Little Fry turns ONE

We finally realized with our fourth child that their first birthday celebration is more for the parents than the child, so we only gave him one present, plus one from each set of grandparents.  I finally got around to making him a blanket, just in the nick of time because I think he was starting to become partial to a different blanket...

I don't know what this face was all about but it was a treasure to be captured!

Despite repeated warnings from my six-year-old not to put a candle on the cupcake I did anyway.  (I guess some things you never learn, no matter how many children you have.)  Sure enough he grabbed it and I'm not sure if it was the actual flame that sent him into tears or just my reaction of utter horror with much gasping and abrupt movements.   Either way, I had a humbling "told-you-so" from said six-year-old. 

He did not like the birthday hat, it put him in a somber mood...

but it was nothing a little chocolate frosting couldn't fix.  Thanks to Baca for taking the initiative to make frosting out of almond milk so Simon could have some.  As a side note, the next day we tried to make pudding out of almond milk so Simon could have some, and it didn't quite set up.  That didn't stop us from eating it, and I think Simon loved it as much as the frosting. 

Si-Ster [my clever nickname from SImon STERling] is an ambitious little fellow, which frightens me greatly given his closest sibling is Miriam.  He took his first few steps a couple days before his birthday and decided he was ready to walk, unfortunately his forehead has paid the price and you can tell from the pictures he as many a bump and bruise as the result. 

He still wakes up between 4:00-5:00am just for a bottle but we are a bit lacking in our consistancy as to how we handle it so it's no wonder he is persistent.  He has a hypersensitive gag reflex and after he guzzles a bottle we hold our breath for a few minutes because occasionally one wrong cough and its soy/almond milk everywhere. 

He loves the swing in the backyard, Eli makes him laugh on a regular basis, he loves to pull Miriam's hair, and any other hair he can get his hands on, and he claps for himself after accomplishing a new feat.  Like Miriam was, he is content to follow his siblings around the house and he is the master of the army crawl.  Once in awhile he will crawl up on his knees, but at this point it is less effective so he abandons that method quickly. 

Can't believe you're a toddler Si.