I love a good party.  The anticipation of it all, getting ready, having a glass of wine, seeing good friends, and laughing till your sides ache- over the years myself and Mr E have had been to some rather fabulous parties.

Nowadays however, parties are a little different.  Think juice instead of wine and carrot sticks instead of cocktails and you get more of an idea.  Yes most of the parties nowadays we get invited to are for little people.  Yet these parties are just as fun, if not more so.

My lovely daughter obviously has to share her birthday with Christmas Eve.  Some people say this is a nice birthday but most feel a little sorry for her, after all she then has to wait another whole year for another celebration.  However we are determined to make her birthday special, although we will be feeling Christmassy we are going to make the day all about her and then in the evening we will start to get ready for Christmas and get in the festive spirit.  I am sure that we will not be able to have a party for her on her actual birthday every year as most people with be with family, but this year as it was her first birthday we did manage to have not one, but two parties.  In the day time we had a party with all her little baby friends and in the evening we had a party with my family.

Here is my favourite photo of the day- her opening her cards with her Daddy.  

I am determined to make her birthdays as special as possible- and no doubt that will include some very lovely parties.  I can't wait to try different themes each year.  Just because Mads was born on Christmas Eve doesn't mean she will miss out on some good old birthday celebrationsafter all if she is anything like her Mummy and Daddy she will enjoy a party!

One of my New Years resolutions is to take more photos and I love the fact that the 366 project is helping me take more.  Not that I didn't before, I take so many photos a day.  However I was determined to get my DSLR out and use it more rather than just going for the easy option of my iPhone.  While I have taken more photos with it, I still do like to hide behind the safety of my camera apps.  My husband is a photoshop geek and it is my aim for 2012 to learn how to use it properly. 

However one day I did get my SLR out was to take a few photos of bathtime.  Mads is a real water baby and loves being in the bath more than anything.

I adore this photo.  My two favourite people in the world having fun.  I love the look of adoration and love in Mads eyes.  You can be sure her Daddy was looking at her in exactly the same way.  Its the type of photo that makes you go a little gooey inside.

When my beautiful little daughter was born one of the first things I did was look at her feet.  For me there is something just so adorable about little baby feet and their incredibly tiny toes.  Mr E always says that if you look at her smallest toe, can you actually imagine the size of the bone, and when you think about it, it is incredible how small but perfectly formed they are.

Now Mads is twelve months my husband calls them little sausage toes- because indeed that is like what they are- tiny little sausages.

However for all the marvelling at these gorgeous little feet, it is also the poignancy of them as well.

These little feet are going to one day (very soon I hope) take their first steps alone.

These little feet are going to stand on their tippi toes to reach things that they are not allowed too.

These little feet are going to jump and play and find magical adventures, and splash in puddles in the rain.

These little feet may someday run because they are frightened or scared, but these little feet always know they can run home to Mummy and I will always be here.

These little feet may at times need to stay firmly on the ground even when her head is high up in the clouds.

These little feet are one day going to walk down an aisle with her Daddy, into a new life of her own.

And one day, a very long time away, these little feet may even be chasing around a little girl or boy of their very own- just like her Mummy is doing now.

That is too long away to even contemplate, so until then, I will just keep staring and marvelling at my gorgeous little girl and her gorgeous little sausage toes.