Happy 1st Birthday AJ!

Well the big day has come again and my baby is 1 year old! I have been moved to tears yesterday and today thinking about the pure joy and happiness I felt the day he was born. I cannot imagine my life without him as he continues to fill our lives with love and laughter.

AJ is now into throwing everything! He deliberately puts things in containers, into your hand, or onto the floor or table. He tries to brush his hair which is absolutely adorable. He eats all table food now and we brush his teeth at night with a little finger scrubber (he loves sucking the toothpaste off of it). He no longer sucks his fingers, which I think he stopped when he got the flu 2 weeks ago and couldn't breathe through his nose for a week. He also talks himself to sleep which just melts my heart as I hear him jabbering sweetly to his little animals.

We had a mini-birthday celebration tonight with the grandparents and Uncle Eric. AJ enjoyed himself tremondously with all the tissue paper and boxes of course. He got a new sandbox and sand toys, a doggie jack-in-the-box, trucks, books, a learning tool-kit, a swimsuit and lots of cute Spring and Summer clothes. The big party bash is on Saturday, but tonight was another great one to remember!

AJ enjoying his first cupcake! He ate almost the entire cake part and left almost all of the icing on his tray (just the way his mommy would eat it)!

"Alright, dessert!"

"Let me smash it first."
"And yum!"

AJ's new sandbox! All it needs now is the sand (and maybe some nicer weather).

"Let me see what I got in here."

"Alright, toys for my sandbox!"

"And a toolkit. Now I can help Daddy fix up the garage!"

"But here's my favorite... tissue paper. YES! What a great day!"

1) AJ playing catch! 2)AJ manuvering his walker! 3) AJ screaming with Daddy!