One Year Old!

So Saturday arrived and Beckett turned one year old. Twelve months. Three hundred and sixty-five days. And to say I genuinely couldn't believe it had been a year would be a massive understatement. I can trace out with ease all his milestones. I can tell you at length what he's done and achieved (in relation to development etc.) in that time. But to actually look back and fully realise that a year had passed since Beckett came into our lives, is just amazing.

And even now, all that time later, he still captures my heart and moves me with the slightest facial gesture or baby-spoken sound.

The day itself was wonderful. His Aunt and Godmother, Tori, had arrived in from Edinburgh the night before well after his bedtime so he saw her in the morning. He was ecstatic, to put it mildly. He really loves his Aunty Tori! To make things even more exciting, before there would be any hint of a birthday party, we were off to the Zoo first thing. It was the baby elephants' birthdays and we were lucky enough to get invited along for a special talk and tour from Gerry Creighton, Operations Manager for Animals & Grounds at Dublin Zoo. You can read about it here.

We were back home for noon and it was all stations go to get his party setup and ready for the guests arriving at 2pm. So... the BBQ was setup, the gazeebo was erected, the ball pool and bouncy castle were put out, the fruit skewers and Top Hats were made, the bunting and decorations were put up and the other food and treats were all put out. My place for the afternoon was pretty much stationed in front of the BBQ, firing out delicious hotdogs and bbq chicken.

I think it's safe to say that everyone had a really great time. The kids had loads of fun, including Beckett's cousin Baxter deciding to run around topless to everyone's amusement. All the food was eaten. Perhaps surprisingly, the Fruit Skewers were a HUGE hit and we could have probably made two or three times as much as we did. I highly recommend them for your next kid's party (though obviously parental supervision may be required for younger kids due to the skewer!).

Before it was all over there was also cake and presents too. So basically, a super fun day. I know Beckett won't remember it when he's older but for the day that it was he had an awesome time - constant smiles and laughter.

Beckett, Jules and the birthday cakes

Beckett, post birthday cake eating

So, considering all the planning and preparation and cooking and wrapping and entertaining... would I do it again? I'm already planning his next one. The most fun ever and I can't wait for all the birth parties yet to come!!

In case you missed it in my 'Nearly One Year Old' post, here's the slideshow I made of all the photos charting Beckett's first year...