First Birthday Party!

Eli had his first birthday party today. It was not big, but it filled our little house! Here is who came to celebrate Eli's special day:

Scott and Rhiannon, John and Cindy, Tom and Colin (who slept through the whole party), Mike and Sophia, Corinne and Andy, Joanna, Jeff, Emily, and Joel, Heather, Jacob, and Jillian and Rebecca, Jay, and Matt

Eli loved playing with Sophia.



John loves Cindy.



Emily, Jacob, Jillian and Sophia colored. Jacob's and Sophia's pictures are on the fridge!



Joel played up to the camera.



And there were cupcakes...so many cupcakes...



We learned our lesson at Eli's family party, though. He had a banana instead of a cupcake. We sang Happy Birthday!



Emily and Matt enjoyed their cupcakes!





After everyone left and Eli napped, we opened Eli's presents. Thanks everyone for his great gifts!

We played in his play yard. I can't believe how big he is and how fast the last year has gone by. I feel like we just came home with him and looked at each other with fear in our eyes, both of us thinking there was no way we could handle this. And look - we have a beautiful baby boy who we love more than anything else in the world!



We can't wait to see what this next year will bring!

Eli's First Birthday!

Eli turned one today, on Thanksgiving! I can't believe my litle baby is one already. It was such an emotional day for Mommy.

Sorry for all the pictures, but I can't stop myself and this is really two huge celebrations in one!

Daddy made a perfect turkey on his first try ever.



Eli's first Thanksgiving dinner - last year, we were in the hospital because he was born the night before Thanksgiving. This year, he ate turkey, sweet potatoes, carrots, stuffing, and he LOVED cranberry sauce.



Eli wore a bit of what he was eating. The piece of turkey fell off his forehead as I took this picture.



You can see he was showing us he was one! His other fingers got cut off, but I swear he was copying Auntie Heather!



Jacob had to stand guard at the kitchen door. Reggie, who is allergic to turkey, started to eat it off the table in the kitchen!



Then it was time for presents. Eli's first present was from his Auntie Heather, Uncle Joe, and Jacob and Jillian. It was a Cozy Coupe! He loved to explore it and Jacob and Jillian had fun playing in it with him.



We opened some more presents.





Baba, Zayda, Uncle Josh, and Stephanie came over and we sang and had some cake.







After cake, a bath was required! A very tired Eli opened some more presents and then went to bed. What a busy first birthday and Thanksgiving!

What is wrong with this picture?

Hint: My party POOPer husband thinks no one will be able to tell.

Bed Time Mischief

We let Eli explore his room after we change him into his PJ's. He loves playing with everything in the room and we have to be on our toes!

He gets into his toybox...



...and tries to open and close his dresser draws. We hold them closed so his little fingers don't get smashed. But he pulls and pulls anyway!



He used to be mesmerized by this dragonfly, but it is slowly losing it's hypnotic powers...maybe it needs batteries?

Am I funny, Daddy??

Eli kept hitting the buttons on his toy so the music would play, and looking over at Daddy with a big, open-mouth grin on his face. He looked like he was trying to make Daddy laugh!



He kept walking around the play yard and doing it over and over again. Our little entertainer! We really need to get our baby proofing finished. Someone is no longer satisfied with the play yard and wants to explore...