Happy Birthday, Matthewsaurus!

My littlest lovebug turned 1 year old today! I can't hardly believe it. We've had a whole weekend of celebrating, which is fitting, considering he took the better part of two days to actually deliver.

I was pleasantly surprised that despite my angst about its approach, once this weekend actually arrived, I was able to completely enjoy it without any sadness at all! OK, there was a flitting moment of sadness when I kissed him goodnight last night and realized it was my last time doing so with a <1 Year Old Matthew, but that was quickly squelched when he reached up and kissed me back (first time he kissed me goodnight--he's kissed me before but this was the first time he reached up and kissed me back as I was laying him down). An infant can't do that. And in that moment, I decided that 1 will be better than 0 because of all the new memories we still have yet to make.  My heart is so full!

I spent Friday preparing for a little party. First birthday parties are really for the parents and baby's other loved ones, so I didn't want to get carried away with something he won't even remember, and I didn't want to make things stressful for myself, but I also wanted to have some fun with it. With the help of Pinterest (seriously, if you don't have an account, you need one), I decided on a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" theme. Most of the thematic elements were food and colors, so I brought the color in through the paper goods, and the food from the book determined our menu. Then I just made a tissue-paper caterpillar, and we were done. Fun, cute, festive, low maintenance, budget-friendly, and with minimal waste. We just invited immediate family so as to keep it fun for Matthew, without being overwhelming. We had his party on Saturday and everything fell into place perfectly. He slept in late, so he was still awake when the party started--he's usually napping or extremely fussy by that time. He had his lunch, he opened his presents, and right about the time he was getting to tired for any more party, we hopped him up on sugar by giving him some cake. That gave him a little burst of fun and energy. He had a bath, we brought him home (we held the party at my in-law's house), and he napped.

The food:


I ordered the little food signs on Etsy. I didn't think to get a better photo of them:





 

Sitting with his presents:


A bow on my head...


Playing with a toy with daddy:


Waiting for his cake. Somehow, he knew something good was coming!


Cake:


The verdict:


And finally, a family picture:


We had a quiet night at home last night, just the three of us. Overall, it was a lovely day, with many memories I will cherish.


This morning, we went to church, and then we went with our church friends out to lunch like we always do. I brought more cupcakes to share and friends brought gifts for him. We played with more frosting and then came home for a nap.

Tonight, the three of us went to Red Robin for singing and ice cream.





One of the funniest parts of all the partying was the constant look of confusion on his face whenever a big group would sing. Why are you all singing at me? It was so cute, and I admit, I exploited it--full blown singing, multiple times :)



We came home, played with him, gave him a bath, and put him to bed, blissfully ending a perfect weekend.









It's my birthday! Thank you very much!


I've spent the evening hanging out with DH, writing this blog, and processing pictures. I'm about to write Matthew a letter, and first birthday weekend will officially be over.

On a more sentimental note, in 1984, President Reagan created National Sanctity of Human Life Day.

In a January 13, 1984 proclamation, President Ronald Reagan designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that first recognized the constitutionally-protected status of abortion in the United States.

Reagan issued the proclamation annually thereafter, designating Sanctity of Human Life Day to be the third Sunday in January, which represents the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date. His successor, George H. W. Bush, continued the annual proclamation throughout his presidency. Bush's successor, Bill Clinton, discontinued the practice throughout his eight years in office, but Bush's son and Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, resumed the proclamation, and did so every year of his presidency.

Matthew, whose very existence is a testament to the precious value of each human life, was born on the anniversary of SOHL Day. This year, the 22nd actually was a Sunday, so the observance and the anniversary both fell on the same day: today! Matthew's birthday! I love how God knit all these little details of our family together. It's so perfect that Matthew was born on Sanctity of Human Life Day!

We praise God for our sweet little boy, for each breath that he has taken, for every breath that he will take, and for all of the precious details that fill each of those breaths. Happy Birthday, Matthewsaurus!