One!

Today is Finn's birthday! My little baby boy is one! I cannot even believe it has already been a year. All day I kept thinking - " a year ago now we were on our way to the hospital; a year ago now we found out we were going to have a c-section; a year ago now I held him for the very first time!" So fun to think back to the day he was born and to think how many wonderful moments we have had this year.

Tonight we had a little party for him. We had a few friends over to help celebrate. First, we had him open his gifts. We sat him on the floor of the living room and all circled around him. As soon as he realized all eyes were on him, he got this big smile and kept looking around from person to person, trying to figure out what was going on.

After gifts, we did the cake. As we lit the candles and turned the lights off, his face just lit up! His eyes were huge and his smile even bigger. He just looked around with wonder and delight as we all sang to him. He definitely outshone the candles. So precious!

Then - my favorite part! We stripped him down to his diaper, put him on the kitchen floor and gave him a huge chocolate and vanilla cupcake to go to town with. It was so fun to watch! He didn't quite go for it the way I imagined he would but in the end, enjoyed eating the cupcakes but mostly enjoyed squishing and smearing the frosting EVERYWHERE! It was great!

The beginning and end of the Cakefest!
You can imagine what happened in between.

It's hard to believe that such a tiny little creature can occupy such a huge place in one's heart. What a joy every day of the past year has been as I have watched my adorable, happy little boy grow. He has such a fun-loving, playful personality and an infectious smile and laugh. He's my precious little puppy dog, crawling beside me, behind me, around me, all day long, panting, chewing on anything he can get his hands on. If he had a tail, I know it would be wagging constantly.

Each morning when he wakes up - even though I'm tired and fantasize about staying in bed a little longer -- I really am excited to go in his room and see him. Without fail, he is standing up waiting for me or Jeramy and as soon as he sees us, he giggles then turns around and dives - face first - into his crib.

What a blessing this little guy has been to me and Jeramy and Ella. He has brought so much love and happiness into our family and even though we've only had him a year, I can't remember our lives before him. I'm so excited to see what is in store for us this next year.