Nathan's First Birthday Party!

We had Nathan's first birthday party on Saturday evening. We would have had it closer to his actual birthday, but since it is on Thanksgiving, I figured it would be better to have it earlier rather than later since things get so crazy as the holidays approach.

He did so great! I was a little nervous about him getting over stimulated or overly tired since the party started at 5:00, but he had great naps on Saturday and we tried to keep his day as normal as possible with not too much excitement.

We had dollar sandwiches, dips, little smokies, chips, and I made macaroni and cheese for the kids. Opening gifts was definitely interesting. He could have cared less! He played with the mallet to his tub toy xyl0phone the entire time-ha! We had a cupcake cake which turned out great! Nathan had his own little cake, which he wasn't too thrilled about. He played with it a little but gagged when he actually ate it. I almost cried while everyone sang him happy birthday. It is just so hard to believe that he is going to be one in a little over a week. I will miss so much about him being my little baby, but I know there is so much to look forward to in the years to come.

Nathan & Georgiann

The Muellers (Bennett is one of Nathan's best buds!)

Nathan and his "lawyer" aunts-Lauren S., Sarah D., and Lauren B. They all go to law school with Joe at Wash U.

Nathan's gifts. Note the rocking horse in the front. My uncle made that from scratch. It weighs about 80 pounds, but it is the coolest rocking horse ever! Nathan and his guests definitely had fun riding on it (the kids that is!)

Nathan riding his rocking horse before opening his gifts

Nathan's cake and cupcakes. Sam's only sold a 5" cake for Nathan with the 10 cupcakes surrounding it. It worked out great though because we are going to save the cupcakes for my mom's birthday on Thursday and for Nathan's real birthday on Thanksgiving!

Cupcake cake

Food! We had a sandwich from P'sghetti's in the shape of a "1." My mom helped me make all of the food. She did such a great job-why do things always taste better when mom makes them?!

The Birthday Boy waiting to eat dinner. My aunt made his bib. Isn't it cute?

Opening gifts

"If you won't let me eat my cards, at least let me eat the tissue! Yum, pink is my favorite flavor!"

Playing with his bath toy xylophone. He carries the mallets around with him everywhere now! We even had to take one with us to my mom and dad's on Sunday-ha! (Thanks for the great gift Laurens and Sarah!)

Showing how a mallet can also be used to play with an animal train.


With cousins Gabe and Ben. Notice the shirt that says "Okie." My cousin Mallory gave Gabe and Ben a Build-a-Bear for their 1st birthday and she gave Nathan one, too. She has been so great about taking Nathan on as a nephew. I have always been kind of sad that he wouldn't have any "true" aunts or uncles on my side, so it works out great that she is willing to treat his as a nephew! The bear's name is "Okie" because they are from Oklahoma, near Muskogee. I believe there is a country song that says something about "I am an Okie from Muskogee..." The Okie shirt belongs to the bear, not Nathan. :)Mommy and Daddy with the Birthday Boy who can't seem to keep his hands away from the cake-ha!

Not sure what to think about the texture of the icing.

Convinced the cake is a toy, not food.

Shortly before he gagged from the icing. He didn't not like it!

The three boys playing after Nathan took a bath (he was covered in icing of course!) Aren't they cute? (Bennett, Noah, and Nathan.)

Sippy cup buddies (Noah and Nathan)

Nathan playing with his birthday balloons. He definitely was slap happy by this point. He was up until 9:45 playing with Noah and Emory (our friends Meg and Bill's kids) They had so much fun together!

Nathan and his gifts. I really put this picture in here so you could see the horse a little closer. I think he is saying "ball" in this picture, which is the word he says about every 5 seconds every day!