a year gone by

PC's one-year visit to the pediatrician was quite eventful. For the first time, he fully resisted the whole thing--do NOT try to measure me, do NOT try to weigh me, or look in my ears, or my nose. We're still in the Very Tall range, and all other measures of health are good. The behavior, however, was quite challenging. He pretty much showed the MD the same attitude he has been showing us the last five months, when changing a diaper went from a relatively easy procedure to one that can require two people and can involve chasing and misplaced feces. Remind me to tell you sometime what I stepped on the other day in the living room :)

For every little hassle that comes along with a more squirrely boy, there are the joys of seeing the world through his eyes. Preparing for the birthday party C bought four balloons. While carrying them, PC, and a bagful of other party favors into the house, though, three of the balloons detached from the others and floated away, slowly above the house, then beyond the hundred-foot trees, to that place where balloons go to die. PC watched the whole spectacle with awe and wonder--those things float? It was a bit difficult for me not to see the symbolism in all of this--balloons flying away as loss. The last time I remember seeing balloons float away was at my dad's funeral, four years ago, when each of my nephews and nieces released a balloon after the service and before the internment. At the same time, watching PC watch balloons was pure magic. He gasped, he babbled something at them, he reached to bring them back. He didn't take his eyes off them. It made him smile, and it made me appreciate balloons, all over again. And the one that we managed not to lose is still providing laughs, two weeks later.

@ the pool

so big

Today was a big, big day. The day of PC's first birthday party and the last day of Grandma A's highly anticipated fly-in from MSP.

Hats off to momma for executing the perfect birthday party. There were delicious little quiches and crab cakes, the classic midwestern offering of meats and cheeses, lola's amazing lumpia shanghai, and a John Deere Tractor cake (half chocolate/half white: we're people pleasers). For the kids in attendance, we had a kids picnic table with bubbles to blow, a lot of lemonade, and the big hit, tadpoles. PC's grandpa, the magnificent knower and seeker of the natural world, told the kids about how to raise the tadpoles, should they want to take one along with them. It looked like they ALL accepted this challenge. Brilliant!

Grandma's first visit culminated in storybook fashion, like it would happen in a Danielle Steele book if Danielle Steele wrote about things like grandmothers visiting their grandchildren. Grandma taught PC to patty-cake and throw his hands in the air when we yell SO BIG! He caught on fast.

And Grandma A also was able to witness the incredible quantum leaps in walking PC is making right now. Two days ago, all the walking was in these rare episodes, and the record for steps taken with a witness was eight. By yesterday he took about 20 steps and today, every single time he has been given the chance to walk (usually toward something he wants) he has responded with a multi-step burst of wild walking. Four, five, twelve steps--like he's been able to do it all along. This is still precarious pedestrian-hood, of course--in the attempt to balance his arms flail and swirl above his head in a pose reminiscent of a tight rope walker.