Three

On April 10, Ingrid was slightly confused when presented with a bagel complete with three lit candles. To me, her facial expression tell me that she appreciates the extra effort but is rightfully confused with the celebratory breakfast. Regardless, she played along and answered these questions with excitement and honesty - in true three-year-old fashion. Here's the first installment of twenty questions. I'm planning on asking her these questions every year on her birthday. 

1. What is your favorite color? Pink and purple. 
2. What is your favorite toy? All of the princesses. 
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples. 
4. What is your favorite TV show? Super Why 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat at lunch? Bagels (influenced by breakfast) 
6. What is your favorite outfit? My pink dress 
7. What is your favorite game? Candy Land. 
8. What is your favorite snack? Cream cheese, Goldfish and crasins (again, although cream cheese is great, she was influenced by her breakfast) 
9. What is your favorite animal? Monkeys! 
10. What is your favorite song? Ingrid got down from her chair to loudly sing, "The dreams that you wish. Will. Come. TRUE!" 
11. What is your favorite book? Cinderella and Five Little Monkeys. 
12. Who is your best friend? Eden and Immi and Audrey. 
13. What is your favorite cereal? Snap, crackle, pop and yogurt. 
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Throw snow! 
15. What toys do you like to bring to bed? Cinderella, Pumpkin and Ducky. 
16. What is your favorite thing to drink? Juice. Orange juice! 
17. What is your favorite holiday? Birthday holiday and St. Patrick's Day with Andrea. 
18. What is your favorite breakfast food? Yogurt. Peach yogurt! 
19. What do you want for dinner? Pasta. 
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A big girl.

My heart melted on that last one. She's already growing up way too fast for my liking. Happy birthday little lady! You fill our lives with happiness, joy, love and laughter. 

Two

During my pregnancy, Dan turned 30. We met his family for dinner one night in early March and during the drive home, he came to the conclusion that birthday celebrations are for parents not kids. Now, this is coming from someone who literally wants nothing for his birthday. As in, "Please stop asking me what I want to eat for my birthday. I don't care."

Where as I love to extend my birthday over several days and I prefer a celebrations that incorporate my favorite things: loved ones, cocktails, good food and the outdoors. I used to apologize for this but as I get older I'm comfortable with my requests and it's not like I'm asking for presents or anything.

Back to the question of who really needs the celebration: parents or kids?

Last year, Ingrid had no idea what was happening. She was excited to look at new books, dresses and toys. You could sense her happiness as family and friends surrounded for the afternoon. In true skeptical Ingrid fashion, she didn't dive right into her cupcake. She studied it carefully and eventually nibbled at her first baked good. We like to think that she's hesitant to try new things until she knows the outcome. She didn't take her first steps until she was able to put one wobbly first in front of the other.

A year later, someone has delivered us a fully-grown toddler who's capable of walking, running and faux-jumping (jumping with both feet firmly planted on the ground). She's got this incredible raw honesty that will stop you in your tracks. She'll deliver a firm "No. No I don't." if she's not in the mood to snuggle, take a bath or drink water. The snuggle-no always hurts but, sometimes a girl just needs her space.

There is still so much babyness to her: the plump tummy, inability to dress herself completely, or walk long distances. She speaks in full sentences but words are misunderstood. She gets the idea of a time-out and sometimes talks herself out of her "time-out worthy" behavior.

When reflecting on her growth and milestones, it's hard given that the past 12 months welcomed so many small changes but when compounded, it's a world of difference between one and two. Here's what I love about Ingrid - as a baby, at one and today:

• Observant 
• Honest 
• Thinks that dresses are pretty 
• Loves dairy 
• Loves meat 
• Loves adventures (aka, errands) 
• Balloons are amazing 
• Non-snuggly 
• Loves books 
• Loves the outdoors 

Did I even address the question I gave myself of "who needs a birthday celebration - the parents or kids?"

My thoughts (since you won't stop asking): she'll go through two to three decades of thinking and knowing that birthdays are all about her. When and if she ever has babies she'll (hopefully) understand that it's a pretty special day for us parents too. The moment of going from who you've always known yourself to be to a mom is pretty memorable. It's scary, life-altering, surreal and will warm your heart beyond imagine. Mostly it's really scary.

Even though we're keeping it simple this year - candles in French toast for breakfast this morning, one present (doll house) and dinner at Red Robin (fancy!) tonight - it's a really special day for our family. Ingrid knows that because she gets extra sugar today and really, when you're two, that's a rad day. Or when you're 29.

One.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. My favorite kind of whirlwind that involved multiple parties to plan, friends and family to visit and cocktails to be sipped.

All of the whirlwinding took a toll on me yesterday in the form of an annoying head cold/sore throat so I parked it on the couch and watched Gossip Girl between trips to and from the kitchen for juice, medicine and Kleenex.

In a medicated haze, I thought about the cold-hard truth that tomorrow - as in today - Ingrid will be turning one. 

Today, Ingrid is one. Today, I have a one-year-old daughter. 

And I couldn't help reflecting on our lives one year ago - and how different everything is one year later. 

New baby, new role as a mother, new routine, new lack-of-routine, new priorities, new job, new grocery list (seriously, now staples include bananas and whole milk). 

And I'm pleasantly surprised how much is the same. I'm at home in our lovely little apartment, Harper is still bouncy little Harper, Dan is still Dan and my friends and family are wonderfully supportive. I still love all of my loves including brunch, online shopping, vodka grapefruits and yoga. I now just do yoga in my living room. 

The newness has been constant this past year and - as cliche as it is - I can't believe it's already been a year since we welcomed her on April 10. 

Today, we celebrated with Tofu Rice Bowls for dinner, gave Ingrid a bath and read about 14 books.

We did host a birthday party with friends and family last weekend and my favorite part of the day was the cake. When we placed the cupcake in front of her, she just studied the cupcake and started to pick off the sprinkles one by one. She grinned a scrunch-face grin at everyone surrounding her and slowly ate her frosting. 

No one was too impressed by this method as they were all anticipating the face-in-cake routine. But not little Ingrid. As I recounted this to my aunt on the phone later that night, she smartly replied "Well, that's how she wanted to eat her cake." 

And that's one of my favorite things about Ingrid - she's funny, intense, has a sense of humor and a really, really, really long attention span.

I know there will be years of her smashing cake in her face, years of her requesting a certain cake flavor, years where she'd rather not see me or any cake - but for her first birthday, she wanted to pick off her colored sprinkles one by one. And then, when I intervened and smashed that corner of her treat in an effort to "help" - she looked at me as if to say "This is how I want to eat my cake." Then, I slowed down, listened and let her eat it because she's wonderfully sweet that's how she wants to eat her cake.