Evan's First Birthday Party

This is it.  The final post on Evan's baby blog.
I.  Can't.  Believe.  It.


To see all the photos from Evan's First Birthday, click HERE!

It was a fabulous day.  The weather was a little warm, but things went off without a hitch.  We were happy to have some wonderful friends and family over to our house to celebrate!

Evan's birthday theme was UNO.  A friend of mine had picked this theme for her little guy over 2 years ago.  Before I was even pregnant with Evan I had mentally made note of this theme just in case we had another baby, and just in case it was a boy.  HAHA!  There's nothing wrong with planning ahead, right?

I decided an UNO theme lent itself well to Mexican food so that's what we served for lunch along with margaritas, Coronas and Dos Equis beer.  Fun.  Evan doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, it's Dos Equis.  (Did the humor of this last sentence escape you?  Don't worry, our baby is not drinking beer... it's a quote from their commercial -smile-)

Evan was a big fan of lunch- beans, cheese, chips and guacamole are right up his alley.  By the time it got to cake eating time, he was exhausted.  He did not disappoint- there was cake everywhere, but we had to stop taking photos and give him a quick sink bath when he started rubbing frosting into his sleepy eyes and laying his head down on the high chair.  Poor little man!

Thanks to everyone who was able to share in his special day with us.  It was a pretty low key small group of people- perfect.

Here's the letter I wrote to Evan to include in his baby book.  Can't believe it's already time to have written this:

Dear Evan,

You are the sweetest little boy and you bring so much joy into our lives.  Mommy, Daddy, Jillian and Liv all love you to pieces.  You are a unique little person with his own likes, dislikes, and personality.  It's so much fun to watch you as you learn and grow- it's happening so quickly!  I like to think of who/what you will be in the future.  How what we are doing now will shape who you will become.  The years we have you all to ourselves are so few- I'm savoring every moment!

You've never been the biggest snuggler.  As a tiny baby you loved being swaddled, and could not stand it when your arms were out in the open.  Once you figured out how to use those hands though, it's been non-stop.  You like to explore.  You like to grab things.  You like to stick your fingers into peoples mouths.  You like to take anything that is in, out and anything that is up, down.  We call you baby destructo for a reason.  -smile-  We also occasionally call you "boy, baby boy, little man, scooter magee, boo boo, 'E', Little E, Eh-vee (which I'm trying to put a stop to because my hunch is you won't love that one...) brother, and brother bear.  I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting...

You are quite vocal and amazingly are already starting to talk.  I know this might sound like a proud Mommy making a big deal out of a coincidence but you have said a few things clearly and on cue already- "Da Da", "Ma Ma", "Yes" and "This!".  I'm pretty sure this means you are a genius.  Haha!

Being so vocal is a double edged sword- you also really like to YELL and screech.  Aside from learning English, I think you're also developing a dialect of pterodactyl.  To be honest, it leaves something to be desired.  We're working with you on sign language, but so far the closest you've come is clapping your hands when asked to perform the sign 'more'.  We're getting there!  

You're an excellent crawler- fast with perfect form.  You can pull up to stand on anything, but you're not trying to take steps yet.  If someone tries to hold you in a standing position to help you walk you prefer to spring your legs up and down as though you are going to jump across the room.  I'm pretty sure this is because you spend a fair amount of time in either an ExerSaucer or a doorway jumper.  You really like both of those toys and they make Mommy's life considerably easier! 

You've transitioned to a sippy cup now and we're working on getting you to drink whole milk.  So far you're not the biggest fan.  You do really like to drink water, though.  You're favorite foods are bananas for sure.  You also like yogurt & black or pinto beans a lot.  You'll happily eat green beans and carrots too which I'm very happy about.  You like pretty much every fruit I've given you, crackers/bread and all kinds of meat.  Chinese food is a big hit with you too, as well as macaroni and cheese.


You've been a very healthy baby, but when you get a fever you DON'T mess around.  You've been as high as 105 degrees.  This was during a virus that both you and your sisters had and they never spiked above 102.  According to your Dr., some people just run hotter than others.  Yowzer.  While this seems to be the norm for you, it's still scary for your parents.  Speaking of scary- you've given us a run for our money this first year by falling off the bed once, and changing table twice.  To say you're an active baby would be an accurate statement.  Good thing you seem to be pretty durable!


You like to kiss our family by shoving your forehead against our faces.  You also make a very cute kissing sound that usually means you are hungry, but we like to pretend it's a kiss.  If I force you a little, you'll lay with your cheek resting against my cheek.  It has to be just the right angle, and I have to pat your back just the right way for you to stay there without objecting.  When you are happy with the set up, you'll lay like this for a long time and make very sweet little "hmmmm" noises.  I love it when you do this.


Your sisters are so good to you- they love everything you do and dote on you around the clock.  I know one day they will drive you crazy, and to be honest, I'm looking forward to it.  I think two sisters and little brother is such a fun family dynamic.  We're gonna have a great time together, our little family...


Daddy and I are so proud of you.  So proud.  This first year with you has been a crazy, exhausting, busy one but we would not change a thing.  You're our sweet little boy and we consider ourselves the luckiest people on the planet to call ourselves your Mom and Dad.


We love you so much,


Mommy