You're Beautiful To Me

Almost two weeks later it's Anna's first birthday and Frank and I are throwing her a little party, getting up early and putting up some streamers and blowing up some balloons before her and Miles wake up and just as we're finishing up Miles' cries sound through the baby monitor and Frank goes to get Miles while I go to see if Anna's awake and I find her sitting up in her crib, playing with her teddy bear and I kneel beside the crib and look at her through the bars, her little face lighting up when she sees me, throwing her teddy aside and crawling over to bang against the bars as she babbles out "Da da da." "Oh really?" I ask as I stand up and pick her up, her arms stretched up waiting for me. "Happy birthday baby" I say as I press a kiss to the top of her head, carrying her to the change table and changing her diaper and dressing her for the day before picking her back up and as I do Frank comes in with Miles and he lays him on the table to change his diaper too. "Ba" Anna coos as she reaches her hand out for her brother and I smile as I say "Yeah, that's your baby brother and you can play with him in a minute little miss, just as soon as daddy has changed his diaper." Once Frank is done and Miles is dressed again we carry our baby's out to the living room and Frank goes into the kitchen to make breakfast, laying Miles on his blanket on the floor first and I sit Anna down before sitting beside Miles and Anna takes off across the room to the balloons in the corner, hitting at them and giggling when they fly around before Miles makes a gurgling noise and she toddles back across the room towards us, dropping onto her butt as she reaches out and pats at his face and he opens his mouth and tries to suck at her fingers which makes her giggle and pull her hand back and I laugh as I say "Be gentle little miss" and she reaches out again and pokes at his stomach which makes him kick his little legs out and Anna sits back and claps her hands. A few minutes later Frank comes back in with two bottles, one of formula for Miles and one of warm very weak chocolate flavoured milk for Anna who squeals when she tastes it making me laugh and I pick Miles up and cradle him to my chest as I feed him and Anna settles beside me, drinking from her own bottle. "Look at you big girl" Frank says when he comes back into the room and Anna holds her hands out to him and once she's in his arms she hands him the bottle and he puts it back to her mouth and she starts drinking again as she plays with Franks shirt sleeve, her fingers trailing down his tattoos.

After we have breakfast, Anna eating her first pancakes, we go back into the living room and Anna bounces around on a little sugar high, babbling to herself and throwing and hitting the balloons around, trying to run and tripping herself a lot while Frank and I sit on the couch, Miles laying in my arms looking around wide eyed, laughing at Anna who is having the time of her life with the balloons. Mid morning Miles is asleep in Franks arms and there's a knock at the door which causes Anna to drop the balloon she's playing with and she takes off towards the door and I follow her, grabbing her hand and pulling her aside and opening the door to reveal Mikey and Anna claps her hands and squeals "Ma" and Mikey frowns and says "Ma?" I laugh as I say "I'm pretty sure that's her attempt at Mikey, not mom." "Oh, awesome" he says as he smiles again and bends down to scoop her up, lifting her up over his head and she giggles and flails her arms and legs around as he brings her back down and cuddles her to his chest. "How's my favourite niece today?" He asks and Anna lets out a little gurgle and squirms around until he puts her down and she turns and takes off for the living room again, Mikey and I following her and Mikey kneels on the floor and plays with Anna until there's another knock at the door and once again Anna joins me in answering the door, finding that it's my mom carrying a large very brightly wrapped box.

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