Happy 1 Year, Kyle!!

Our baby turned ONE today!!!! It was such a special day. For starters, we had GG and Uncle Randy staying with us, so they got to help us begin the celebrations with presents in the morning. Then we were off to set up for the party at a nearby park. I had tried to keep it as simple as possible so that we could all enjoy the day. In honor of Kyle's favorite Mr. Fish, we threw a "Fish Party" where everything possible was fish related. Our centerpieces were cute little fish bowls with colorful fishy crackers and some with Swedish fish candy. We served tuna (fish) sandwiches and PB&J for the kids and vegetarians. Then, we had fish sugar cookies and cake along with a pack of "Go Fish" cards for party favors. And although it was still a lot of work, it was pretty enjoyable! Still, I am amazed at how much help we needed to get things all set up. It took every one of us, including my parents, GG, Uncle Randy and two amazing friends of mine, to get things all ready. The only damper to the party was that Shmu is teething and we could all tell that he was in a lot of pain. :( However, we had a great party and we're thankful for our wonderful family and friends who helped us celebrate Kyle's day!

After the party, we enjoyed watching Kyle play with his new toys, recuperated with some Starbucks (thanks, Dad!) and went on a family bike ride around the Back Bay. Before we left, however, we finally removed a sign Gina had put up on our door to welcome Baby Shmu home from the hospital. Yes, it's been up on our door all year long. We just LOVED that day so much and didn't ever take it down. We figured though, that it was finally time. It was an emotional moment for me, as I remembered all the emotions of the day we brought our son home for the very first time. It's amazing that we're already a whole year away from that unforgettable day!

Notice Kyle's fish shirt from GG. It was perfect!! :)

A pinata for some of the older kids.

Kyle really didn't know what to make of his cake. He was pretty miserable at this point. :(

But he sure liked his presents!! ;)

Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy birthday, KYLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!