Happy Birthday Jack!

That's right, my baby boy turned one.  Crazy that a year has flown by but what a CRAZY year it has been.  This little boy has kept me on my toes from the second he was born.  He is full of personality to say the least.  Porter was such an even tempered easy going child, but Jack, well let's just say he is completely the opposite!  He is, shall we say, a bit bi-polar but he certainly is such a fun-loving joyful kid when he is on the upswing.  It has been quite a year of sleepless nights which we still haven't overcome but how can you resist this smile?

He has just started walking and can take just a few steps before he gives up because he can crawl faster than any other baby.  He says two words.  One is Mama (yes I'm loving that!) and the other is Ama.  Let me explain.  When I first taught Porter the clean up song a few years ago, he translated clean up into Ama. ("Ama, ama, everybody everywhere. . . ")  So for some reason Jack has picked up on this and now sweetly sings Ama, Ama.  So dang cute!

We celebrated his birthday with a Mickey Mouse Party.  The cake:

Note for all you mothers, don't have your one year old's cake have black frosting on it.  I didn't expect him to dig into it as much as he did because Porter hated his cake, but Jack LOVED it!   Needless to say we had to throw him into the bath before the party could continue.

He wasn't sure about it right at first.  I put a little in his mouth and then he started to get into it.

And dug deeper.

He thought it was hilarious.

And this was the end result!

The opening of present was a bit overwhelming.  This present was my favorite.  Haven wrote Jack a card and on the back she has constructed a lesson on symmetry.  I love how kids think!

Jack is such a joy to have in our family.  He adds quite a new dynamic.  He loves to wrestle with anyone but especially Porter whom he beats up on a daily basis.  Pillow fighting is his favorite activity.  I need to get a video because I have never seen a kid laugh so hard, especially because he is getting bombarded with pillows at his face.  Apparently this is the funniest thing in the world!

I think it is indescribable the joy you experience being a mother.  I love my boys and wouldn't trade it for the world!  I am blessed that although right now I do need to work because of some uncertainty, I am grateful that it allows me to still be home with my children.  I cannot imagine working a full time job and consider myself lucky that my main job is to raise my children.