Happy, Happy 1st Birthday, Little Man

"A child's smile is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day."
~Author Unknown

I had the very best Mother's Day present this year...my little man turned ONE! This has been, by far, the quickest year of my entire life. It doesn't seem like a year ago that Parker entered our family. If I close my eyes, I can still vividly picture his big brother walking into the hospital room, shy, embarassed, a bit timid, and a hint of excitment in his eyes at the sight of the new baby in my arms. He had no idea that he had a baby brother yet (which is what he was hoping for)! Although my children are only 5 and 1...time needs to slow down. Nolan has been such a wonderful brother to Parker. He is an amazing helper and is so happy that Parker is able to play a little bit with him now. Parker lights up anytime he sees Nolan - his love for him is so obvious.

His day was a wonderful day. We had nice weather, friends, family, and lots of smiles! Brian and I thought for sure he would devour his cake in no time at all, but to our surprise, the opposite occurred. He wasn't interested in it one single bit. Perhaps because he discovered it at the babysitter's house the day before?!

He still is not walking, but he is getting around in his own way like a mad man! Just this week he has decided to crawl the "normal" way and forgo his army crawl. He's pulling up and getting into EVERYTHING! He is starting to stand for just a few brief seconds. He is wearing 12 month clothing  (which Nolan didn't wear until at least 18 months). He eats just about everything we put in front of him, but avocados are still one of his very favorites (another difference from his brother). He's a great sleeper, too. He currently loves The Fresh Beat Band, music in general, and his family! He's very into toys, especially animals. We're off to the doctor for his 1 year appointment, so I'll add those stats later.

Happy, Happy Birthday, my HAPPY Parker James...Mommy, Daddy, & Nolan love you SO much.