Little Z's 1-year-old portraits

I took these photos of my niece on Saturday to mark her first birthday (which was actually last month). She was a real trooper, as you'll see my sister put her in a ton of outfits and dragged her all around town. I think they turned out pretty well.

Little Z was born with a "rosebud," or hand without separated fingers. That was quite a shock the day she was born, but the news has only been positive since. The bones in her hand are developed, and she can use it fairly well. But to give her the most normal life possible, she is scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday (April 23) to take the first step in forming a more normal hand with separate fingers.

I found this picture frame on the trash (with a really old picture in it). She's wearing her Easter dress.

My family has a tradition of making the babies wear sailor suits. We're freaks, but at least we love the sea.

Peekaboo!

An old fence makes a great scene-setter.

This is the downtown area of the town where my sister's family and my parents live. It's where I went to high school and did most of my growing up. Just another little Texas town that's growing too big too fast.

And the obligatory Texas Bluebonnet Picture. This is something that many families do to their kids ... plop 'em down in a patch of flowers. Bluebonnets tend to grow on grassy hills near freeways, though, so it's good to be careful. This was a secluded patch off the main road and she enjoyed it. One thing she does is pick stuff up off the ground, grin widely and say "Ewwwwwwwwww." Funny kid!