A day in our life...: The Update (part 2)

Part 2 of our “catch up” series takes us back to this past Wednesday. Wednesday, November 24th. It certainly was a big day! It was Mike’s FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!

To coin a phrase, what a long strange trip it’s been (I don’t think Jerry would mind…)

From a parents point of view – it has all gone by so very fast. We’ve always taken the time to enjoy each of Mike’s “stages”, but it seems like they are here today and gone tomorrow. It’s just so incredibly hard to comprehend that a year ago, we were sitting in the hospital holding our newborn son.

From Mike’s point of view – I would say that the trip has been even longer and stranger! Going from a nice comfy cocoon to a bright world full of casts and surgery and braces. Baths and diapers and changing clothes. Bottles and food. Cutting teeth and recovering from colds. Going from completely stationary to fully mobile. Talking, sign language, books and toys. Thanksgiving, Christmas (who’s the dude in the red suit?) to Halloween (why am I dressed like a dog?) and all the crazy holiday’s in between. Snuggling on laps and taking naps. Mom and Dad and grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, even dogs for “sisters”. Don’t forget the magic ceiling fans. And he takes it all in – studies every little detail – and always has a smile to give you. Even with all of that craziness…

And how would you celebrate surviving a full year of all that? With presents, cake and home made ice cream, of course!

It took just a second for Mike to get the hang of ripping the wrapping paper. Then it became a game! Not to get the presents open, but to see how many pieces he could tear the paper in to!

“Check this out!”

“Whoa! The paper comes off!”

After the presents, we gave him some home made ice cream. At first he wasn’t too sure of it – he’s not much on sweet foods. But the cold felt good on his gums (we think he’s cutting about 37 teeth since he’s puts out around 24 gallons of drool per day).

Then came the grand finale. His very own birthday cake. A yummy carrot cake with home made cream cheese icing! Again – he’s not much on sweets. but he loves squishing things through his tiny little fingers! Perhaps the best part was after he had made a grand mess – he decided he didn’t really need the plate and dumped the whole thing. The dogs ended up eating more of the cake than Mike did!

“What in the heck is this?”

“It sure is squishy!”

“Did someone say they needed a plate?”

“Maybe I’ll try eating a bite…”

“Ummm – guys? Have you seen how dirty and sticky my hands are?”

“Dang! Cake and ice cream aren’t so bad after all!”

One year. A whole year. It’s such a cliché to say that it feels like yesterday. But it is so true. The cool part? It’s just the first step down the path of a long, beautiful journey…