One Day, Until Then: February 2009

Jude turned one yesterday and we celebrated with family. As I reflect back on his past year of life I am reminded of how good God is. We spent the first several months having tests, seeing doctors and specialists. God was so good to us and gracious and our son came through everything perfectly and today we have no worries about his health.

We chose to name him Jude because our prayer for his life is that he would proclaim God's Word and truth. He already has testimony in his life of how good God is.

Jude is the happiest baby with this very sweet disposition and at the same time very, extremely stubborn. Do those fit together? Well, when you do put those traits together you get Jude. He will smile and laugh and all the while do the very thing you have told him a thousand times not to do. Then he will try the hug and go, where he comes in for a nice snugly hug and then tries quickly to get away with he wants to do. He's a very cunning 1 year old.

Jude is talking and mimicking sounds, his favorite words are "hey there" and "thank you". He also just started saying this week "hey Cael", saying the hard K sound, and at his party he kept saying "cake" while he was eating it.

We had Jude's party last night and I maid Mexican for dinner and then came the dessert with chocolate cake and chocolate icing just for Jude. Ms. Erin made the cake and she did a great job! The rest of us had cupcakes that Jadon and Haven decorated.

Here's Jude enjoying the cake. I made an observation last night about the way boys eat their first birthday cake and the way girls do. When Jadon had his first birthday he ate the cake, but more fun for him was being the center of attention and having everyone looking at him. Before long he had forgotten his cake and was more interested in entertaining. Last night when Jude was eating he absolutely loved his cake, but there was also that I'm going to do a little entertaining too. Now girls won't understand this at all, but when he was done with the cake he pushed it away. There was still cake left on the plate, chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and he pushed it away. What!?

Now, Haven, when she had her first cake, chocolate with chocolate icing, there was no tearing her away from it. She wanted it and wanted it all. She didn't even notice anyone else was in the room. It was only her and her cake. Then when she had devoured it all she started trying to pick icing and cake off her high chair. Oh yeah, this girl was not going to let one bit of chocolate go to waste. All this was just an observation I made last night. Boys like the cake, love the attention and girls love the cake and the attention just happens.

Here's the birthday boy enjoying his day.