The big splash first birthday bash!

I've delayed far too long in posting these great photos from Ethan's birthday party last month. I had a blast putting together water-themed foods, drinks, and decorations. I'm so grateful to Mr Leaven for doing so much to get the house and backyard party-ready - everything looked wonderful!

I got a chance to do a little baking for the party, making beachy cupcakes and blackberry (sand)bars from local blackberries we'd picked ourselves.

We're also so grateful to Cherryleigh's Cookies and Cupcakes for providing a beautiful tray of cookies, which was the star of the dessert table. A week before the party I chanced upon an online baking auction raising funds for Habitat for Humanity to rebuild homes in Granbury destroyed by tornadoes. With this particular item fitting the party theme perfectly, I thought it would be a great tribute to donate to Habitat in Ethan's honor and also get some awesome cookies for the party! She even made some special personalized cookies for his first birthday. She's based right outside of Dallas (it worked out perfectly that she was visiting friends in north Houston so could swing by my office to drop off the cookies!) - if any of my Dallas friends/family have cookie or cake needs, I highly recommend Cherryleigh's!!

Some of my other favorites from the party planning: the towel party favors (brilliant idea of Mr Leaven's), which were cute and practical; blue punch with bath toys floating on top; a bucket of swim goggles in all sizes for kids to borrow as needed; the octopus hummus; plastic buckets with snacks, including the very popular neon orange 'beach balls'...

A few days before the party, Mr Leaven and I completed a small home renovation project, converting our patio into a cabana with outdoor curtains and a big sectional sofa. We love the space and it was perfect as a slightly shaded area from which grown-ups could watch the kids swim. Of course, Mr Leaven did most of the work - he's a keeper!

The party itself was a blast. I stayed inside most of the time (by the food tables!), spending time with the non-swimmers, and Mr Leaven was outside with most of the younger guests. There was much swimming, eating, and general festivity. E enjoyed a very blue cupcake and then got thoroughly washed. He slept very well that night.

Thank you to everyone who brought gifts (contrary to the invitation instructions!) and to those who didn't or who brought a pool toy (excellent job!). It appears that the new trend in gift-giving is not to include a card or tag (I am definitely a big follower of this trend as well) - this makes my terrible inability to write thank-you notes quite a bit easier - I have no clue who gave E such cute gifts, but please know that he loves them all!

And a very special thanks to sis-in-law Jessica, who was the unofficial party photographer and without whom I wouldn't have a single photo from the event! I'm looking through the pics again now and am so very grateful for all the memories she captured!!

grandma carrying ocean jello

deviled egg sailboats

you can't see it, but there was also chocolate panna cotta AKA Galveston water

Itty bitty cousin Piper - only a month old!

 

On the occasion of my firstborn's first birthday

yep - posted late as always. just wait till the new baby joins us - think i'll still post at all??

As I anticipate the birthday of baby boy Ethan in a few hours, all I can think is that it's such a miracle he's made it this far in one piece. Tonight, he decided he was done with his recliner and he gracefully swerved to the right and plopped solidly onto the floor head-first. Earlier today, he swung his hand right into my left eye and lightly abraded my cornea.

Makes me think of the line from Grosse Point Blank - 'You spend the first year just trying to keep these little guys alive.'

He has only one teensy tiny little scar so far... a collision with the corner of a coffee table has left him with a thin white line under his left eye.

The kid's such a daredevil that I'm sure we have many heart-stopping moments for his mama ahead. He's just getting better and better at climbing everything. Stairs are no challenge, and his talent at descending stairs/sofas/chairs (but maybe not so much recliners) is the most amazing thing to me - he taught himself to turn around and drop his legs down, and he can rapidly climb a flight of stairs then climb right back down.

showing his friend Benjamin how it's done.

One of his greatest frustrations is other people doing things for him. Kid is crazy independent. A few weeks ago at Gymboree he was at the top of a climbing structure and the teacher was telling me to turn him around so he could come back down. This made him very, very angry, and it wasn't till I let go and let him do it himself that he stopped crying.

While he's not quite walking on his own yet, he's so, so, so close. He stands and squats with ease, cruises everywhere, and will take 3 or 4 steps toward his dad or mom or nanny.

He can play ball with us fairly well and giggles joyfully at games of catch. Giggling is something he's very good at. His 2 half brothers are staying with us right now, and he loves to laugh when Jared entertains him. His other entertainment is watching the dogs, and something I'm not completely delighted that he's discovered is opening his mouth in front of Choxie, welcoming a lick (blecch).

Meal time is still hilarious. If he's standing at the bay window and eating, he has to take a break to walk over to the mirrored refrigerator to check himself out for a while. Either standing or sitting in his high chair, he feels it's very important to clear his plate, so whatever he doesn't want gets thrown onto the floor where he can laugh as the dogs clean up his discards.

Do any of y'all use Picasa? I love these little gif's that get automatically created for you!

He got an early birthday party this year, mostly because I wanted to make sure his mama actually got to attend the party (I'm 35 1/2 weeks' pregnant now!), and next weekend we're taking smash-cake photos with a professional photographer, so he's really scoring when it comes to cake and icing. I haven't heard many complaints from E.

We are so very fortunate to have such a beautiful, energetic, daring, and above all HAPPY one-year-old! Love, love, love this kid and can't wait to see what the future holds!

And a Very Important Addendum: Ethan's big birthday present to his dad and me was the gift of walking! He took his first steps on his own, tossing a toy across the room and walking to it! As of today (3 weeks later) he is Mister Mobile. He has explored every room of the house and loves his new freedom!

:) s