One!

On the morning of January 28th, Chris and I crept into Jack's room to find a smiling boy standing up in his crib, barely able to see over the railing. He was excited to see us both, as usual - not knowing that anything had changed. One thing had; our baby was one!

As I left the room to grab a present for him to open, Chris pulled him from his bed and sat with him in his rocking chair... holding him for a few small moments while our busy boy held still, which rarely happens. It abruptly came to an end when I brought the bag I held behind my back out for him to see. He immediately wanted the present - if only for the packaging it was in, and was happy to discover what was inside, all but climbing into the bag to do so.


Having fun with dad

We spent the day at home, doing what he wanted - and only stopping to bake his cupcakes when he was napping. As I reflected on memories of my mother baking my own birthday cakes through the years, it was a bit surreal when I thought about having a child of my own old enough to have a birthday. It's my turn now to be the mom - something that is still a miracle to me.

We invited our family and close friends to my parents' house for cupcakes that night, and had a full house. We are so grateful for family and friends who love Jack!


We didn't think he'd have a problem diving into the cake... we had a small birthday "preview" a few weeks before at family dinner, and this boy had no shame...

...And left behind a fun mess for mom to clean up.


He wasn't quite sure what to think of this one, though... Maybe the fact that it was so pretty made him unsure? (Made by my friend Jacci. She rocks.)
He kept himself entertained while he waited patiently for us to light the candle.

Not sure what to think...

You want me to do what?

Dad showing him how it's done...

Testing...

...Like this?

I think I'm in love...

And, there it is. A match made in heaven.

In the zone...

Though it was made just for him, he was very thoughtful to share some with mom and dad. It was especially yummy coming from his slimy little hands.
All done!

He wasn't too interested in unwrapping all of his gifts that everyone brought, only playing with them... which left mom to do most of the unwrapping. We actually hadn't planned for everyone to bring a gift; he was one spoiled boy. Unfortunately, our basement apartment has a major lack of extra space for toys, but we've managed.


It's hard to believe the love that grows for your child each day.
We love Jack more than we ever thought possible, and can't believe we've had more than 365 days with him. It's been a fun year.... we're excited for more to come!