HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, NOAH!!!!!!

Well, my baby boy is one today. People keep saying that makes him not a baby anymore but I just can't go there yet. Will I always think of him as my baby?? I guess so! But I do have to admit that he's becoming more of a toddler everyday. He walked all the way across Bennett's room today, the farthest he's walked to far. And he liked it so much that he just kept walking around the room tonight before bed. He even walked in circles a little when he couldn't figure out which way to go. Imagine that, my child is indecisive. Anyway...

We had his birthday party today and it turned out to be such a fun time. I put a slide show below because there were so many pictures to share. It was just our families, including our parents (Grammie, Papa, Grandmother, Granddaddy), Shane's grandmother (Prissy Mama), my sister & her kids (Julie, Anna Grace, Brock), and several of my cousins (Jill, JD & Adeline, Jan & Jackson, Jody). We missed Shane's sisters (Tammy who lives in Mississippi, Cindy who had another commitment already), several Aunts & Uncles who were so sweet to be here for Noah's baptism just a couple of months ago and my dad & Margaret (Grandpa & Mimi) who had to change their plans to accomodate the crazy gas price hike/shortage from Hurricane Ike that might leave them stranded here next week if they'd driven up from Florida.

The party was at 4:00 to be sure the kids could get their naps before the party. Of course Noah went down late and was still sleeping when the first guests arrived. So he was pretty groggy for the first few minutes (as is reflected in some of the pictures we took early on). But he warmed up pretty quickly and ended up having a great time. We did everything out on our deck & in the back yard. About halfway through, Shane leaned over and asked "Is this what you envisioned when you asked for this new deck?" Exactly!!! The kids ran and played ball in the yard. The adults sat in the shade on the deck. The little ones climbed in & out of the playhouse on the deck. In my mind, it was perfect. Just what I'd hoped when we started the very long, very expensive yard renovation last summer.

So after a good bit of playtime, we did the cake. Noah wasn't shy about the cake and ate a pretty good bit of his own little "1" cake. And when he was finished, he let us know by flipping it off the high chair, icing side down on the deck. He's not subtle! I tried something new for the adult cake. I covered it in fondant and put Noah's initials out of fondant on the top. Probably not something I'll do everytime, but it was fun to try something new and I think it turned out to be a pretty cake.

After a little mini bath to get the icing off Noah's face, ears, hair, clothes, etc., it was time for presents. Noah decided to camp out inside the playhouse for most of that portion of the party, but the other kids really enjoyed getting to open his presents for him. He got so many fun new things, and played with several before bath & bed tonight. Also, big brother liked quite a few of them as well. Bennett's pretty sure that if he plays with a toy long enough, it's no longer Noah's, but his instead. We still have a few lessons in sharing to do. But overall he did really well. And I assured him before bed that for one whole year he's been a really good big brother. He seemed pleased with that.

After all that cake around 5pm, neither boy seemed interested in dinner, so a long bath and a few goldfish later, they both turned in very easily. Even all that sugar couldn't keep them awake after the excitement and playing they had done at the party.

We're so thankful for our family that joined us today (and the ones who couldn't be here) and the ways they enrich our children's lives. Most of all, we're thankful for our precious Noah. He's given us fits with sleeping all year (don't think we're done with that yet) and has been sick more than his fair share, but even with all the challenges, he is one of the sweetest kids I've ever been around. He gives hugs & kisses as many as you'll take. He loves to be outside (much like another Solomon child I know) and rarely fusses at all if he's out in the sunshine. He adores Bennett, watches him like a hawk and amazes me how well he imitates him, even at such a young age. Bennett has a big job as a role model ahead of him! He's smart, talking so much like it's just what he's supposed to do, and somehow it's understandable even though it's baby talk. He loves attention and will give most anybody a big grin that you can't help but smile about. And of course, we can never forget those cheeks...who can resist those cheeks...not the ladies in the checkout line at WalMart, not the man at Lifeway who said he was reconsidering having another child after seeing his cheeks, not the cheek-pinchers in the lobby at church. Will he lose the cheeks in the next year? Maybe, but I'm pretty sure he'll be loveable for the rest of his life. Happy Birthday Noah!!!!