You can't keep a party girl down.

I distinctly remember hearing about a kid having his first birthday in the NICU.  We were NICU newbies at the time.  We had been there four months but felt like veterans at that point.  "Oh, how awful to be here a year...I can.not.imagine."  That kid ended up being our neighbor, and he left last month when he was about 20 months old.

Ainsley is one.

She turned one over a week ago, actually, and I haven't really had time to write about it.   And yep, she's still in the hospital.  I look back at April and wonder what we were thinking.  How little we knew.  How it's probably pretty good that we had no idea what was ahead of us because it would've been too overwhelming. 

The day before her birthday she went on a portable vent.  You know the old portable vent - the one that could technically be used at home but isn't a home vent because it is a portable vent?  Yes.  She did.  Before you get all excited, it didn't go well.  She went on Wednesday and was off by Sunday and then proceeded to be a big fat drama queen for the next week.

So anyway, she was on this portable vent for her party and she was working a bit hard to breathe and was sweaty.  And that's all the bad stuff - she was also very adorable and smiled a lot and wanted her mommy a lot.

"I can't put my arrrrrmmmms down!"
Ainsley in her pimped out wheelchair.
It makes her arms stick out like the snowsuit kid
in A Christmas Story. 

We managed to get one family picture and as per usual, my girls just LOVE being photographed:

I thought it was funny that the iVent was centered in the picture.
Like part of the family...
When I added this picture to Facebook, I tagged the iVent as Ainsley's Lungs.

My only real requirement for a birthday party is a cute cake.  I like a cute cake.  I don't really care that much about decorations or favors (In fact, I don't care at all about favors) but I like a pretty fancy cake for a birthday party.  This is why it's a good thing that I know talented people like my friend Becky (she has a Facebook Page!!!), who made this awesome owl cake to go with our Look Whoos One theme!

Whoo do you think ate 3 cupcakes when nobody was looking?
If Youuu guessed Olivia you would be correct.

Actually, whooever had the camera was looking.

I don't care about decorations...
but I'll still spend stupid amounts of money on them.

Ainsley doesn't eat anything that doesn't go through her g-tube, but she was happy to stick her finger in a cupcake and smear it on her high chair.

Sweaty, checking out the sweets.

And then Olivia the neat freak was happy to immediately come to her aid with a napkin.  "Look, what a mess!"

Was she cleaning?
Or trying to scam another cupcake?

We had the party in the family center, and a bunch of Ainsley's hospital friends were able to come, along with a bunch of Ainsley's outside of the hospital friends.

At one point, the room was so full you couldn't move.
Now THAT'S a party!!

Ainsley got SO! MANY! PRESENTS!  Jammies and toys and books and gift cards...people continue to be so nice to us.  Ainsley managed to open a present or two...

PAPER?!
Dis exactly what I wanted.

I thought that it might be pretty sad.  It wasn't though.  It was a happy and fun day.  Not that I'm asking for a repeat for birthday #2!!!  But there's a point where you quit being bitter that your kid is missing out on the world and you just end up being glad she is here at all.

Happy first birthday to my Ainsley!!  She is adorable, hilarious, snobby...perfection.

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One Year Ago: Evelyn and Ainsley

Also One Year Ago:  Evelyn Cecille 

Also Also One Year Ago: In Which I Almost Get Someone Kicked Out of the NICU