One Year Old

Looks like Mallory and Mikey are getting some chow!

Peeps from his nursery

I know it looks like I'm waving, but really I'm telling Dapo I need five more burgers! That's my Dad on the right.

My friend Nicole engages Jimi in conversation.

I am finally getting a chance to eat.

Or, am I? There's my plate behind Jimi. He is about to eat his cake. Sadly, no pix of the cake, only video.

Jimi gets a head start on the gang by playing with the "bowling pins" earlier in the day

Daddy and Grampa put food coloring in water bottles to make them more fun!

Grammy, Jimi, John-John and Tori

A really good shot of nothing, really.

Grammy and the birthday boy!

Hooray! Jimi turned a year old on July 13th. It is hard to believe how fast that went by. He never was very little, but he is a BIG BOY now! He weighs in at just under 27 lbs, and a cool 34". He is good natured and fun-loving, a perfect mix of his Daddy and me.

We had a party for him that consisted of a baby Elmo theme. We invited only people that we thought he would know their names, mostly friends of his from nursery at church. It was HOT and humid, and thunderstorms cancelled our "backyard bowling" I had set up for the older siblings of his friends. Oh well, we brought the bottles inside and threw them alongside the new toy box/window seat that Daddy and Grandpa had built the day before.

I really tried to keep the party on schedule, knowing that Jimi and I would be needing naps soon. Dapo did a great job of BBQ'ing and the food was yummy! We had chicken salad croissants, pb&j, deviled eggs, guacamole and salsa and chips, veggies and Uncle Dans, olives and punch and water to drink. Then when the BBQ was ready we had fruit salad, macaroni salad and burgers and hot dogs. You couldn't tell I was pregnant, could you??

Jimi had cake after lunch and it was so funny! We sang the non-traditional "today is your birthday, happy, happy birthday...happy birthday to you! na, na na na na, na na na na na na na na na na, na na na na! hey!" And I helped him blow out the "One" candle on his very own cake. I had put the cake on a plate, on his high chair and he had just eaten, so he seemed rather disinterested at first. Everyone looked on awaiting that funny first moment. I finally took the cake off the plate, which is when Jimi picked up the entire piece (two hands) and shoved it into his mouth! He mushed it up with his fingers, and then ran his fingers through his beautiful curly locks. All over his hair. He had a great time.

Then we opened presents, which was amusing after all of that sugar! He got a couple of outfits, a drum with rattle-type toys inside, a giraffe tunnel to crawl through, blocks, a couple of developmental toys (i.e. leapfrog's Fridge DJ, Vtech's explore & learn helicopter, etc.), a ball, and some cold, hard cash. About then it was time for everyone to get going. I wanted to keep it short and sweet. Going from 11-1, since those times are all ones. It was a great day to have a party!

Grammy took him shoe shopping while she was here. He is in a size 7 1/2! I had no idea. No wonder he didn't like wearing his shoes...they were 2 whole sizes too small. I felt so bad. Grammy also is going to buy him Uncle Arthur's bedtime stories. I had these books when I was a kid and I still remember some of the stories and the morals they taught. I can't wait to bond with my son over them and begin making memories for him.