Edmund Finds His "Spot"

In the past week I've made the discovery that Edmund is not afraid to walk at the indoor playground at our local mall. He seems to know intuitively that the floor is padded, not to mention all the play structures are made of foam. While he will whine at home until I give him the safety of my finger for walking, he'll simply let go and take off at the playground. It has become one of my favorite places to go with Edmund because I don't have to be quite as vigilant as I am at home. Don't get me wrong, I still hover behind him to make sure he doesn't fall, but I know if he falls he will be safe. For those of you who don't know, Edmund refuses to bend and fall on his bottom. He thinks it is hilarious to simply fall back as if in a "trust fall." This action makes me, his mother, an absolute nervous wreck. I can't simply let him go because I never know when he is going to fall back and hit his head. Trying to figure out how to get down is something Edmund is working on with his PT. Once he has mastered getting down and getting up he will be an expert walker. Edmund has made great strides in walking in just a few days. I'm not sure if it's the playground, but if it lets me "breathe" and helps Edmund feel safe we'll go there every day!

Edmund is the Big 1

Where Have You Been Hiding This Stuff?

It's hard to believe that a year ago we brought home a tiny and very sleepy, baby boy. That baby boy has turned into a 20 pound, non-stop ball of energy. And so our foray into toddlerhood truly begins. Edmund's actual birthday was Friday, June 5th. However, our Friday was about as routine as it gets. Were it not for a large bouquet of balloons that arrived that evening from Uncle Bill and Uncle Jared, you wouldn't even know there was a birthday boy in the house. Steven and I thought it best to hold off all celebrating for the big party which would ensue the next day.

Based on the RSVPs we expected quite a turnout for our little man's first birthday. I know the old birthday rule, one guest for each year of age, but a boy only turns one once. Of course, the first birthday is more about celebrating survival of the parents anyway. Thus, I wanted the people who helped make Edmund's first year such a wonderful experience to be present for the occasion. Granddad and Grandma Kay Kay traveled from VA for the big day. Grandma Pattishall, Kay Kay, and Aunt Alison came over early to help set up for the party. I never could have thrown this party without them. Edmund had a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" party based upon the book. We crafted a caterpillar from cupcakes frosted with various shades of green and red frosting. We sliced fruits and cheese for the caterpillar (and hungry guests) to dine on. Observant guests discovered that the caterpillar had even eaten holes through some of their food.

At the beginning of the party both sets of grandparents, Steven and I, and Aunt Alison all sat around watching Edmund. John and Sarah Jo, friends of ours from medical school, were the first guests to arrive. They have a three month old baby named John. Based on Edmund's reaction to Baby John, you would have thought he was Edmund's gift. Edmund kept going straight for his head. I'm hoping he was trying to give hugs, but nevertheless Edmund was told gentle hands several times. Other guests slowly trickled in. Edmund was greeted by friends from school and playgroup. As I've said before, one year old parties are playgroups with a theme. This party was no different, but fun all the same.

Eventually we decided we couldn't delay Edmund's inevitable first taste of cake any longer. We wheeled his high chair into the playroom. Edmund squirmed in the high chair wondering why he didn't see any food in front of him. Before Edmund went into meltdown mode, Steven entered the room with a cupcake topped with a lit candle. I quickly helped Edmund blow out the candle as he reached a hand out for the flame. Steven set the red frosted cupcake in front of Edmund. Edmund stuck one hand into the frosting and squished it between his fingers. He did the same with his other hand. Then he reached down, picked up the cupcake with both hands and tried to shove the whole thing in his mouth. I'm pretty sure Edmund was in heaven. He definitely likes cupcakes, but I think we'll reserve the next taste of sugar for a distant special occasion.

After cake, the children continued playing. Edmund was determined to walk where he wanted to. Unfortunately that meant Steven or I became his walking prisoners, as he is not steady enough on his own yet. My mom and dad had to leave early to drive back to VA, but we were able to wrangle Edmund back into the playroom to open gifts before they left. After posing for pictures with his very own Vanderbilt jersey from Granddad, Edmund was ready to call it a day.

The party was a big success. I heard it was the talk of the preschool the following morning. Again, thank you, thank you to all of you who helped with the party. And of course thank you all for being such an integral part of Edmund's 1st year.