Emmie turned one in May!  We thought we had a rough first year with Bryant.  While Emmie’s first year has been full of a lot of shock and awe, we have been able to savor the beautiful moments.  The sweet first smiles and laughs.  The way she dives for me whenever we say “mama’s milk.”  Her resilience and goofiness and her love for animals.  Yes.  It’s been hard.  But it makes her normal babyhood moments just as beautiful.

To celebrate, we knew we needed to invite her people.  Her sidekicks.  So, invite we did.  All told, we had about thirty people come over for ice cream and cake.  She enjoyed the people, a bit.  I think by the time cake time rolled around she was ready fro bed and didn’t want people staring at her enjoying her sugar fest.

We decided to give her the birthday gift from the family before the crowd came.  She was more than happy about that.

Yes, animals are instant smile hits but splashing water also brings a smile.  A water table was just what she needed! Bunnies seem to be Emmie’s animal.  She has her Babbit (Shel Silverstein’s Runny Babbit…Such a billy sook to read to your kids!) as her cuddly.  About halfway through her year, we found the book Audrey Bunny from a suggestion in our NF Moms group.  Once I found out what it was about, I ordered it really fast.  It’s a beautiful story about a little girl who chooses a stuffed bunny with spot on it.  She knows the bunny has the spot but the bunny doesn’t realize it and tries to hide it.  In the end, the rabbit realizes the girl loves her spot and all.  It is written by Angie Smith who walked a hard journey with her daughter Audrey Caroline.  As soon as I got the book in the mail, I read it.  In tear.  It is Emmie’s special book.

With all of that going for her, bunnies had to be the chosen theme.

Bunny rear cupcakes for our guests!

Josiah requested strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese icing.

Present time!

I found a tutorial on Pinterest for a fondant bunny.  It was in another language.  Thankfully, there were lots of pictures and google translate almost helped.  I think I did an okay job on it.  I added an “Emmie” touch by putting pink polka dots on the bunny (with enough fondant to make a number 1).
She thought the bunny was cute! But preferred eating the marshmallow and gum drops to the actual smash cake.  Don’t worry, a few days later we pulled out the smash cake and devoured it! But birthday night, she thought it looked better in her hair.

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