Birthday Gladness

Today was the big day! Nicknack's birthday party. He doesn't turn one until the 31st, so I have a few more days to enjoy my baby before he turns into a big kid.

I'm soooo happy we had this party for him. Not just because Nicknack enjoyed himself immensely or because it was such fun to get all the people who love him best together in one room. True and true. But also because he is only one and won't remember all of this. This was the practice year. Thank heaven. I learned a lot in the process of throwing his party. Especially:

1. How to make and frost a cake. I (over)cooked the cake yesterday, and frosted it today. As I pulled out all the cake ingredients, I noticed my baking powder had expired in 2004. So I ran to the store. While there, I picked up extra chip and ice creams, more potatoes (since I'd made the potato salad too salty and wanted to add a few more), and a half dozen other things. Got home. Did NOT have baking powder. My dear husband ran to the store for me and brought home a fresh can. This morning I got out all the frosting ingredients, including the giant bag of powdered sugar. Only it wasn't powdered sugar, it was pancake mix. Another trip to the store. On the plus side, my potato salad was practically perfect.

2. How to decorate for a party. Did you know that helium balloons only last about 24 hours? I discovered this interesting fact this morning, as I opened the office door to a roomful of floor-level balloons. Arg! Also, I'd never hung streamers before. That was a pretty comical exercise. My perfectionism and Penn's height (about 6'5) resulted in a splendid streamer display, if I do say so myself. Luckily, we'll get to enjoy it for a few days, until Nicknack's official birthday.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are several photos, which will save you from thousands more words from me!

Yee ha!


Making music (his favorite gift, hands down)


Cakes


before...


...during (we cheered him on with such enthusiasm he began to clap for himself in between bites!)



...and after!


Penn and I often say that we are Nicknack's fan club. Although there are only two members, we are truly committed. We go to great lengths and make total fools of ourselves to entertain him. We make the biggest fuss over the tiniest of things, if they are in any way related to him. We hang on his every "word" and ooh and aah over every expression and fresh head of bed hair. Sometimes after he's gone to sleep at night, we miss him. We just can't get enough of this kid. We are his own private cheerleading squad. The best part of this day was sharing it with the people who love our little person. They aren't as hopelessly devoted as we two, but they definitely qualify for fan club membership, even if for only one day a year. Tomorrow things will go back to normal. Nicknack will wake up to find he has only two people wrapped around his finger. I am so grateful that I have the privilege of being his one and only mommy.