Happy 1st Birthday AJ!!!

I have already admitted that I am post dating this, so I won't try to pretend that I am writing this on his birthday. It's actually June 9 and I worked at the hospital today. Rebekah, Aidric's babysitter, got him dressed while I was gone. When I got home, he was asleep, and I had to wake him to leave for swim class. I went in his room and there he was all stretched out in his crib. He was wearing a new "big boy" polo shirt he hadn't worn before and a pair of kahakis. He looked like he should be getting on the kindergarten bus any minute! If the clothes weren't enough,I realized for the first time, that his (not so) little body takes up about 3/4 of his crib! I remember the first time I put him in there for a nap and he took up about 1/20 of it.

All of that rambling is to say, "WHERE IN THE WORLD DID MY BABY GO??????????"

After celebrating the first year of our little man's life, this is a great time to say how blessed we are. Although he was anxious to arrive and put us through a little stress for the first three weeks in the NICU, he has been healthy ever since. He is more fun every day as he figures things out and learns new things. And I have to tell you, he really gets a kick out of himself as well. When he does something he is proud of, he claps and looks at you expectantly, like you should be clapping too!

And speaking of things I am proud of.....he took his first steps today!!!! He has been walking around holding our hands for weeks, but really relying on us for balance. The past week, he has been "using" us less but unwilling to let go. Today, he took a few steps in the living room and then while we were at Barnes and Noble playing by the train track, he let go of the table and just walked over to me (four or so steps) like he'd been doing it his whole life, no big deal!! I was soooooo proud!!!

Here are some pictures from his birthday, as well as a link to several MORE pictures!

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(I forgot to add a caption to a few of the swimming ones- I am not trying to drown Aidric in the ones where he is underwater- he is showing off his swim school skills! He can hold his breath for 7 seconds and swim by himself for 4 seconds now!!)



The cake (for the record, I was so disappointed in how it looked- but it tasted delicious!). Look how excited he is in this pic to get his hands on it!


The excitement turned to tears when I wouldn't let him grab the candles!


All was well soon enough when it was time for him to actually EAT CAKE! I made this one for him- a slightly healthier version of chocolate cake. He LOVED it. Eventually, I had to stop him b/c he just kept piling it in....


"Here daddy, you try some." (notice the frosting on his ear/side of his face!


Opening some presents..

Outside for some bubble fun..


and then some finger painting!