Ella was born not all that long after midnight a year ago today. We celebrated her birthday party yesterday, in a big get-together that was well-attended by our friends and families. Ella, of course, didn’t really have the first clue as to why 40 or so extra people were in the house that afternoon, but she got over her initial apprehension pretty quickly and ended up having a rollicking good time being doted upon by…well…everyone.

The cake was also a hit, though it took her a few minutes to warm up to it as well. We think the icing was throwing her off, but by the end of the day she was more than happy to devour even the slightest crumb of cake. Here she is diving into it — or, rather, sharing a piece with someone just off-camera. Ella is a very good sharer, you see.

Tonight, for her actual birthday, we’re serving her spaghetti. I’ll be sure to post a picture of the ensuing mess, which I am sure will be epic.

Update: No picture of the ensuing mess will be posted. We opted to let Ella have at the “pasketti” wearing just her diaper, and we’ve got a standing policy against posting “bare baby” pictures to the Intertubes.