A year old! How the time flies. The Boy is getting bigger and faster and stronger and smarter and funnier and more lovable every day.

This morning, his first birthday morning, he woke up at 6am and joined us in bed. He never really fell soundly asleep again, despite all of our best efforts (hey - we wanted to sleep too!) so after playing for a little while on the bed, we all got up at around 8. Jacob had some bagel and whole (cow's) milk for breakfast, then we packed him and a cake I had baked the night before all up in the minivan and headed off to "school". Arrived in time for snacktime. Everyone sang happy birthday, and then dove into the cake. The first piece Jacob got ended up on the floor pretty quickly (maybe he thinks the JCC has a dog?) so I gave him my piece. That piece must have seemed more appetizing, for it ended up mulched all over his face and hands, and quite a bit of it ended up in his mouth.

We played for a couple of hours with the toddlers until Jacob seemed too tired, then headed back home for a little nap. Daddy came home in time for lunch (goldfish, pears, and fruity crackers) and then we played. We had fun in the basement with the new tent his grandma and grandpa bought him, practiced throwing a ball (Daddy kept trying to put the ball in his left hand -- he want him to have a long MLB career), pulled him around in his amazing (and amazingly huge) Radio Flyer red wagon.

Uncle Robert came over for dinner and cake. Jacob couldn't believe his luck. He's quite smitten with his uncle. After Robert left to catch a plane to go see Grandma and Grandpa, we all sat down to open the presents we bought The Boy. He got a book, a ball, and bear, and a puzzle. He seemed to really enjoy them all. He seems to have figured out the whole present thing (at Christmas he found the process entirely overwhelming) and enjoys it enormously.

Sunday the birthday continues with a few baby friends (Devon, Jack, and maybe Maxine) and some grown ups. Then in the evening we get to celebrate with Grammy, Papa, Jeff and Jenna. Yay!