The Big One!

Charlie's Birthday Invitation

(thank you Melessa for letting me borrow your photoshop again)!
It's hard to believe that our little Chuck is already 1! Each day of this past year has been so wonderful and I have grown to love him more and more each day that he has been a part of our family. We are so grateful and blessed to have such a sweet little boy. We love you Charlie.

We had a little "private" party for Charlie today and then we had a party with some of his "friends" as well. It was alot of fun. I love throwing parties for babies. And this one was really exciting because it was for a boy this time--not a girl. So it was all new territory for me.

I wasn't going to show all these pictures, but I saw a re-accuring theme in each one.....when Charlie is concentrating on something he always sticks his tongue out. It's exactly what his father does as well. I think it's adorable. Here is a list of things Charlie loves right now:

• love how he says mama, ball, nana (no,no), gaga, and hopefully will be saying dada shortly
• love how he'll sit on my lap and listen to me read books for minutes. Favorite book--brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?
• love how he loves baths, but starts screaming if it's a bubble bath
• love how he lights up when he sees his sisters
• love how excited he gets when you tell him daddy is home. How he'll crawl to the front door and wait for his arrival
• love how he pulls every pan I own out of the cabinet when I'm fixing breakfast, lunch or dinner
• love how anything that is round he calls a ball
• love how he likes to climb stairs when no one is looking and then giggles and tries to climb faster when someone has spotted him
• love his endless appetite. The boy could eat ALL DAY LONG!
• love that he will just sit on my lap and cuddle with me (NEITHER of my girls did that ever!)
• LOVE his squishy-ness
• love how he loves his blue blanket
• love his cute binkey face
• love that he only still has 2 teeth on the bottom of his mouth
• love that he loves to be outside, go on walks, and swing on the swing
• love how much excitement he has for life and learning
• love how when you say, "where's your head?" he pats his head as hard as he can
• love when you say "where'd it go?" he puts his arms out with palms up as if to say "i don't know."
• loves being pushed around in laundry baskets, radio flyer, the girls baby doll strollers, etc. you name it
• loves to dump out all my clean laundry onto the floor and while he does it he has the biggest grin on his face and giggles
• love how he gives me open mouth slobbery kisses

Again we are so lucky to have such a wonderful little boy in our family. Boys are so much fun and I wouldn't change anything for the world. We love you Charlie!

Family Party:

Thank you to all of you who remembered his birthday via phone calls, cards, and gifts. We love you.Charlie's birthday party was so much fun. I think I had the theme planned since he was 6 months old. AND sad to say that I think I have the next 2-3 parties planned with themes as well. I know, I'm sick.

Charlie had a ball party this year. He is obsessed with balls. I think that "ball" is the only other real word that he says other than "mama" and "nana" (no, no).

After we sang and blew out the candle, I handed the cake to Chad so he could start cutting it. Well, it didn't all quite make it to the kitchen. =)

Here are Charlie and Rylee enjoying one of the presents he received from his party.

And still enjoying the ball pit days later. What a big happy boy.