A Wonderful Surprise

I never planned anything official for Ella's birthday. I did let her dig into her cake (a milk-free one) because I couldn't resist the cake smash, and she got a few presents but that was all we did for her birthday.

But, my wonderful husband and my friends planned a surprise get together last night for Ella's birthday. I was totally shocked by the surprise. The surprise truly made me realize how blessed we are in our lives with all the wonderful friends who showed up to celebrate Ella's first birthday. On top of everyone coming, there were milk-free cupcakes and a milk-free chocolate cake, just for Ella! Ella LOVED the chocolate - it was her first time having chocolate. My husband grabbed my camera, but he didn't know I was charging the battery, so I didn't get any pictures of her myself. Thankfully, some of my friends had their cameras and took a few pictures. If you can't tell, she loved the cake!

I am so thankful to have all these wonderful friends surrounding us, and supporting us, especially as we raise Ella. We are truly blessed!

Here are a few other random shots from the day of her birthday. Yes, I am a mean mom who took her daughter for shots on her birthday (notice the band-aids in one of the pictures). Thankfully, she didn't know it was her birthday! Ella weighed 20 lbs, 10 oz at her appointment. It is hard to believe she was 7 lbs, 5 oz a year ago! 

Oh, and if you want to check out daily pictures of Ella, be sure to visit my Project 365 blog!