Turning One!

Ivan turned one yesterday. Really awe-inspiring and unbelieveable -- that a year ago he didn't even exist and now he's already a littel boy. There are times, days, when he looks more like a little boy that he'll become, and others when he's still the pudgy, cute, round baby. In the latest round of photos taken at the birthday party yesterday, Andy and I noticed that in some photos there is a recognition, a depth in his eyes that wasn't there before. My little baby growing up.

So we have ended up inviting some 40-50 people to the party (kids included). Out of those people who said they'd come, most actually came. (There were a few people who said up front that they couldn't make it because they'd be out of town or had other obligations). The people who came included: my parents, Andy's parents and grandpa, Andy's sister Lisa and her family, (Sue couldn't come), Kris+Olexa (came up all the way from Florida, Lucy (I was impressed that she actually drove down from Philly), Katherine, Lisa+LJ+Sam, Dora+Lorenzo, Miriam+Sophie, Ana+Mateo, Angela+Sam, Natalya+Ian, Rita+Sanjoy+Maya, Lisa+Ramon, Kristina+Emir, Christine, Swati+Arya, Donna+Rona, Deidre+John, the book club neighbors-Jim+Katy, Karen, Penny+Bill, Dave, Chris+Ann = 49 people and babies. Wow. I didn't know whether we would be able to fit all of them in the house, but we did.

Luckily, the day was nice, allowing some, particularly Andy's family, to hang out on the porch. Nobody used the basement (except for Jared who eventually went to watch TV), and we had spent so much time cleaning/tidying it. It looks quite nice.

The food:
Chili: meat and vegetarian (Andy), tuna fish, shrimp risotto, potato salad (all my dad), shrimp platter, hummus, cheese, ham, cream puffs, brownies (Andy's mom)

The cake:
Andy ordered it from Safeway -- enough cake to feed 50 people. I almost fainted when I saw how huge it was. And almost dropped it, how heavy it was, getting it to the car. I had to put it down on a car next to mine, in order to open the trunk and put it in. It was a full sheet. As he said himself, he should've gotten half a sheet. All well. For 50 bucks it was lots of cake (unfortunately, we have quite a lot of leftovers).

Decorations:
Lots of baloons. Mr. Meh actually played with them during the party and today.

The party was set to start at 1 pm as that's usually the time Mr. Meh is most awake, alert and ready to plan (apart from 6 am). However, it figured that that day, he didn't want to go down for his mid-morning nap, he was fighting it, and fighting it. I put him down at 10 am only to fetch him half an hour later. He didn't sleep at all but spent the whole time babbling. I found him standing up in his crib, grinning at me. Eventually he got cranky then got crankier. Finally I gave him a bottle of milk and plopped him down to sleep. Of course, this was exactly at 1 pm. Andy and I joked about that in the morning -- "Watch Mr. Meh go to take a nap exactly at one when the party is supposed to start." How prescient of us. So, the guest of honor when to take a nap when his party was about to start. He slept for some 45 minutes, his usual amount.

When he came back down, he was confused and still sleepy. The house was swarming with people, none of whom he knew. He was starting to get cranky, so my mom took him to the porch, where he was playing with baloons. Apparently it was loads of fun.

So between everyone holding him, him being crancky and cheerfull the party progressed, until cake time. We lit a candle that he and I blew out together (I forgot to make a wish, but since I wish good things for him all the time, I'm sure some of those wishes are bound to stick). Then we sat him in his high chair and gave him the cake. First I fed him some and then I let him play with the cake. Soon he was all covered in blue frosting -- forehead to waist. THe amount of cake messiness was way beyond my level of comfort but I let him get all sticky. It's was supposed to happen at such events. Eventually I took the cake away, wished him upstair to clean his hands and change his clothing.

Late in the party, Ivan, my mom, Christine, Sam, LJ, Lorenzo, Dora and various other people who kept coming and going when to Ivan's room to play. I wasn't there most of the time so I'm not sure what transpired, but it seemed as if everyone had a good time.

Eventually people left. Dora stayed late, so did Lucy and Kris, whom I had asked to stay behind so we can catch up.

And then it was all over.

It was lots of fun (I think). I think the party went well, that everyone had fun and that we managed to host 49 people and babies in our house.