Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful that we made it a whole year without Greg, Ben, or I falling seriously ill....and generally for just making it a whole year alive.

Ben had a great birthday.

On Saturday he celebrated with his Zarko grandparents. Originally Greg and I wanted to keep all birthday festivities to his birthday, but we figured that since I had started really laboring 2 days before his actual birth that we were okay with having cake a few days early. Ben wasn't really impressed with the taste of the cake, but preferred instead to smash the cake with his hands. Even though I had planned to make a cake in the shape of the number one, I couldn't resist making a snowman cake, since his snowman is his most favorite thing ever.





On his birthday Greg inflated 71 balloons (there were 72 in the package, but one broke), and we agreed that for the next birthday we would purchase the $3 balloon pump and forgo the latex taste that lasted the remainder of the day. We piled all the balloons by his door, so when he got up from his nap he had an awesome surprise. We were worried he might be scared, but he loved the balloons!






Ben's Zarko great-grandparents came to visit, and gave him a book and a stacking toy in the shape of a snowman. We tried giving him cake again, but he still didn't think it was that impressive and instead smashed it to bits.


We gave him some sidewalk chalk, bubbles, crayons, "The Letter Factory" dvd (a hit), stacking rings, an Easter outfit (so exciting), and a baby pool. He actually did well opening his gifts and was really excited about some of them...at least their packaging.
I have to admit that I enjoy not having to be sneaky about gift buying/hiding. I reveled in it this year, because I know it won't last long.


Ben is:
Sitting through church much better, thanks in part to the discovery of drawing
Clapping constantly
Tickling his parents without prompting
Saying "Hi" and "Bye"
Finding Snowflake on command
Feeding himself with a spoon (sort of)
Not drinking from a sippy cup
Waving "Hi" and "Bye"
Loves touch and feel type books
Putting toys back in the box, though not on command
Putting random objects in the trash can
Finds his toes
Coughing because it's funny
Laughs and runs the opposite direction to play tag
Loves mowing the lawn

Quote of the week:
Greg: "Oh, don't do that, I've got it. I don't want you to tip over like the Titanic. But you aren't the Titanic....here, let me rub your feet."
What a sweetheart.