The night before Pierscen's 1st birthday, Ryan and I decorated the kitchen with streamers and balloons. We also hung a few streamers in front of his bedroom doorway. When he woke up and we carried him into the kitchen, he literally jumped in surprise as he saw the balloons and streamers. He didn't know what to make of it. It was so cute! We helped him bat around some of the balloons and gave him one to play with.
Pierscen thought the balloons were great fun. He didn't pop a single one and they remained for a good two weeks afterwards. Now Dodger is a different story. He managed to pop several.
I decided to make Pierscen a special chocolate chip pancake. He loves pancakes, and he loves chocolate chips - so it seemed like a natural fit.
Little man wasn't so sure at first. He just stared and it, picked it up, and let it flop back onto the tray. It wasn't until I tore it up that he decided it was at least worth a try.
And boy was it a success!!! He was so happy and so goofy. I would say chocolate chip pancakes are now a favorite.
The rest of the day was pretty normal. We played, read books, napped, etc. That evening we invited our friends Lauriel and Casey, and Melody, David and Lyric over for the cake (in this case donut) eating festivities. I made brownies for everyone else.
Pierscen has definitely seen fire before with our wood burning stove being used almost daily (a downside of which is I often smell like a campfire) but he had never had it so close. He didn't know what to do. He took a few swipes at it, which we tried to deter, but he ended up extinguishing it with his fingers. It didn't hurt him at all. He seemed surprised when it suddenly wasn't there any more.
With the candle out of the way, we told him to dig in, but he seemed to have no idea what to do. He would reach for it, then pull away. Reach, and pull away. It was so funny!
We gave him a little bit of help as you can see in the video, and the rest was history!
Yum, yum, yum, yum, YUM!
He even decided hands weren't doing the job fast enough so he dug in face first.
He had plenty of personality and funny faces to go around. This kid is a crack up!
You can tell when he is getting tired or full when he starts poking his food with his thumb. It's his way of saying I'm done.
I would say the donut was a total success. He sure loved it! After dessert came presents. Lyric and P had a great time playing and opening presents, taste testing each one, and passing each item back and forth. I think they are going to be great friends. :)
This farm toy pictured above was from "Aunt" Nicia. It was a major success. Noise, lights, and motion. What more could a 1-year-old want?
Lyric gave him his first football. Go Pierscen!
Our gift was a Noah's Ark play set. I got it off of Ebay, so there are a couple of animals that don't have "partners" but it still is a full boat!
It was a really fun evening. Obviously P didn't understand why we were partying, but I think he sure had a fun time. I am so glad our friends were able to come over and party with us. It made it easier being away from family. Sure wish they could have been there with us!
Pierscen is an amazing boy. He is learning and growing every day. He is my hero, my miracle, and my friend. It's hard to see him grow so fast, but I look forward to each day and stage and treasure the time I have with this precious boy - especially while he still lets me love and kiss him and returns it without being embarrassed. :) Life really is a gift and I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the life he has blessed me to have keeping over. Happy Birthday Pierscen!
Christmas morning was wonderful. Pierscen woke up bright and early (and probably would have fallen happily back to sleep after a bottle) but somebody (cough, cough - Ryan) was WAY too excited to watch Pierscen open presents, so we all wandered down to the tree.
I love this first picture. I took it before we turned on the lights. We determined it was too dark to get many good pictures, but this was as soon as I set him down in front of the tree. He has the magical Christmas morning glow about him, right?
After opening a present or two, he decided exploring under the tree was more exciting. This face has "BUSTED!" written all over it!
I wrapped up a few things that he has always had, but hasn't seen in a while with the move. I figured he wouldn't know the difference and it would give him something to unwrap. Thanks zebra thingy and Scentsy Buddy.
This was his "big ticket" item from us this year. It came from Once Upon a Child, a used kids stuff store. It's pretty dang awesome. Just saying.
Pierscen's "O.G." (Other Grandma) Rayola sent him a few amazing gifts too. Pictured below is a little cd player. This was definitely his favorite. He didn't care about anything else after he opened this one. She also sent a very handsome 3-piece suit. It is so cute! The shirt is purple. It's a tiny bit big for him now, but it will be absolutely perfect for Easter!!! This little guy is incredibly lucky to have her as his other Grandma. They have a pretty special bond.
For it being his first Christmas, I think he did pretty good. His attention span didn't last terribly long, but for what it was worth, he did great. I am looking forward to next year as I am sure he will be even more interested in tearing things apart. :)
Here is a beautiful self portrait of Dodger and myself. Proof I was there. Haha.
Ryan and Pierscen with our gifts. We didn't do anything huge this year. Buying a house was a pretty big deal. ;) Ryan got some greenhouse books (building and growing) and I got a piano book, a Jillian Michaels workout, and that folding banquet table everything is one for my crafting! We got some wonderful gifts from siblings and parents as well. Thank you!
Christmas Eve I sent a message to our next door neighbor Melody to see if she and her man David and their little girl Lyric wanted to join us for breakfast. They said yes! I was really stoked about that. They are close to our age and we have talked in passing a few times, but we have never hung out. Lyric is only 2 weeks younger than P, so I knew they would be great friends. :)
With Ryan's help, we turned out a delicious breakfast of Aebelskivers, sausage, scrambled eggs, and clementines. This was the first time I have ever made the Aebelskivers on my own - or at that rate - ever even helped. At homes, they are my dad's thing. I have watched him lots, but watching and doing are two totally different things. I did order a cook book and the Aebelskiver pan well in advance, and though I didn't practice beforehand, I felt relatively confident. They turned out SO good! I was super proud. I don't know what David and Melody thought, but I was happy. Later Ryan admitted to me that it had crossed his mind that if anyone could mess the Aebelskivers up, it would be me. Hahaha, sad, but so true. I am happy to report it didn't happen though. Go me!
Lyric is adorable. Pierscen was totally enamored with her. She is already walking and I think this impressed him quite a bit. I am not really in a hurry for him to walk, but I think if he hung out with her more he would probably pick it up faster.
It was really great to have them over. I hope it opened the door for more opportunities to hang out. They are super nice and like I said - Pierscen and Lyric are already practically betrothed, so what can you do? ;)
After breakfast I took Dodger for a walk and took the opportunity to take some snap shots of the squirrel prints in the snow. I seriously love those animals. I know they can be pests, but they are such remarkable creatures!
I particularly love the picture above. Notice the prints hoping perfectly along the wall? And the pictures below... wow! Talk about squirrel city!
The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying new presents and hanging out together. It was low key and wonderful.
It was strange not running out the door to make it to both families, and it was kind of sad too, but it was nice at the same time. If all worked out well and the weather cooperated, we were planning on heading to Utah for New Years weekend to be with family. A few days past Christmas, but I say that counts!
All in all, I would say it was a great success. We have so many blessings. I am grateful for Ryan's job, our great family, this amazing house, and the fact that all our temporal needs are met. I am grateful for the chance to celebrate the birth of our Lord. He has given us all that we have. I, for one, want to give more back. Definitely time for some New Years Resolutions. :)
