This morning Stella was repping her team and sporting some precious pigtails...
She likes the Saints, but she loves food, and she was not willing to pause her snacking long enough to take a picture. At least in this one you can't really see the bowl of grapes she was munching on...
Stella happened to be enjoying this tasty treat on the first day of King Cake season, January 6th, also known as Epiphany or Twelfth Night. Legend has it that is the day that the wise men visited the Christ child. The King Cake is tied to the magi in a few significant ways. Other than sharing January 6th as its arrival date, the three colors of sugar on top are symbolic of the jeweled crowns that the three kings wore. Even the shape of the cake reminds us of the roundabout way that the wise men returned home to confuse King Herod and keep baby Jesus safe. Somewhere hidden in their wandering is a tiny baby, to remind us of the reason for their journey.
It is quite obvious that our sweet baby loves her "Daddy Cake." We hope that as she grows she will come to savor a relationship with her Heavenly "Daddy" that is much sweeter than this sugar-covered confection. For now, we'll teach her about baby Jesus and enjoy kissing the sweet, sticky frosting off her precious little face!
In February, she rode the streetcar up and down St. Charles...
She went international, visiting three foreign countries and soaking up some sun on her first cruise...
In March, she celebrated the big "1!"
We partied hard with a house full of our closest friends and family...
In April she caught up with some friends by chatting on the cell phone...
In May she got her first haircut...
Spent some time in the pool...
And attended Chad's college graduation...
In June she helped Tab graduate from high school...
She also hit the beach in Alabama...
In July we had a mini-reunion with some college friends and their kids... 
And we went to Hot Springs with Grandpa Crane. On the way back we stopped for some time with Zach and Pop...
She also had a day of fun with Spencer at Sci-Port...
And spent a week at Grandpa Crane's...
In August, Grandpa and Grandmere surprised Stella with her first car!
In September, Stella was back at the zoo to feed the lion cubs some treats...
She also donned her leotard for the first time when she began attending gymnastics...
She even found time to hang out with two of her besties, Rylie and Sadie Sharbono...
In October, Stella searched a local patch for the Great Pumpkin...
And disguised herself as a kitty for trick-or-treating...
She "ran" her first race in November. We use this term very loosely...
In December, she celebrated the birth of the Savior surrounded by family and friends...
"Here you go, Mommy!"
Just like Goldilocks, she really likes sampling other people's beds. This one was too hard...
She hopped a ride in mini-Jackson Square. Whoa, horsey!
She loved this little house...obviously...
Stella and Daddy inside a giant bubble. Hopefully, we can keep her in our little bubble forever...
Playing tug-of-war with Claude...
Like some other Louisiana drivers, Damon likes to drive with his baby on his lap. I think he enjoyed this reaction time test much more than Stella did...
In the Kid's Cafe, Stella served Daddy peas and a taco...
Sometimes she samples the dishes on her way to the table...
"Dinner is served!"
Customer service is very important to Stella, and she knows that listening to your patrons is the first step to making sure they are satisfied...
Putting on the finishing touches...
After leaving the Children's Museum, we took Stella to see her very first movie in the theater! We planned to see The Princess and the Frog at Clearview, but it sold out while we were in line, so we had to drive over to Elmwood for a later showing. While we were there, Stella hung out with some giant chipmunks...
A word of advice to our friends with little ones about the first time theater experience: Stella actually ran laps around the lobby of the theater before we went in. When we did enter the actual theater, it was tough to find seats because the movie was sold out. We also arrived way too early, because Stella lost interest before the previews even started, and was ready to get down and play, which is generally frowned upon in sold-out shows. She did eventually manage to settle down and enjoy a few minutes of the movie and some snacks... 
Unfortunately, we had to leave after the first 30 minutes of the movie in order to make it to gymnastics on time. We would have liked to see the rest of the movie, which we were really enjoying since it is set in New Orleans and the characters ride the same streetcar line where we took Stella's picture for her birthday party invitations last year, but our little princess was getting restless and it was a good time to make our getaway. So, to review, when taking a toddler to the movies, you should 1) go to a show that is no longer popular and will most likely not sell out, 2) enter the theater toward the end of the preview time, 3) make sure that you are totally willing to bail on the movie if your child becomes restless. Remember, don't spoil the movie by adding your own soundtrack. 
The shop looks and smells terrific, and no wonder, with gorgeous gingerbread palaces like this one for decoration!
Daddy, Stella, and Ms. Chung posed for a grand opening photo...
The shop is complete with a cozy sitting area and lots of cute tables where you can enjoy your treats. Since there were some breakable items whose durability Daddy was not comfortable letting Stella test, we got our sweets to go. As Stella would say, they were yummy to our tummies! 
Dr. Spencer checking out his vital signs...
Assisting his nurse as she prepares for her self-examination...
Stella doing her best impression of a serious teenager with Zach. I should have taken a picture when the 17 year old was playing in the kid's kitchen with Stella...
Next, Stella and Daddy both decided to wear hats to town one afternoon...
Finally, Stella attired as a queen, with her Cinderella crown and the Christmas tree skirt for a royal robe. I guess that makes Daddy her Prince Charming. The tree skirt was actually Mommy's idea... 
