First Birthday: Retro Style

Jesse turned one this past Friday. Unfortunately, he had to celebrate with his one-year checkup at the doctor. A few minutes of poking and prodding combined with four shots kind of put a damper on his day. Saturday, however, was party day! Jesse invited his grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncles, and a couple friends over for cake and celebration. Based on Jesse's reaction to his first taste of cake, it looks like it successfully offset the unpleasantness of the previous day's shots.

It's incredible to think where we (and Jesse) were last year at this time. Just twelve months ago, Jesse weighed seven pounds and fifteen ounces. His diet was extremely limited. He slept a ton. And we could comfortably set him down (in a safe place!) without worrying about whether he'd stay there when we turned our back. Now? Oh no. He's twenty-five pounds and two ounces, his second tooth just broke through the other day, and he is all over the place. He's not slowing down, either.

The year has been stressful. But, even bigger than the stress, the year has been more rewarding than I'd ever imagined. Seeing Jesse develop his skills, personality, and, (most noticeably) his sense of humor has been a joy.

Oh yes, Jesse's cake...that was Mommy and Daddy's idea. It's not exactly the shape of a 1968 Dodge Charger but the effect works. And the concept of the pull-apart cake/cupcake is pretty sweet.