ONE

Yay! Elijah turned one today! Can you guys believe it? It boggles the mind and fills the diapers. Rather than do a clip show detailing every cry, poo and spit up over the last twelve months, I’ll just clue you in on yesterday’s birthday celebration.

Eli woke up grouchy and pissy. Apparently he didn’t get the message that birthday boys are supposed to be cute and charming. But as the day wore on he got the idea. Mostly because we kept shouting, “It’s your birthday!” And then we’d do a little dance. And then Grover would get agitated and try to hump us. And then we’d yell at Grover not to hump us. At which point it was time to yell, “It’s your birthday!”

Actually, we spent most of the day playing his favorite songs on our stereo. I definitely got my limit of “Banana Phone.” But Eli has developed this awesome Eli dance that involves sitting up on his knees and bouncing and clapping.

I took him to the local toy store and led him around. He seemed particularly interested in a farmer’s tractor that makes animal noises. So, bam. Birthday Boy got one. I also laid out all the Sesame Street toys in front of him and he got to choose his favorite. I kept nudging the Grover to him and saying, “Ohh. Isn’t Grover neat? Don’t you want to have an unhealthy obsession with Grover?” He chose Bert. Di gave him some cool blocks and that, um, UV tent.

In some kind of bizarre Twin Mind Meld, my brother came over with Finn and gave Eli a farmer’s tractor that makes noise.

After his dinner we whipped out the chocolate cake. Di’s famous chocolate cake from a box. Like, most one-year-olds, this was his first refined sugar of his life. After a tentative taste, he began cramming it into his mouth by the fist full. Di, removed his shirt and allowed him to smear it all over his own stomach. I took the opportunity to eat some cake off his belly. Delicious Chocolate Baby.

After the tenth or eleventh fist full, he barfed.

He also bounced off the walls for the next three hours in a sugar mania. Di and I are very lucky people. Our son is an awesome, hilarious, cool little guy.