One Year Old!

Caleb's first birthday wasn't quite what I had envisioned, but it was wonderful all the same!

Caleb's party was supposed to be at 4:30 on Tuesday at Vlasis Park. I watched The Weather Channel website all day hoping that the rain would hold off until after the party. I left work at 3:00 and went to ice down drinks. As I was pulling out of the gas station, I heard the first clap of thunder. With thunder and gray clouds, comes lightning and I just knew our plans were going to have to change. I got busy calling all of the party guests and told them to come to our house instead. By the time I got home, I was in a frenzy. Rudy wasn't feeling well (ear infection and allergies) so he was struggling to keep up. I got the floor swept, the cupcakes on plates and the drinks in the fridge with about 10 minutes to spare! We had a great turn-out: Jenny, Michael, Colleen, Carrie, Drew, Jen, Broc, Kynan, Gabe and Jerry all came to share in Caleb's big celebration! We had a great time and Caleb got some wonderful gifts. He got some new Little People toys, some books, bubbles, blocks and a ride-on firetruck. The kids had a great time playing with all of the new stuff and Caleb was too young to care that everyone was playing with his new toys. It was wonderful.

As the party started, I realized that this was an unknown world for me. I've never been the mother of the birthday boy before and I really didn't know how to run a toddler party. Jen assured me that whatever I did would be fine, so I went with it! We put a vinyl tablecloth in the middle of the living room and gave the kids cupcakes. WHAT A MESS! Then all of the kids helped Caleb open his presents while the grown-ups laughed and watched them. It was really fun once I relaxed and let it all unfold.
After the party, Rudy and I decided to have dinner at the same place where we had dinner last year on May 1st: Bandana's BBQ. The only difference was that we needed a highchair this year! Jenny joined us for dinner and we reminisced about last May. What a difference a year makes!

When we got home from dinner, Caleb and I played with some of his new toys and then he went to bed. Rudy cleaned up the kitchen and I cleaned up the rest of the party remainders.
I greeted Caleb on Wednesday morning with a big, "Happy Birthday!" He was in a great mood, standing in his crib and smiling at me. It was almost like he knew that it was a special day for him. We went about our morning like normal and I spent the whole day thinking about "where was I this time last year?" At 2:04 PM, I was sitting in an IEP meeting at Uthoff Valley Elementary. I looked at my watch and smiled a warm smile. My baby had officially turned one. Amazing.

When I left the meeting, I went to the grocery store to get a cake for Caleb and then picked him up at Carrie's. We went home and played and enjoyed our afternoon together. Rudy got home about 6:00 and helped me get Caleb ready for his big photo shoot! Since before Caleb was born, I had planned to take pictures of him with his first birthday cake and the time had come. I hung a plastic tablecloth as a backdrop/floor covering. We stripped Caleb down to his diaper and then put the cake in front of him. He was delighted! He slowly but surely demolished that cake. Those pictures will be forever treasured. Once the cake party was over, we took him upstairs to the tub (with his legs in a plastic bag so he wouldn't drip cake everywhere) and sprayed him off. We played some more in the evening and both Grandma Jan and LaLa called to wish him a very happy birthday. Rudy gave him a bath and then we got him ready for bed. In the end, it was a wonderful day. I love my one-year-old boy and all of the ups and downs that come along with him. Most people say that when you have a baby, your life gets turned upside down. I prefer to say that when I had Caleb, he turned my life rightside up.