Our Baby's 1st Birthday!

I've been avoiding this post because I feel like it marks the end of something.  The end of my baby's first year of life.  The end of being able to call him a baby.  The end of my "baby book." 

No wonder it feels like a daunting task, huh?  So, I've decided to treat it as it should be treated...a celebration of Griffin's first year and a way to preserve the memories of this fun day!

Griffin's actual birthday was pretty low key - a typical Thursday at home with Mama - but we had the treat of meeting Dada for lunch at Chick-fil-a!  Griffin even got to eat some chicken nuggets and french fries.  Then we played on the playground before Dada headed back to work and we headed home for a birthday nap.  (As I wrote that I laughed to myself because on G's birthday, everything was a "birthday something"...birthday breakfast - same blueberry waffle as always - birthday nap, birthday lunch, birthday bath.  Things just sound more special if you add the word birthday in front of it!  haha.) 

It was fun thinking back to "a year ago today" and saying things like, "a year ago today Chad was eating a McDonalds breakfast in the delivery room with my dad, while I looked on (unable to put anything in my body except for ice chips) and waited for the nurses and midwife to say we were ready to start pushing."  Or, the absolute best was when Chad called me in the car after we had just left from lunch and said, "It's 12:34.  A year ago today Griffin was born!" Sure enough, the clock read exactly 12:34.  I lost it -thinking back to all of the emotions that were happening at that exact moment in the delivery room.  I just love looking back on that day...nothing but fond memories and I hope those memories never fade.

***Pause to take a deep breath and wipe my tears as I'm writing this.  Motherhood has made me an emotional basket case!***

Okay, on to the party weekend!  Gram and Grandpa came in town on Friday so we could all go out to dinner for Chad's birthday.  I think they wanted to make sure that their baby's birthday didn't get overlooked.  Sweet Chad...I think he's more than happy to give Griffin the birthday spotlight! 

Once Saturday came, I was in full "party planning" mode.  Everything was pretty much in order, just had to finish decorating and pick up a few things from the grocery store.  Most of the day was spent with me sending up silent prayers that Griffin would take good naps and be a happy boy for his party! 

Once the house was ready, the guests started to arrive!  It was just a small, family event...perfect for a small birthday boy.  Thankfully my prayers were answered and G had good naps.  Though he was a little thrown off when he woke up from his afternoon nap to find all these people at his house, he warmed up pretty quickly and was a perfect party host.

I'm pretty sure one of his favorite parts of his birthday was the balloons.  He had fun playing with them for days after the party was over.

After opening his great gifts, it was time for cake....

He was NOT too fond of his birthday hat.  I kept trying, but he wasn't having it. (Though it made for great photos.)

So, of course we all gathered around to sing Happy Birthday to Griffin, anxiously anticipating what he would do with his smash cake!  I think most moms secretly hope for a good show...you know, face first into the cake; a messy chow down as he shovels cake into his mouth...but I wasn't really expecting that from Griffin.  He pretty much did just what I would have predicted.  He liked the taste of the cake, but was thrown off by the texture of the icing all over his hands.  (Or was he thrown off by all these people standing around staring at him?)  He kept squishing and squeezing the icing in his hands.  haha...it was cute.  He eventually put a few bites into his mouth...

....and he even shared a few bites with Dada.  See the icing all over his face? 



I love everything about this picture.  GinGi's 85th birthday was just 3 days after Griffin's 1st birthday.  A perfect picture of young and old, in deep conversation, no doubt.


After everyone enjoyed some cake and Griffin took a dunk in the bathtub, he had fun playing with his new toys and we all had fun watching him.

A perfect birthday celebration for a perfect litte baby boy.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GRIFFIN!

First Steps!

Exactly a week shy of his 1st birthday, Griffin took his first steps!!  He has been practicing since Christmas with the help of his friendly green dinosaur (which he L.O.V.E.S...evident by the picture of him kissing it), but on February 3rd, Griffin got the nerve to try a few steps on his own!  

It all came about very naturally and unexpectedly.  I was playing with G up in his room and set him down on his feet and then sat right in front of him.  He was balancing really well and then just took some steps towards me!  I'm talking like 2 or 3 steps, but he knew he was doing something new because he had a huge smile on his face!  We did the same thing 1 or 2 more times, but then he'd had enough.  I immediately e-mailed Chad at work and told him we had a new trick to show him when he got home.  Luckily, G felt like making his Dada proud and took about 7 or 8 steps for him!  He was great!

Sadly, I don't have pictures to post (shocker, I know), but we did catch some steps on our video camera.

Since the big day Griffin hasn't shown much interest in walking much more.  He's so fast with the whole crawling thing, he probably doesn't see the point yet.  Until then, we'll enjoy a few steps here and there and will be cheering him on every step of the way!

A Day at the River

This weekend we had amazing weather with temps in the mid 60's, a much needed break from the cold, January weather.  I think all of Atlanta took the opportunity to get out and about, and we were no exception.  G had spent the night at GiGi and Charlie's the night before, so when I went to pick him up on Saturday, we decided to go spend some time at Jones Bridge Park.  Fun times!

Griffin liked being pushed REALLY high!

Then he had a lot of fun playing in the tunnel.  He crawled back and forth and liked looking out the holes in the side.

Peek-a-boo! 
(I am in love with this picture...and this little boy!)

Then we headed down to the water to check out the ducks.  It was so beautiful out there!

Some kids beside us shared their bread so G cold feed the ducks.  He couldn't quite understand that the bread was for the ducks...he kept eating it himself!  haha.

Such a fun day in the sun and warm weather!  Come on Spring...we're ready for you!