In over a year, the hands-down most disappointing part about parenting is that my kid didn’t stick his face into the smash cake.
He daintily poked at it, rubbed some sugar crystals into his hair, and then asked to be removed from its presence. I tried putting frosting on his Soothie to convince him that sugar is delicious, and he looked at me like I’d just poisoned the pacifier. I cleaned it off for him, and he disdainfully replied, “You missed a spot.” Whose child is this?
I sound like a walking cliché when I talk about my one-year-old. Where did the time go? I can’t help it. This has been the most crazy, wonderful, hectic, blink-and-you-miss-it year of my life.
A year ago, we brought home a scrawny, red-faced bundle who could wriggle out of a swaddle and sleep on his side even though he could barely move. We logged every bottle, every diaper, and every futile attempt at breastfeeding (shout-out to the BabyConnect app!). We learned to live in three-hour increments. Jerald stayed up late while I went to bed early, so we both managed to get some sleep each night. We put a travel crib in our bedroom, a mini-fridge in his nursery, and a bottle warmer in the bathroom. I slept (or watched Good Witch) while he slept and wondered how I would ever be able to go back to work. He was pure joy in a tiny package.
On Sunday, we celebrated a real human with personality, opinions, plenty of stubbornness, and a whole host of talents. He crawls like a speed demon. He pulls himself up and cruises around the furniture (or people’s legs, or the kitchen appliances, or the dog). He loves playing with stacking cups, especially crawling with one in each hand and making clomping noises. He loves his food and has almost never turned anything down…until birthday cake. He wriggles out of shoes as well as he used to wriggle out of swaddles. He can spot a Soothie under the couch and get it into his mouth–pet hair and all–faster than mommy and daddy can react. I went back to work, and he seems to enjoy his time at daycare. He’s still pure joy in a slightly less tiny package.
I’m incredibly pleased and humbled that so many people came from near and far to fete our boy, even if they weren’t rewarded with the promised cake smash. We had family come from Ohio, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and all over Connecticut. Jordan won’t remember this birthday, but he’ll always know he’s loved. And spoiled.
He also won’t remember that I totally went overboard with the Pinteresting, but at least there’s photographic evidence. I started working on my Uno theme board months ago. My long-suffering husband and mother helped me bring my ambitious ideas to fruition, with a last-minute assist from my aunt and uncle. Etsy provided the invitation and Jordan’s wardrobe. SO Good Baked Goods provided the awesome rainbow cake. Moe’s provided the taco bar. Dollar Tree provided most of the decorations, let’s be honest. Not pictured: the centerpieces I busted my butt on that didn’t even stand up straight.
Welcome to our Uno party — a little crooked, but close enough. 
This awesome banner nearly broke up a marriage (not mine). 
Decorating a cake is not like riding a bicycle, but for my first one in 20 years I think I did OK. 
Shauna’s cake puts my little ones to shame. 
The prize, of course, was a deck of Uno cards. 
For his 18th birthday. 
I’m obsessed with how this part turned out. 
“What is this thing you have put before me?” 
No way he would have turned down a piece of this! 
Moe’s was nearly late, but they came through in the end. 
Sangria and lemonade, and some slight confusion between the two. 
He didn’t feel good, so he spent most of the party clinging to mommy or daddy. 
I. 
Can’t. 
Even.
Next up is my birthday, which won’t be nearly so elaborate (unless there’s something I don’t know, lol). Last year, I was still recovering from the C-section, food didn’t taste right, and I had to nap in between dinner and cake. Even so, that’s going to be a hard birthday to top.
Lauren B. Lentini 
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