Stefan is one!

Okay, Stefan turned one a month ago, and we had his party ON his birthday but I've been avoiding posting about it because I had been hoping to post his one year video at the same time. Well, that's not happening anytime soon, and his special day is quickly fading from my increasingly cluttered mind, so I thought I'd better document the occasion pronto.

A few months before Stefan's first birthday, Chelsea shocked me to my very core by bringing up Stefan's quickly approaching birthday (which I had not yet considered). She proceeded to ask who his best friend was and what we were planning to do. After staring at her like a deer in headlights for a few moments, I searched my brain for a minute then responded, "Nico?... Wanna come over on April 12th?"

And that is what happened. Uncle Nicholas was working, but we met Auntie Chels, Nico, & Summer at Nana & Papa's for some hot tubbin, pizza-eatin fun!

It was on this, his birthday, that Stefan first saw how much he looks like his mommy!

Stefan and Summer... pretty smitten.

 I had wonderful visions of the boys happily frolicking in the superhero capes/masks I made for them (thereby conveniently providing an ideal photo op), as well as experimenting with 3-D sidewalk chalk (yes... it exists... and I'm curious about it too) and giant bubble wands. HOWEVER, the weather was ridiculous (as this winter has been RELENTLESS), and Fraser was the only one who seemed willing to give the whole superhero-mask-and-cape combo an honest go.

(Apparently I was VERY excited about the whole idea)

 Oh well, we have the entire summer to pull such things out, and at least the hot tub was a hit. Especially since Uncle G ended up joining us for a dip!

Now, if that Sammy isn't just the CUTEST!?! It was her first time in that adorable swimsuit.

Summer's first time in the hot tub was a grand success!

Please note the SNOW behind us (cringe).

We also, of course, had cake. And as any creative bone is my body was on hiatus, I repeated Fraser's first birthday dump truck cake. Easy peasy lemon squeezey.

On Fraser's first birthday, he didn't show interest in eating the cake- likely because he had not yet had any sweets and didn't really grasp the importance and deliciousness of sugar. Stefan, on the other hand, has been on sweets since he's been on solids, so I was expecting his face to be planted directly IN the cake. Like, immediately.

I was a little disappointed with Stefan's initial disinterested response to the cake. To his credit, he likely thought it was ACTUALLY dirt. My Dad took a piece to give to him, and he picked it up- along with the crumby that fell on the floor- and placed them gently back into the truck.

Once his attention was brought to the gummy worms, he began to clue in that this was indeed something special... and delicious.

 

After Nico & Fraser helped him polish off the gummy worms, Nico & Stefan continued to double fist the chocolate cake and stuff their faces while Fraser practised for the Olympics beside them. Hah! This is sooo typical.

As simple as the festivities were- and maybe BECAUSE they were so simple- it was a fantastically successful event. Happy Birthday big (and I DO mean big- in the 99th percentile all around) boy!