Happy Friday everyone!
I’m so glad the weekend is here and I get to spend time with my guys, but tonight I am tired and just going to make a quick post before relaxing on the couch with some TV.
We took this video on Emmett’s actual first birthday, when we were at Friendly’s.
Don’t worry, he wasn’t hurt by the straw, it had just tickled him.
I’ll share more this weekend, but today was such an AMAZING day!
Question of the day:
How did you spend your Friday?
I think if I were a one year old, I would have been really happy with how Emmett spent his first birthday.
When my niece celebrated her first birthday back in May, my sister had commented how she wished she had taken the day off just to spend it with her. I made a mental note of this comment. I know me and I know how much it means to me to be with the ones I love on their special days, so I took off July 23rd, as did Seamus. We made no real concrete plans, we didn’t want to, we wanted to go with the flow of the day and in the end it was simply perfect.
Emmett woke up at his normal weekend time, around 6 am and we spent a little time cuddling in bed (our normal weekend routine, described here). After awhile, Seamus was still tired and I wanted to go get breakfast, so Emmett and I headed out to get bagels at Bagel Jay’s an awesome local bagel restaurant, while Seamus tried to nap longer. Emmett and I ate there, I wanted to just be alone with my baby boy before our day really got going. He was wonderful, just smiley and loving, I was so happy.
We got home and while daddy ate his breakfast, I got Emmett dressed in his birthday shirt. It had his name, a train and a 1 on it. It was a hand-me-down but it was perfect for his special day. Don’t worry, we’ll be getting him his own for his birthday party in August.
Not that a one year old can make their own decisions, but I wanted Emmett to dictate how the day went to the best of his abilities, meaning that he’d nap when he wanted to and we’d go out for lunch when he woke up, we’d play with the toys he chose, read if he decided he wanted to be curled up in our laps, I didn’t care. I wanted the day to be about him (and our memories of his birth).
We played and he practiced walking all morning long. By the time nap time had rolled around he’d been so active that he was pooped, he nursed and fell fast a sleep for a nice long nap. He woke up with a squeal (of delight) on the monitor. I went in to find him sitting up in the corner of his crib, playing with his pacifier and blanket, just smiling away. I know that he’s only one and likely had no idea that it was his birthday, but he sure acted like it was a special day, maybe it was just being home with Seamus and I.
Before we headed out for lunch, Seamus gave Emmett his first present from us (he’ll get more at his party in August), a set of Duplo Legos. Oh my goodness, this child is in love with them! We spent so much time just opening the package and examining every block. We’d then stack them up and Emmett would knock them down, it was a blast.
At lunch, we had a happy, silly boy. I got a ton of great pictures, as you can see below. He always seems to really enjoy himself when we go out, I think it’s because he has new scenery to look at. We don’t give Emmett a lot of sweets, typically the sweetest thing he eats is fruit but we let him splurge, since it was his birthday. He had his very first Cone Head sundae at Friendly’s and he loved it SO much!
Seamus and I decided that for as long as Emmett will tolerate it, we will take him to Friendly’s for his birthday. I think it might be the first tradition we’ll be making as a family, you have NO idea how excited this makes me. Along with my love of reminiscing, comes my love of traditions, I’m sure you can understand why.
The rest of the evening was spent playing with his new Legos and going outside for a bit.
See! Doesn’t it sound like THE perfect first birthday?
Question of the day:
How did you spend your children’s first birthdays?
TO ME!!
It was my first birthday as a mother and such an amazing birthday it was, thank to Seamus and Emmett. <3
The holidays can be a super stressful time for anyone but seem to get busier and crazier once you have a significant other and then eventually a family. When I was single there was no question where the holidays would be spent or what new traditions would be developed, it was simple, I celebrated with my family, that was that and I loved it! Then upon entering a long-term relationship a whole new can of worms open because we needed to determine which holiday would be celebrated where.
I have to admit that I’m pretty lucky, Seamus and I have our holiday situation down to a science and it’s worked for us for the last 5 years. Thanksgiving day we celebrate at his parent’s house. This is their big holiday, his family celebrates on the actual day with a giant meal. My family typically goes to my mom’s sister’s house and the first year I missed out on this it was rough but we’ve adjusted because now even though my mom, dad and some of my siblings still go to my Aunt’s, my mom will hold Thanksgiving at her house on the Saturday after. We get the best of both worlds and there isn’t any fighting!
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Seamus’ family typically will celebrate Christmas sometime after the holiday, there’s never a specific date, it’s just scheduled as time permits, which allows us to be pretty stress-free when it comes to how we celebrate our holidays.
We are always still running around and feel like time is flying by too quickly during the holiday season but at least there aren’t arguments as to who gets what holiday. I suppose in a few years we’ll want to start our own traditions with Emmett but for now, I’ll sit back and enjoy the holidays as they’re currently celebrated!
How do you separate where you celebrate each of the coming holidays?