One year old!

Baby girl is one year old!

We kicked off the day with some presents -- a baby doll and a stroller for her baby doll from Grammy!

A corn popper from mommy and daddy!

So cute!

A new outfit for the baby! A panda jacket from Cat!

We went strolling at Descanso and saw ducks!

Xinyi spent many minutes saying, "duck...duck...duck...duck..." :)

At home we had ube flan cupcakes from Cafe 86! (Baby wanna-be hipster has a trendy cupcake for her 1st birthday!)

"What's this? It's purple... let me try it... oh... YUM!"

Then at night, we went to LA Zoo Lights with Grammy! It was beautiful and baby girl was entranced!

I truly cannot believe it's been one whole year. A few months ago, while buying groceries at Vons, the cashier, a nice middle-aged woman, asked me, "Is she your only one?" Xinyi was snug in her Ergo because it was a quick grocery trip and putting her in the Ergo is often easier for me than pushing around a shopping cart. I smiled and answered, "Yes, she's my only one." I've been asked that question, or a variation of that question several times before. "Is she your first?" Yes, she is my first and my only right now, and I love cuddling her and loving her to pieces!

It really has been the most beautiful, challenging, wonderful, and crazy year of my life. The year has flown past, and it really does feel like I just gave birth to her. At the time, the first five months felt slower than many lifetimes put together, but now, those first five months feel like they went by in a few seconds. The middle three months were some of my favorites. Her personality really started to shine and the crawling, laughing, giggling stage is just amazing. The last two to three months have been fun and challenging. The crawling turned to cruising which turned to tentative steps and walking while holding my fingers. The laughing and giggling turned into both full and hearty laughs and loud and vivacious tantrums! She's pointing at things she wants and kicking her feet and crying when she doesn't get what she wants! She also has the best laugh and the silliest personality! She has her daddy's love of pranks and she spends many minutes blowing raspberries with her mouth... often mere inches from my face. She has my love for bread and consumes more muffins, Hawaiian sweet bread, tortillas, pancakes, English muffins, etc... than both Shane and I combined! She is so inquisitive and so curious, exploring all new things and watching intently in new situations. Tonight at the LA Zoo Lights, she spent the full 45 minutes in the Ergo watching and whipping her head around to see all the lights and hear all the music -- but she was completely silent. Then as soon as we got in the car, she spent the 20 minute drive home talking to herself and to her toys! It's as if she was telling her toys everything she saw!

Xinyi has been true to her name -- she has brought so so so much joy to all our lives. She's so beautiful to us, inside and out! We are so honored and blessed to be her parents :). To many more years, baby girl!!! The first one has been beyond incredible!