William Turns ONE!

Last year at this time, I was updating my blog with Wlliam's Birth Story.  We knew then that our precious little boy had changed our life in a very big way, and we'd only known him for a month when I shared his birth story.

 

Now, a year later, it seems surreal that our newborn baby has grown into a one year old boy- full of energy, new tricks, heart melting smiles & absolultely oozing with sweetness (and at times bits of mischief).  Over the past 12 months, Doug & I have learned a whole lot... more than I could ever articulate in a blog post.  And luckily, the purpose of this particular post isn't to share what we've learned since becoming a parent- it's to celebrate the little man who made us parents. 

 

Last month, on December 24, William turned ONE!  We had a wonderful time celebrating our sweet boy at our home with our families and a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" party.  The pictures below tell the story of his special day.  It's hard to say who enjoyed the party more--- William, or his adoring fans!  :)

 

 

Our sweet birthday boy!

We celebrated William's First Birthday with a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" party. Aside from the fact that we read a LOT of Eric Carle books, and Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of William's favorites, we thought it would be a fun, colorful theme to use.  Much to my delight, I was able to come up with some really simple, cute decorations... despite my severe lack of artsy/DIY skills.  Case in point: the caterpillar made of paper lanterns that hung from our dining room celing!  

We asked our guests to write a special note to William in his "Very Hungry Caterpillar" book.

William's very own "Smash Cake!"



The "real" cake.

William's party props.  The caterpillar decor for the high chair is my (extravagant) handy work; the tie, party hat & shirt are snags from Etsy.

Grandma Porterfield helped to construct this "Very Hungry Caterpillar" featuring each of William's monthly photos from the past year.  It's unbelievable how much this little man has changed in just 12 months!

Lucky for us, the caterpillar binged on sausage as part of his Saturday snack (it's legit- read the book if you think I'm making it up).  This was a slow pitch softball for us- we obviously didn't miss the opportunity for Doug to fire up the grill & prepare his famous Rendevous Sausage as an appetizer.  (JUST like the caterpillar!)

Having just completed five different Christmas celebrations, William was a seasoned gift opener.  Not needing any coaxing, he caught a glimpse of his gifts & dove right in without any prompting from mom & dad.

Thrilled to be adding to his fine literature collection with a new edition of the time honored classic "Old McDonald."

His newest trick, just in time for his first birthday party in which he was surrounded by adoring fans.  William discovered that clapping for himself would in turn generate applause from everyone in the room.  The applause is typically accompanied by cheers such as "Yaaay William!", which results in an absolutely delighted, beaming little boy.

Responding to the applause of his adoring fans.

Annnnnd again.  Let's be honest--- we loved it as much as he did. 

Donning his original birthday suit & a trendy necktie-- gearing up for cake!

Pre-cake smash photo opp. 
William was already in the zone, per the focused, thoughtful expression on his face.

Evaluating the situation...

Getting a little encouragement from dad to jump in!

Proceeding with caution.

Extreme caution.

 

Starting to see what all the hype is about- though he only played & didn't eat!

Applause for William.... from William.  :)

Usually I put up a good fight when it comes to William's endearing habit of resting his foot on his high chair tray.  A self proclaimed sucker for the birthday boy.... I let it slide this time.  :)

This sweet boy loves to share.... even when it comes to his birthday cake. 
Aunt Nanna politely declined his offer.

The reality & excitement of turning one AND being able to play with his food brought a whole lot of joy to our little man.

 



I absolutely love this group shot! It was such a blessing to have our families with us to celebrate our first year with William.



I'm hoping to be better about blogging more regularly in the coming year, and have already started drafting a "2013 year in review" which I'll be finishing up in the coming weeks to recap the highlights from the past year.  :) 

 

Happy First Birthday, William Douglas! We love you so much & can't wait to watch you grow over the next year. 

 

xoxo -cp