Happy Birthday Turner!

My little weasel turned one yesterday! I can't believe it. People have asked if I am sad, but the old cliche is true - they do get more fun all the time! I didn't really understand/buy this until I had my own child, and I might have rolled my eyes at that statement, but it is true.

We just left lunch after church. Heath had a meeting, so Turner and I were walking to the car. I dipped him down and said "GRRRR" - tell me I am not the only person who does things like this?! - and he just cracked up. Threw his head back and was dying laughing, which made me do the same. He does that to me every day. Lately, when we have been driving down the road he will look at himself at laugh for 5 minutes at a time. I can't wait until he can tell me what is so funny!

I looked back at all of his pictures on our computer yesterday, and you really do forget they were ever that small. Holding Baby Ellie (and Baby Miller and Baby Luke) last week made me realize Turner is a giant! He weighs about 24 pounds - we go tomorrow for his 1 year appointment, but he has stayed in 50-75th percentile for height and weight. He can say (and mean) "Uh-oh" and wave "Da-da" for bye bye. Close enough for me now. And, big news! He took 2-3 steps yesterday for the first time. On his first birthday! He did it again at Sunday School today, so I know I am not crazy!

We had a birthday party for him last weekend. I was waiting to post pictures until his actual birthday. It was a family party. I went back and forth about inviting friends, because I enjoy going to one year old parties. But, we couldn't figure out where to draw the line. Not that people would even care, but if we invited so and so, we needed to invite other so and so, and then it would have been 75 or so people. In my house? I think not. Especially since dear child won't remember! He did have one friend that wasn't family - York. They are best friends, and York would have been crushed not to be there. Ha.

Here are some pictures:

I couldn't decide on a theme for his party. So, I saw this invitation and decided we would have a monkey party. He is a monkey for sure!!

The food table - birthday cake, M & M's (see below), fruit salad, chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, chips and dip, peanut butter balls with monkey faces on them.

Birthday cake and smash cake.

These are a sample of the M&M's. They had 'Happy Birthday', 'Turner is one' and 2 pictures of Turner on them - one when he was a newborn and one from now. Creepy? Maybe. But fun.

The party favors were balloons with bananas to hold them down. Attached were small sock monkeys that look like the one above.

Look at all those presents!! MeMe and Pap gave him that Pottery Barn Anywhere chair, and he is obsessed with it. But I can honestly say he has been pretty obsessed with all of his new toys!

Grandparents everywhere! Here is Heath's dad and his Granny Eloise.

Turner and York with their daddies!

GiGi and Grandad - check out Turner's monkey shirt!

He liked his cake, but didn't do too much damage.

Birthday banner

Family picture - hard to take these days with him moving around so much!

Turner and Pop Pop

MeMe and Cousin Ellie

Uncle D and Aunt Lindsey

Turner Bug,

Daddy and I love you so much more than we ever knew we could. You have been a great baby this first year - let's keep that up, okay? You smile all the time and you are easy going. You make people laugh and you are always curious! The other day at Chick-fil-A I brought you in and the ladies knew you by name and commented how cute you looked. Seriously - I had never seen them before, but Daddy takes you there on Saturday and you have left quite an impression. One girl even ran back to the back to get her friend saying "Turner is here in a Christmas outfit!"

I praise the Lord for you, and I pray you will grow up to be a godly, loving man. I am glad I have a few more years with you before I turn you loose! Next year should be interesting with a sibling, but you won't ever be able to remember the difference!

Thank you, Lord, for this little blessing. I can't believe the difference a year makes! Remind me how blessed I am to have a healthy baby boy when I am chasing him around the house ALL the time!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

The one year old monkey as I write this! That is what I felt like after the birthday party!!