First Step

Oliver just took a step toward Mommy from the blue table at 1:01 pm, 6 March 2013!

Snow!

It snowed a little over the weekend, and we were surprised to find snow on the ground when we woke up this morning (Wednesday).  Ollie got to see and feel it fall on Saturday, but today we went outside to feel it on the ground.

His first experience with snow

This morning

The cold didn't seem to bother him

He noticed that everything looks a little different today

Party Boy

Our wonderful friends at the Winnwood Community threw Oliver a birthday party, and we had so much fun.  When we walked in, they all sang "Happy Birthday," and they had a table in the front of the room with cupcakes, balloons, and a gift.  Ollie really loves his new baby-sized froggie Pillow Pet, and he loved playing with the balloons!

On 24 February 2013, the Sunday after his birthday, we threw a party for Ollie at our house.  Our close family and friends enjoyed a very relaxing afternoon together.  We had a chili bar with things like hot dogs, french fries, baked potatoes, and Fritos to top with either meat or vegetarian chili.  For "birthday cake," we made cupcakes for our guests and a giant cupcake for Ollie.  There were musical instruments, like kazoos, there for the kids to play with and take home, since the birthday boy loves music so much.  The kids, however, mostly played outside, since it was such a beautiful day.

Mommy finished some cute knitted pants for the one-year-old just in time for his party, and he looked so cute in them.  Later in the evening, he opened all of his other presents, with the help of his big bro, and we all took turns reading him his cards.  We thought that the relaxed "old fashioned" party at home, with homemade food and dessert, was just the perfect thing for this birthday boy.

Happiness Is...

Knowing that this is not a posed photograph.

Oliver's First Birthday!

Today our dear second son turned one year old.  It was such a fun day, and the weather was perfect for our outing to the zoo.  My close friend Lisa and her babies joined us at Zoo Atlanta, which is where I also took G on his first birthday, eight and a half years ago.

At noon, it was mealtime for the giraffes.

We took a break for cupcakes.

We didn't see the "no climbing" sign until later, but Willie B seemed to like the kids.

Our little chickadees.

At 1:44 pm, exactly one year after O's birth.

Everyone in the petting zoo section must have heard us celebrating his "birth minute."

Practicing standing so he can be a toddler sometime in the next year.

G ran into more friends at the zoo, and they had the chance to play at the front playground.

It was a great day with great friends! 

After work, Matt came home and Bun and Papa came over to celebrate.  They brought Jet's Pizza, and we made brownies.  G helped his little bro open his presents from us, Bun and Papa, and Bunnut and Papa Nick (who were there via Skype).  

Ollie loved, loved, loved his musical shape sorter that Big Bro got him.  He instantly loved the different shaped blocks with neat things inside, and he very quickly figured out how to fit the shapes in the right holes.  He really does love puzzles and music, so this combines two of his very favorite things!

Big bro chose the perfect gift!

For his big gift from us, we chose a red Schoenhut elite spinet.  It was a huge hit!  He played for quite a long time, and although he enjoyed playing standing up, he decided that he enjoyed the bench too.

He jumped right in to his first composition.

He used the full range of the keyboard!

He got all "Jerry Lee Lewis" on us!

At the end of the day, we finally got a family shot.

We had such a great day.  It has been the best year of our lives.  Even though we had a full, happy family with Chipdip, somehow Ollie has brought even more love to our home.  He has made us better parents, and he has certainly brought out the best in his Big Bro, who has shown a new capacity for love, more than we have ever seen in him.  We love our one-year-old.  Happy Birthday, Oliver!

And as sort of a postscript, here we are when he was one day old: