Happy Happy birthday to my little baby! Today you turned one, we had a wonderful day full of singing, independence and riding your "Little Quad" around. But let me back track a little bit. We started your birthday celebration Saturday with a small party at our house. We blew up balloons, decorated, ordered a cupcake cake and your own personal cake. You were a little overwhelmed at the beginning, but soon warmed up to everyone and had a ball playing with all your cousins. You really did not want much to do with opening of the presents, so I took over that job with some help from Frankie and Pyper. You got a lot of wonderful presents that you have been playing with and Mommy got her wish for a toy chest for the living room (thank you Grammy!). You have been very taken with the Recycling truck and you put absolutely anything you can find into it to dump back out (thank you Bonino's). This has seriously kept you entertained for stretches of time.
Once the presents were done, we lit the candles on the cake and sang to you. You absolutely loved the singing part. So we actually did it twice! Lucky boy! You had your very own cake to tear into, devour, throw, smear in your hair and what did you do? Nothing. Like your Auntie Jen said, "he is probably like his parents and don't want his hands to get dirty." We finally made you try to dig into it, but you had no desire to eat it. You would look at your fingers take a small taste, make an awful face and try to wipe it off. It was very comical. But I have to say I love that you are not liking sugar!
You ended your day a little later than usual and slept like a champ. Sunday we did nothing but play with the new toys and put together your "Lil Quad" from the Kunz's. You helped Daddy assemble it and did a little riding around with Daddy pushing it (we had to charge the battery before you can ride it). This was also your full day with no formula and only one bottle of milk that day. You did very well!
Today started off with you sleeping until 6:40am, I was surprised because last night you did not drink any milk before you went to bed, so I thought you may wake up early and be starving! But alas, no, you let me sleep in! Crash, Elvis and I went into your room singing Happy Birthday and you were smiling and laughing. What a wonderful way to start your big day. You were very independent today, not really wanting to play with me at all! At one point I found you in the dining room, standing under the table between the chairs playing with some trash you filched from the trash can. You have also been all over the dogs lately, today I caught you "driving" your front end loader all over Elvis' face and Crash's body. You have also decided that Elvis needs decorations on his tail. Why? I am not sure, but you are very determined to get your Lego's, trucks, Tupperware, etc. to stay on his tail. The best is when you are doing this, Elvis knows something is up and starts wagging his stump of a tail and you are trying to grab it and get it to stay still. It is a pretty funny sight.
We decided to go to dinner tonight instead of grilling in the snow and 5 degree weather. We went to Gunther Toody's for a yummy grill cheese sandwich. You also had a little bit of chocolate shake. That you actually liked! Our waitress was very taken with you and plopped a pretty red smooch on your cheek! Once we were home and the battery was charged on the Quad, you rode around on that for awhile. You actually learned how to run it yourself, you drove very well, but always ended up straight into a wall!
Going to bed was a little rough with no bottle again, Daddy stayed upstairs trying to calm you down. I told him to leave you be, you would be fine in a minute- sure enough he walked downstairs and you cried for about 45 seconds and that is the last we have heard from you! You had a big day and I am so thankful this year has been so easy and fun! You are a wonderful toddler (scary that is what you are now!) and an amazing son. You make me laugh almost hourly and I am always smothering you with smooches and telling you how much I love you. I am that overbearing Mommy that annoys other people! Daddy and I love you so very much and I can't wait for the next year and everything that will happen! Happy Birthday Gavin Thomas!
It has been beautiful in Denver for the past week. Yesterday after lunch with Greg we went to the Zoo - first time there that Gavin actually got out of his stroller and walked. He wasn't so interested in the actual animals, but more in the stuff that was in the undercarriage of the stroller. He thought it was fun to take things out and throw them in the bushes! He has also spent a lot of time in his wagon or I should say walking beside it and throwing rocks into it.
At Greg's office yesterday, one of the men asked if he always smiled! Greg said, well yea, he is a pretty happy baby! And he is, we are so stinking lucky! A family member (I don't want to say who to protect the innocent and because he has kids) said that Gavin was the best baby he has ever seen. That is a huge compliment. I think as a parent I stress about my child, if he will be good, if he is polite when I am not around, if he will pick his nose and eat it, will he mind his P's and Q's. I am not really sure what that meant, but it was drilled into me as a child! Gavin is also a huge dancer, he is loving his new Reggae CD from his cousins, as soon as I turn it on he will stand in front of the speakers and dance. His dancing consists of head banging, bobbing up and down on his knees and doing a little sway. It is very cute and funny. 
The pics are hilarious because Gavin's hair is getting so long and Greg absolutely despises it when I "fro" it out. He will be getting a haircut after his first birthday. ****On a side note, Steamboat was great, I had a fantastic time full of table dancing (granted it was in our condo), sledding down the stairs in our condo and of course a lot of talking and partaking in the "spirits"!
