one year

Dear Ox,

Today you turned one year old. When you and I got up this morning, I was staring at you on the couch thinking how a year ago at the same time your daddy was on the phone with a midwife trying to figure out what hospital had enough room to take me so you could get born. You weren't waiting.

And now, you are a whole year old, thoroughly here, thoroughly adored.

We had a small party for you today, just me and your dad and Lucy and Nana and Papa and Titi. You wore two different pairs of corduroy overalls because your clothes kept getting covered in mandarin juice, and later in frosting. You were very interested in your visitors, and less interested in your presents, though a big wooden puzzle and later a tool set got a warm reception.

Your cupcake was a hit.

For me this last year has been so much less hard than the first year of your sister's life: you have such an easy way about you, and I know what I'm doing, and I don't worry about all the ways in which I might be breaking you, or in which you might be breaking without me noticing.

You have special radar for cords, which you firmly believe are strings to something wonderful.

You are not in a hurry about life.

You are sweet, adventurous, agile, mischievous; you love to snuggle and kiss and eat and climb and your sister cracks you up.

And I love you very, very, very, very, very, very much.

Happy birthday!

Love,
Mama

friday cute shot

hop, hop, fizz, fizz

My parents suggested a egg hunt + potluck for Easter, but we demurred, Easter being a lesser holiday and potlucks feeling like a lot of work. They scaled back to something more low key, a mid-afternoon get together, but in the end it was basically a delicious potluck and we were the only ones who didn't bring anything. But we did share my parents with our friends and their children, and our friends' children with my parents, so hopefully that counts as some sort of contribution. But I guess now we know how to get out of bringing food next year. 

Maybe it's presumptive, but I feel like there will definitely be a next year. We ate slow cooked pork and fruit and cupcakes, we hid well over 150 eggs in the front yard, and we enjoyed the sun on the porch on the warmest day of the year so far. Chocolate and trampolines and slinkies and stairsteps of children from Oscar on up.

Somehow Scarlett avoided my camera, as did the several other egg hunters and all the delicious food. Luckily, Emily filled in the blanks.

lulu and ox

Lucy to Oscar this morning:

"I love you as much as . . .

Mom?

How many leagues does a heart have?"

friday cute shot