Bringing Up Baby Baggett

Isla's First Birthday Party!

12:22 PM

Isla's very first birthday party was last Saturday, August 20, in our backyard. We had so many friends and family members come to celebrate her first year of life. Regardless of the Florida heat, it was a huge success, and Isla had the absolute best time.

Flowers || The Wilding Collective

Cake || Cassie Cakes

Photography above || Blue Birch Photography

Isla B is 1!

3:45 PM

Isla Ann

At 1 Year You:

have 5 teeth but several more on the way.

were only sick once, but that did result in an ER visit.

took your first flight from New Orleans to Jacksonville.

have the brightest blue eyes and the craziest blonde hair.

say Isla, hi, what's that, yeah, no, aw, dog, mama, dada, all done, ball.

are still nursing (we made it a full year!).

are becoming quite the champion eater.

give the best hugs, kisses and high fives.

sleep through the night in your crib.

not just walk but run!

love to be chased.

are a social butterfly.

Well the day is finally here. Isla Ann is 1 year old. It's really hard to find the words to describe how amazing this year has been. I am the type of person that thinks of the worst case scenario and will stress myself out because of it. I was terrified about what kind of mother I would be and what kind of baby I would have. I was certain I would be a nervous wreck, unable to figure out the ins and outs of motherhood. I thought almost all babies cry constantly, don't sleep and just create absolute chaos every where they went. "Why decide to have a baby then?" you may ask. Because in spite of all that I knew I would come out of it a better person. I have a loving, supportive husband that wants to be a dad as much as I want to be a mom. We would surely figure it out together.

These thoughts flashed in and out of my head the entire pregnancy. Toward the end I kept saying I was so ready for her to come partly because I was so uncomfortable being 9 months pregnant in the middle of a Florida summer, and partly because I wanted to meet this little human we created. But the moment I realized my water broke I didn't feel ready anymore. When it was time to push I literally started panicking. I was bawling my eyes out. This was it, I was going to always have another person in my life that I am responsible for no matter what. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS.

But the MOMENT she entered the world everything felt right. My motherly instinct kicked in, and I wasn't afraid anymore. I knew this was exactly what I was made for. I saw her face and couldn't stop saying how beautiful she was. Her cry was the most amazing sound I'd ever heard. She was, and still is, perfect!

Isla exceeds every expectation I had about having a baby. She is the complete opposite of what I thought it could be. I know all babies are different, and the next child I have could be the opposite of Isla, but at least now I have my feet on the ground. I know that I can handle being a mother because I exceed what I thought I would be as a mother. And as conceded as that might sounds, I don't care. It's true. I am a great mother.

Don't get me wrong. Isla does cry, throws tantrums, she refuses the food I put in front of her, doesn't nap sometimes and even bites when nursing on occasion. I have the TV on more than I'd like to admit, gave Isla tastes of sugary treats, let her cry it out, and had a couple of break downs myself. But I still have no doubt that Isla and I rocked the first year of her life.

But it wouldn't have rocked so much without the best husband and father in the world, Robby. He might just be a better father than I am a mother. He is so patient, fun(ny), loving and just all around awesome. He does bath time every night, never complains about a diaper change, gets up every morning with Isla and makes her breakfast, supports our family in every way imaginable, honestly the list just goes on.

My parents and the rest of our families have been another part of what made this year great. We just have so much support! Not to mention the awesome mommy and baby friends we made this year. Being a stay at home mom can be so isolating, so if it weren't for the friends we made, I don't think I would be in such a good place right now.

I really don't know how I could possibly write about everything Isla is doing at this point. She is right on track developmentally and physically, so I might just leave it at that. I could not be more proud and in aw of this little girl. She brings more joy, love, adventure, laughter into our lives than I ever thought possible. We are truly blessed to call her ours.

Height: 19.5"
Weight: 22 pounds
Hates: When we take things from her. And now she apparently hates her well check visits.
Clothing/diaper Size: size 4 diapers and size 12-18 month clothes.
Looking Forward To: Isla's first birthday party this Saturday!

Loves: My keys, giving and receiving hugs and kisses, music.

Milestones: Talking more.

Family Photos: 1 Year

4:39 PM

My friend, Nicole with Blue Birch Photography, and I decided to trade services and take each others family portraits. She happens to have a little girl that is only three weeks older than Isla, and they have become the best of friends. I swear we only got to shoot for 30 minutes because both girls were ready for bed, but that's all we needed to get a few good shots.

I can hardly believe it's been almost been an entire year since this beautiful, sweet, hilarious little girl entered our lives. The amount of joy she brings us is unreal.

The girls walking off into the sunset together.

11 Month Update

6:30 PM

This is the second time I am writing this post because blogger didn't save everything I wrote the first time. :(

I swear every month I say Isla is talking so much, but then the next month she has even more to say. Well this month is no different because she is talking our ears off. Her babbling is more complex and even seems like she's sounding out words. She has even said her name on multiple occasions ("I-Ya").

Isla now knows how to sign for milk and more. She will sometimes put the two together and ask for more milk. We are working on all done, which she has actually attempted a couple of times, and eat, but I think it's a little confusing since she gets food with milk and more. It's a work in progress.

She now waves hi and bye, points at EVERYTHING and says "was at?", she loves to high five, gives kisses on demand and reaches for her crib at night when she's ready for bed. I am not joking. She actually tells me she wants in her crib. She tries to put shoes/socks on her feet and hats/sunglasses/clothes/bows on her head. But as soon as I put any of these things on her she instantly tries to take them off.

We have a full blown walker over here. Isla learned to stand up on her own on July 2, so she's been going nonstop since then. I honestly don't remember the last time she crawled. She still falls a lot and surprisingly never cries about it. She just jumps right back up and goes about her business. She was basically running trying to keep up with her almost 7-year-old cousin, Kane, this weekend.

Planning her first birthday is in full swing. We are only a month away, and I can barely believe it. I don't think I'm ready to have a 1-year-old.

Height: N/A
Weight: N/A
Hates: She's been fighting naps lately, so I'm pretty sure she hates them.
Clothing/diaper Size: size 4 diapers and size 6-12 month clothes, but moving into 12-18 month.
Looking Forward To: Isla's first birthday party!

Loves: Her cousins, mimicking sounds we make, her teepee and taking all of her clothes out of her dresser.

Milestones: Walking!