because she does such a good job. 

This isn't exactly a new fact, but she's ridiculously adorable and tons of fun.