Let's Get This Party Started!

Rudy's turning one year old this Friday. I can't believe it! He's grown up soooo much since last December. I'm floored at how fast babies grow, and how many skills they acquire over such a small period of time. On Sunday, as I was unsuccessfully trying to convince Rudy that nursing was more fun than playing with one of his little friends who was also visiting the Mother's Room, I wished I could have as much control over him as I did those first few weeks. I could position him however I pleased and he'd stay that way. Thinking back to those days, though, I remember anxiously awaiting the time when Rudy could position himself in the most comfortable nursing pose rather than me always having to do the guessing game. There are beautiful things in every stage, I guess.
Since my baby brother is getting married on Rudy's actual birthday, we did a party with Jason's side of the family yesterday, and we'll do a little something (if anyone still feels up to it after a weekend of wedding festivities) with my family next Sunday. Mom was nice enough to host a dinner and let us do the party at her house. Our only responsibility was getting the word out and bringing cake and ice cream. (Katie brought the ice cream, actually, so really we just did cake.) It was a nice, gentle entrance into the world of throwing parties for our kids.

Here Rudy is experiencing one of life's greatest indulgences...licking the beater. I gave him the beater after mixing up some scrumptious cream cheese frosting (Thanks for the recipe, Lauren!)This is the first time I've ever let him do that. I have a feeling he's going to want to do it every time from now on.

Here we are presenting the birthday (cup)cake to our big man. He wasn't sure what to think about the flame on the candle. When he's really interested in something, but unsure about whether it's ok to investigate, he gets out his pointer fingers, and cautiously points at the item of interest while watching my face to see what I think about his desire for further knowledge. It's super cute, though sometimes he decides to check things out even after I give him my best "ABSOLUTELY NOT" face. :)

Diving in. I was relieved that Rudy didn't inhale the whole cupcake. Actually, he hardly ate more than just a few licks of frosting. I made a point of stuffing him with sweet potatoes and bread before serving the cupcake, 'cause it just made me cringe to think that he may actually ingest all that junk. (Funny, I didn't worry one bit about the THREE pieces of cake I ate later that night while Jason and I budgeted...but hey- we were budgeting...that medicine takes a big spoonful of sugar to help it go down!) Anyway, in my heart of hearts, I wanted to make one of those organic, no sugar, might as well be a granola bar kind of cakes that I always scoff at when I see recipes for them. I've always said that if you're gonna give your kid sweets, than let them eat sweets, not some kind of health food version, but when it came right down to it, I kinda wished I had a health food version to place before my sweet, pristine baby. Not that I'm gonna whip up some organic concoction for his next birthday. I just won't roll my eyes when other moms decide to put a candle in a bowl of applesauce with yogurt "frosting".

Jason helped Rudy unwrap all his gifts. Rudy didn't get that you're supposed to rip off the paper and then throw it away. He just wanted to rip off paper and play with it. It took some prodding, but eventually all his gifts were unveiled. He got so many fun, cute toys, books and clothes. Thanks everyone for your thoughtful, generous gifts! Rudy's played with them all today. It was great to have new and exciting things to do inside with the blustery weather outside.

Today we completed the first step to making our "thank you" cards for all the gifts he got. Rudy's job was to annihilate all the blobs of paint on the paper. He took his task seriously! :)

A job well done.

After such focused work, Rudy needed to take a breather. (He's leaning his head right in the finger paint that worked its way onto the plastic tablecloth.) Needless to say, both Rudy and I needed a bath after our morning adventure.

Its been tons of fun celebrating the big ONE with Rudy. What a great kid. What lucky parents we are!