Brady's 1st Birthday

Our little BradyBear turned one on March 19th!  I cannot believe that my little baby is already a one-year-old toddler. It just doesn't seem possible.

It was definitely a bittersweet day because, unlike with Alaina, all of Brady's firsts are also my lasts. This was the last time I would ever be able to plan a 1st Birthday party, the last time my child would try cake for the first time, etc.  I've had that bittersweet feeling many times during Brady's first year: witnessing his first rolling over, his first sitting up, his first crawl, his first tooth, his first step.  The last of the firsts.  I know all mothers go through this at some point when they realize they will have no more children.  Oh sure I'll get to experience many new firsts with Brady -- his first day of school, his first movie, his first ballgame -- but my little baby is growing up and it's bittersweet that the baby firsts have passed us by.

We celebrated Brady's special day by having a party for him on St. Patrick's Day at our home.  We had a total of 35 people at the party which included my parents, Rob's parents, my sister and her family, Rob's brother and sister-in-law, 11 friends of ours, and 14 children.  It was a happening party to say the least!  Luckily the weather was sunny and 80° so we were able to open the doors & windows and our guests could hang out on the deck.

Brady & MeMa at his birthday party

Brady at his birthday party

I spent the days prior to the party making 35 chocolate and vanilla lollipops I sent home with the guests as party favors.  I must say I think they turned out fantastic! 

The lollipops I made for his party

I also baked Brady's 1st Birthday cake and also 36 cupcakes for the party.  As much as I love cake and my homemade buttercream icing, I was so over it by the time the party had arrived, that I didn't even really want one.  Ha!

Brady's cake!

On the day of his actual 1st birthday, Rob and I took the day off work so that we could spend the day as a family.  We had a quiet morning which involved taking the kids out to breakfast and then we all went to Pinecliff Park. Ha!  Pinecliff is Alaina's new favorite park because the ice skating pond behind the toddler's playground is full of frogs (thus why she calls it the 'frog park').  After we were finished playing at the park it was time to head home for lunch and then it was naptime -- for the kids, not for us.  After the kids' naps we watched Brady open his gifts and the kids had a good time playing with his new toys.  It was a good day.

Our family on Brady's 1st Birthday

All smiles on his 1st Birthday

Getting ready for Alaina to blow out Brady's candle

Brady on his 1st Birthday

 Brady received many wonderful gifts from his family & friends

• savings bond
• washable "My First" crayons
• Shake & Go Thomas the Train
• Lobster short outfit
• Nationals onesie
• Plaid baseball glove short outfit from Gymboree
• Cars & Trucks book
• Plaid doggy short outfit from Crazy8
• Fisher-Price Learning Workbench
• Fisher-Price Construction playset
• Fisher-Price remote control car
• Football jammies
• washable tub crayons
• Potty book for little boys
• Fisher-Price Little People Fire Truck Build n' Drive
• Thomas the Train's Percy
• 3 activity books (Fisher-Price, workbench with tools, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse seek n' find)
• Fisher-Price Little People Garage
• Grey & Orange towtruck outfit
• Khaki pants & blue plaid collared shirt
• Swim trunks & swim shirt
• Superman jammies
• Fisher-Price ABC Train
• Rubber squeaky blocks
• Bright Starts tablet "computer"
• Fisher-Price activity puzzle
• LeapFrog Magnetic Fridge Farm
• stuffed animal from Florida (turtle)
• $50
• Carter's baseball onesie
• Carter's dinosaur blue & white shirt; grey pants
• red & yellow plaid short overalls & yellow shirt
• red & white "Slugger" baseball outfit with hat
• red & white check "Little League" overalls
• green t-shirt & blue jeans
• blue & green octopus shirt; striped pants
• #36 monkey blue & green summer outfit
• Disney Cars activity racer (ride on car)