Happy First

It seems like Luke enjoyed his first birthday, but then again, it doesn't take much to make him happy.

The day started out rainy so I took him to the local indoor pool. It was his third time in a pool, though the first two times were over 7 months ago so it was definitely new to him. He was timid at first, with a death grip on my neck, but was splashing around and laughing after about ten minutes.

During the day he "saw" both sets of Grandparents on Skype (and enjoyed a long "Happy Birthday" serenade from Grandma Brigitte's singing and dancing stuffed bear - one in her collection of singing toys that makes us all laugh uncontrollably).

And he talked on the phone with his Aunt Kim and cousins Kian, Declan and Burke, whose early-years birthdays I can remember well, and now their voices are changing and stuff. I feel old.

Keith got home pretty early so we walked to the swings at Kits beach and out for an early dinner. And then it was time for Luke's very first bucket of sugar... I mean, cupcake!

When we first set it on his tray, he couldn't have been less interested. It was the first time--ever!--that we put something in front of him and he didn't immediately shove it in his mouth!

After like three minutes of coaxing him to try it, he discovered that it was sweet (especially the 4-inch mound of frosting on top) and started digging in. We had to remove the frosting mound in an attempt to dampen the forthcoming sugar rush a bit. Though he was obviously enjoying it, he wasn't showing any sign of excitement or pleasure (see photos). He wasn't even doing his "yum, num, yum" thing. Strange.

The excitement came about five minutes later when, stripped from his frosting-covered clothes down to just a diaper, he started stomping around the living room with his arms up like a zombie, blabbing on and on and laughing. Somehow I didn't capture that part on video.

After opening a few gifts (thanks to all!), the little guy was exhausted and crashed in bed right around the time that he actually came into the world one year ago.