Park is 1: Part 1

Park's first birthday has come and gone and I'm still trying to figure out if the birthday party was for him (which he'll never remember) or for the parents (did we really just survive a year with a kid?). To me, it just ended up being a nice day to celebrate the little boy that Craig and I feel so lucky to have as part of our family every. single. day.

I was feeling enough pressure of this being "the first" birthday for the kid, that we kept the theme simple and just had a picnic in the park. The choice of park was an easy one for Craig and I. Eastborough Park is fairly close to our house and it has been a frequent destination for both of us our entire lives -- as kids we fed the ducks there, and as adults we run there and back to our house as part of a three-mile route. The park also has a great playground and gazebo. We only had three elements that were out of our control and terrifying for a party-planner with no plan B: getting there before another party (you couldn't reserve the picnic area), praying it didn't rain (when there was a 30% chance in the forecast) and hoping the kid got a good nap beforehand so he was in a good mood. We lucked out on all three.

Here's the birthday boy, with his cousin Hagen, taking it all in before one of the ducks waddled up beside him and scared the poor guy.


It isn't a party until someone jumps into the lake! Luckily, that was Zoe. Even though her leash was tied to the fence, this water dog still tried to make a run for it.


Park enjoyed everyone standing around taking his picture more than tasting cake for the first time. I think he got his dad's willpower for sweets.


I hate how we're excluding Craig from our moment here, but I love how happy Park looks with his mouth covered in icing.


Here, the boy ponders another bite of cake. (Yes, the bib and hat are homemade, but some crafty bloggers deserve credit for the inspiration. More on that in a future post.)


Thanks to Craig, we have a great library of photos thoughout the last 12 months ... and a pennant banner sharing some of the highlights.


After opening presents, Park concluded with a round of applause.


Here, I think we look a lot less scared for what the next year will bring than we did a year ago holding Park as a newborn.


Special thanks go out to Craig's uncle Ed, my sister Erin and Grandpa Sam for sharing their photos since our hands were a little full that day.