Happy Birthday to Paul!

Today is Paul's first birthday. Thus far he has celebrated by hearing the birthday song from his family, opening a present from Big Paul (see Gingerbread and Visitors), taking a nice, long morning nap, and skipping his afternoon nap entirely. He enjoyed the birthday song again accompanied by a cupcake and a candle after dinner. That was a little more mysterious, but he clapped and enjoyed it. After dinner he opened his family presents. Oma got him a great truck that includes two circus animals. He was pretty jazzed. Luke got him a new book that has touch and feel farm animals along with peek-a-boo holes. Mommy and Daddy got him a touch and feel farm animal puzzle. It was all very touchy feely. :-) Paul is almost completely over his illness. Last night was the worst. Paul didn't go to sleep until 11 pm. But tonight is going much better. He has just finished crying it out...happy birthday, buddy. I know. It sounds heartless, but this guy has arrived at the point in life where our presence in his room does nothing to soothe him. He just gets ticked that we aren't picking him up. So, we have to leave him alone on his birthday to cry himself to sleep. Good thing they can't remember this stuff when they are teenagers.

Here are just a few of the cute pictures from today and a video.

Paul and his bear in the chair.

Big Paul (and his mom) are keeping Baby Paul well clothed and on the right side of the Air Force/Navy rivalry.

In the video, it seriously looks like Paul is about to grab the candle, but he was actually still pretty far from it. Daddy was watching from the side and was in control the whole time. As for the cupcake, Paul really didn't want to eat it! Maybe on Saturday at his party he will try the whole cake thing.