Still the Birthday Boy But a Month Older

It wouldn't be a birthday without a crazy cool & huge cake by Aunt Jenn! Oooh, it was so yummy. Chocolate & White layers with the best homemade fudgey chocolate frosting between layers. Mmmm, mmm, mmm. Aunt Jenn also fashioned the special ball on top to come off to serve as Zander's own little smash cake! Our family sure does know how to celebrate!

The whole gang traveled to Carlisle to celebrate with Alexander; Babushka, Dedushka and Mama Zoiya from Brooklyn'd, Ernie & Pam, Aunt Jenn, Uncle Mike, Ethan, Sarah, Norah & Baby Charlotte, Grandma & Grandpa, and of course, the birthday boy!

Of course, Alexander got some special birthday kisses from his best baby Norah & a super-special purple smooch from Babushka Anna!

Unfortunately, right after the candles were blown out and Zaney stole a finger swipe of icing, someone laughed or made a loud noise & Alexander thought he was in trouble. He was so scared, he didn't want to touch the cake again!

That was, until Cousin Sarah the cake lover, offered to test Z's smash cake to make sure the Russian Rasputin hadn't hidden anything in the icing. After she gave the all clear, Sarah quickly taught the babe the pleasures of birthday cake. She couldn't stop giggling! So cute!

Our compliments to the baker!

Babushka & Dedushka were so happy to celebrate Shurik's 1st birthday. So happy, Babushka had to poor a full glass of vodka just for baby. :) Just kidding, it is water!

And I've never seen Mama Zoiya happier! Mama gave Alexander a Russian Cheburashka Doll & a Cheburashka Cartoon DVD. The babe loves it & pushes it around the house in his little lawn mower; so cute!

Another great birthday surprise was how much Alexander warmed up to Grandma & Grandpa on this visit to Carlisle. Every time he saw Granny Smith he would run & reach for her. Again, so cute!

The cake was so yummy, Zander couldn't even take a break to smile for a photo with the baker!

After a delicious menagerie of Russian & Smith cuisine & a couple slices of birthday cake, it was time to open a few presents. Pam picked out two of the cutest running suits for Alexander & Mama Norah. Seriously, way, way too cute!

Then grandma led the kids in some birthday games. Dropping the close pin in Grandpa's water cup turned out to be a big success. Actually, Zaney could have kept that game going all night! I'm surprised college kids don't make that into a drinking game!

Then it was off to bed... even after a long day, we still couldn't get Babushka to stop smiling at her youngest grandson!

Nothing's better than a Sunday morning milk mustache!

And then out back to play with Mama Zoiya & Babushka!

Babushka taught Shurik to play fetch & Mama Zoiya taught him how useful a walking stick can be!

Isn't that a good looking crew of grandkids?

Alexander, Papa & I had such a wonderful time visiting everyone & playing with our grandparents & cousins! It was so hard to saddle up & head back to Wild & Wonderful West Virginia...

We're counting the days until we can play with everyone again!

Grandpa

Despite another traumatic haircut, this one much, much longer than the first, Alexander couldn't hold a grudge for long. I mean, who could hold a grudge against aerial acrobatic providers?

Granny Smith's cereal puts her apples to shame!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Granny Smith put on a fabulous inpromtu birthday party for Baby Alexander, after Aunt Jenn spent the week mopping up vomit, swabbing a half dozen pink eyes & fighting strep throat & a sinus infection herself.

Although the cake was yum & the Russian food decadent, Alexander enjoyed the cold cereal & company best.

The babe also enjoyed his first milk mustache.

Well, actually, yogurt-stache.

How about some special shoes instead?

Yeah. Went to the Physiatrist @ Easter Seals yesterday & our baby is getting some special shoes made specially for his (not-so) little Flintstone feet!

The doc mentioned, multiple times, that our boy has some REALLY wide feet. Babushka Anna apologized profusely & said it was genetics.

Hiking Boots

The baby's finally getting used to his hiking boots. Thank goodness. Beautiful day, just watch out for the deer poo.

After 15 days below freezing, we've finally had a handful of nice days to go outside & enjoy the sunshine. Despite Alexander's flinstone feet, we squeezed on some size 6 hiking boots & out we went. Saturday daddy had a fire to melt the snow & Zander chased the birdies from his new birthday bird feeder. Good times.

Bottle free's the way to be, happy birthday to me & thee

Been awhile.

After 2 weeks of coughs & cuddles, we're still celebrating the babe's birthday. After this weekend, we're done. At least for another 6 months.

Surprisingly, the Dr. Arch still wanted to see us for Alexander's "Well Baby" checkup, despite the fact that she's seen him at least bi-weekly for the last 3 months. It'd been a week since she'd seen him, so of course he was well...

Anyway. 24 pounds, 12 ounces. At one point the bruiser was 25+ pounds, but that Pneumonia really took it out of our little poopsic. 31 & 1/4 inches long. And all kinds of awesome.

And then she told us that bottles are out & the day for binkies is nigh. Zander hasn't had a bottle since, and he truly hasn't missed them. We're using up all the bulk formula we purchased, but when that's gone... well, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to stomach giving him cows milk... we'll see.

After our birthday celebration, Russ & Amber invited us over for some delicious pasta & amazing berry bake. Yum. They had the best birthday present for Zander too... a little too perfect. D & baby were up until nearly 10pm playing with the mega blocks. But they had fun!

Then we helped Owen celebrate his first birthday, just 4 days after Alexander turned one. Alexander had a fabulous time playing with all of Owen's little cousins; made him miss all of his Carlisle Cousins... It won't be long!

Owen gave Alexander a Mega Blocks School Bus, which quickly became his new favorite...

Until we got grandma's birthday balloons...

So, that catches us up... we're going to Carlisle this weekend, finally, to celebrate Zander's first & Norah's second birthdays with the whole fam-damnly. Including Mama Zoya, Babushka & Dirdushka. Alexander can't wait to play with all the kiddos!

And on the 365th day, we party

Our big First Birthday Party Plans fell went the way of the antibiotics... So we celebrated the little mister's first birthday the way we rang in his birth; Mama, Papa & baby. Luckily, Peanut was willing to stand in for all the nurses & scalpal weilding doctors...

The birthday boy really enjoyed his spice cake & cream cheese frosting. As a matter of fact, he threw his carrots 7 brocoli on the floor, just to make room for such deliciuos sweetness!

But, the ever polite little guy paused to offer the poperatzi a bite.

Seriously, the best year of our lives. Of course, I can't remember much of the first half, but what I can remember CAN NOT BE BEAT!

Happy Birthday Baby Boris!