One year ago today, my little Holden was born.  We had a wonderful birthday celebration for Holden on Saturday at Oakledge Park in Burlington.  Rob’s parents and grandmother traveled from Maine for the party, and my folks flew up from West Virginia.

Holden’s party was so much fun!  We were surrounded by lots of people who are very dear to us, and I felt like it was the perfect celebration of Holden’s life thus far.  We kept things simple by asking everyone to pitch in a dish to share while we provided burgers and hot dogs, and Rob’s folks provided some gourmet cupcakes from Two Fat Cats Bakery in Portland, Maine.  Yum.  It was an overcast day but it was not hot or humid—really a perfect day for grilling some food and swinging with the kiddos.  Holden was given a personal 6-inch cake for the occasion:

I had assumed beforehand that Holden would tear into that sucker with gusto, not unlike all of his other encounters with food.  I fully expected his hands to be encased in sticky chocolate, and that his face would boast more chocolate than skin.  However, I think Holden was a little overwhelmed with the large crowd of people singing to him and subsequently starring at him in anticipation of that first bite.  He nearly cried when my mother finally stepped in to offer him some chocolate icing.  

But he got over it:

Holden had such a fabulous time (other than being intimidated by the cake situation).  He walked and walked and walked all over the place and fell down three times, scraping his knuckles at one point.  He also showed me that yes, he can climb stairs, thank you very much.

Here’s Holden enjoying special time with my Dad:

And with my Mom:

On Father’s Day we enjoyed some breakfast with the family to celebrate all of the wonderful Dads in our lives (especially my dad as it was his first Father’s Day as a Grandpa, and Rob as it was his first Father’s Day since Holden was born).  Then we had to say goodbye to my parents, which was tough for all of us.  It’s hard to be so far from family sometimes.

Although we had a nice birthday bash for Holden on Saturday, I wanted to do something semi-special with him on his birthday.  This morning I had a ton of moving-related tasks to check off my list, so I busied myself with those thinking that the afternoon would free up and I could take off with Holden and do something fun with him later in the day.  Finally, the afternoon rolled around and I had to run to the other side of town to pay the electrician.  I decided while I was over on the other side of town that it would be fun to take Holden to the Chittenden County Humane Society, the same shelter where we adopted our dear rabbit Sambuca, 7 years ago!  When we got to the shelter, I saw that it was closed (annoying, because Monday is the only day during the work week that they are closed).  So instead, we sat in the grass and enjoyed yogurt for a snack while one of the resident “dig-digs” barked at us from afar.  I then decided that we may as well visit Red Rocks Park as long as we were on that side of town.  I loaded Holden into the stroller to take a walk through the tamed trails of the park and sit for a while by the beach.  Holden fell asleep during our walk, which pretty much never happens.  He must have been worn out from his exciting birthday weekend!

One of the most exciting aspects of our trip across town today was the new perspective afforded by Holden’s forward-facing carseat.  Holden has been over 20 lbs. for quite some time now (since about 5 months of age!), and he has been increasingly uncomfortable in the rear-facing position.  His little legs have been all jammed up against the upholstery of the back seat.  But now, our little guy can legally be turned around and enjoy the leg room:

I just can’t believe how he looks like a little boy now and not a baby!

It’s difficult to describe all of the varied ways in which Holden has changed me over the past year.  Certainly, watching a person grow and develop so rapidly from just a tiny, helpless newborn is an unbelievable experience.  I’ve been surprised by how much fun I have had watching him grow up thus far—not that I didn’t think it would be fun, it’s just more fun than I anticipated.  I feel more excitement when thinking about the prospect of a new experience for Holden than I do for new experiences for myself.  When I think about the future, which is often, I base all of my thoughts on what is best for Holden.  That’s not to say that I never think of doing things for myself, it’s just that doing things for myself is secondary.  I don’t say that in a “martyr” kind of way either, as I truly don’t feel like I am depriving myself of much by putting him first (although there are days where I would immensely benefit from a yoga class, a massage, or drinks with friends).

Or sleep.

There are many, many things that I want to say about parenthood but they may have to wait until a future blog post.  For now, I will close with my favorite things about Holden:

• Laughing at everything (silly animals, chasing and being chased, games where we imitate each other’s gestures/vocalizations, etc.)
• Dancing (H loves to get down)
• Flirting and pretending to be shy around ladies
• When H nurses, he will pull at my shirt or play with my buttons.  It’s very endearing.  He also looks me in the eye and will start smiling and then laughing….while nursing.
• I love his exploration of his body parts—how he practices waving and will scrutinize the movement of his fingers, how he pokes himself in his own belly button.
• H “talks” to the characters in his books.  He loves turning pages and pointing at specific events in his books.  His first favorite book was “Green Eggs and Ham.”  Then he was in love with “Bear Snores On.”  Now “Where the Wild Things Are” is at the top of his list.  He still cries every time the story ends.
• Clapping and being pleased when other people clap in response.
• The fat rolls on his big toes.
• The fat on his thighs (although since he started walking, I’ve discovered that his thighs feel less squishy and more firm/muscular).
• The fact that he thinks it’s hysterically funny when Stoli swats at him (this swatting is a recent phenomenon and is probably related to anxiety regarding the move.  Cats are smart like that).
• Pointing at things on the ceiling (lights and ceiling fans are a current obsession).
• How he scrutinizes the variation of our hardwood floors and will inspect them by running an index finger carefully over the floor.
• Being nosey when we’re out in public—Holden will turn around completely in his chair and stare at other people for minutes at a time, sometimes with his jaw dropped.  It’s funny now, but in a few years it won’t be.
• Putting a piece of food in his mouth and then moving his hand with a flourish to indicate the excellence of the cuisine he is enjoying.
• Carefully depositing every third piece of food over the edge of his food tray.  It’s unclear what criteria are being used to determine what gets jettisoned.
• “Reading” the New Yorker and acting like he gets it.
• Getting his words mixed up.  Example:  “Holden, press the yellow button on your drum.”  Holden responds by inspecting his belly button.  Another example:  While I point to a window fan, I say “Holden, this is a fan.” He responds by looking up at the ceiling, thinking that I am talking about a ceiling fan.
• Sucking the water out of his washcloth AFTER it’s been used to bathe him.  It’s totally gross, but *so* funny.
• Cuddling (he only does this at night when he is going to bed, so I try to really cherish it).
• Walking like a drunk zombie, with outstretched arms and unsteady gait.
• Resting his weary head on my shoulder.
• His blond curls.
• His big, blue eyes
• His long, dark lashes
• His huge, fat hands
• His gentle soul

One a day for the first year (with only one exception):

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Original photo on Flickr.