Happy Birthday, Elliott!

Elliott,

On your first birthday you enjoyed the balloons with faces and Winnie the Pooh party hats that Mommy hung from the ceiling. Your big brother Alex came home from the university for the afternoon and Valerie's friend Evan came over as well. We went to the little park in Indian Peaks and you slid down a slide for the first time and kept climbing back up so you could do it again. You didn't like the swing as much, but when you saw Valerie and Evan swinging as well you were a little more accepting of it. You crawled around in the grass and watched older kids climb on rocks and jump off.

You took a nice little birthday nap while daddy made fettuccine alfredo with sauteed vegetables. We thought you might like some noodles with a creamy sauce but you demonstrated your disapproval by pushing the noodles off the plate and turning the plate over. We had a carrot cake made for you at the little cake shop across from Daddy's school that said "Happy Birthday Elliott" on it. We started to sing Happy Birthday to you but you started to cry at the discovery of being born into a family of non-singers. Mommy helped you extinguish the little blaze before you grabbed it with you curious little fingers. We enjoyed the cake but you did not approve.

You were presented with a nice big basket full of presents. You tore open a couple of them before becoming bored with the routine. We put the gifts aside so that you can open more of them on other days when you are in the mood for something new.

It has been a fun first year for us, watching you discover your world through your eyes and ears and nose and mouth and fingertips. We look forward to your first unaided footsteps here pretty soon and for you to speak some words that not just those closest to you recognize. Let's play!