Birthday Party Season

 Only close friends and family members were invited to Matthew’s first birthday party. We ate pizza and the gorgeous homemade cake that Sarah made. Bob opened the presents while Matthew crinkled the envelope that the card came in, and I took pictures. Aside from the pile of gifts, it wasn’t much different from any other family get together.

Aside from  Matthew, his friends, whom we met through various activities or classes this past year, also recently turned one. It’s been a blur of birthday parties big and small.

Surprisingly none of the babies went gaga (pun intended) over the cake. In most instances, they just licked frosting off their fingers or broke off small pieces. Meanwhile the adults had their cameras ready waiting for that cake face money shot. Perhaps it’s not so surprising seeing most of them had never tasted chocolate before now.

 Life with a one-year-old feels a bit like an ongoing game of hide and seek. Looking for the keys? Try the play stove. Shoe? In the bathtub. The block with the letter B? Under the bag of potatoes inside of the lazy susan. Wake up cries at 6 a.m.? Hide under the covers. The ball? Behind the cable box. Oh the green one? Check the shoe in the bathtub

As I type this Matt is playing with blocks and making kissing noises. I took a break to join him on the floor and copy the noises. This cracks him up for some reason and he threw himself on my lap for a hug. You found me.

Creature from the Playskool Lagoon

From inside his crib I heard Matthew happily “talking” to his blankie Banana Who. “Mathew, where are you..?” I teased on my way from the hallway to his bedroom, “Are you in the closet? Nope. Oh you’re in your crib! Hello there-”

But wait. Where did Matthew go? Where was the boy clad in mismatched pajamas that I had read Frosty the Snowman (his choice not mine) to before bed? The pajamas were the same but the boy standing up in his crib was covered with red polka dots. A food allergy? Poison sumac? Reaction the vaccines he had last week?

The pediatrician examined him and confirmed  that it was an allergic reaction to one of the vaccines he  had at his last visit. She assured us that it didn’t require any medication nor was it contagious. The rash cleared up on it’s own after only a couple of days.

In The Know

 















  

Recently I went hiking at a nearby state park with some friends and their children who are all close in age to Matthew. Here we were trekking along dirt paths lined with Rhododendrons admiring the man-made waterfalls and taking in the calming presence nature has to offer. Except that it wasn’t actually calming to me at all because A) I’m afraid of snakes and expected to see a snake parade slither out in front of us at any moment and B) My friend Kate was explaining everything around us to her daughter like a good mother is supposed to.

 I would occasionally chime in with some commentary;

“Matthew do you see the bird on the tree? Look at the bird eating the berries off of the tree.”

“Yeah,” he replies with a big smile. He is in a delightful phase of agreeing whole heartily to anything you tell him.

“I think it’s a Hummingbird? Did you know that they are the only bird who can fly backwards?” 

“Yeah,” fidgeting with the flaps on his sunhat, only half listening.

“Do you see the ducks swimming in the water?”

He's no longer listening and distracted by a playful breeze. He watches intently as it shakes the leaves on the tree and makes rippled patterns in the water. Then he blows wind out of his own mouth and clapps his l hands together. He doesn't need me to observe our surroundings for him. He's busy absorbing things that I haven't paid attention to in years.