A Kaplan Journey..............: August 2012

You know how I know it's been a seriously long time since I've blogged? I don't even want to look to see when I posted my last entry. For those readers who have taken copious notes from postings past, you already know that my goal was to write about once a week about our journey. "That was such a cute idea, Heidi. Awe. *patting my own head* You had no idea what raising a toddler was going to be like." I'm gonna throw in a self-hug, too, that was so adorably ignorant of me.

But I finally have found a space of time in which my son is deep into a stellar REM cycle, all the clothes are clean, and to my knowledge, there are no bodily functions hanging off anything in the house. And I can finally focus on providing one helluvua posting, because let's face it, I've got a lot of catching up to do. If you order a steak and it's an hour late getting to your table....that better be the juiciest effing fillet you've ever had. I realize the challenge set before me, and fear not: you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll nod your head knowingly and maybe even start a solo slow clap.

But enough waiting around - let's dig in:

My bouncing baby boy - the one with the locks of golden hair at birth, the one who smiled up at me four weeks into his life on this earth - is now one year old. He's a full-on child, a fact that amazes me and drives home how the passage of time is one sneaky paradox. It seemingly just strolls along with you by your side, at a nice little pace, maybe commenting on the weather or asking if you're up for a smoothie... and then, BAM!, your son is smiling up at you in the playroom, skinny neck, defined face, rolling a ball back and forth from one hand to the other saying "ball!". And your old pal "time" is shrugging innocently, like hey - whaddyagunnado! Now how 'bout that smoothie?

So his very first bithday came on Thursday, August 2nd. A couple months ago, I bought him a onesie that said "Birthday Boy!" in colorful lettering right across the front. I gleefully hung it up in his closet with the anticipation of him finally getting to wear it, and the obvious implication that he would be an entire year old. Every time I went into the closet to grab Max an outift, I spotted the birthday onesie and smiled. And finally, after weeks of waiting, the day finally arrived! I picked Max up out of his crib and gave him a hundred smooches all over his face and neck, as though he would pick up on this subtle cue of affection and think, "whoa, Mom, slow down there.......wait a minute.......it's my birthday, isnt' it! You may continue."

And finally, I was able to put him into The Outfit. His navy blue onesie, with the huge proclamation across the front, fit him to a T. I held him outstretched in front of me to admire. So totally adorbs! He cocked his head to the side and I could feel his body start to wriggle out of my hold to go hobble around the house and find small objects. It was after I put him down and watched his little butt swing back and forth as he shuff out of the room that it dawned on me:

Now what?

It's a Thursday. Josh is working. There are no play dates on the books. Our schedule is completely empty and open. So we did what any mother-toddler duo would do on his birthday and with the world at their fingertips: we walked around Safeway. Strolling the aisles, we nodded appreciatively to the passerby who noticed his onesie and wished him a happy day, and I of course got a Starbucks. Then we decided to pick out a "smash cake" for later in the evening when the grandparents and Bubbie were to come over to celebrate. Our version of a "smash cake", for the sake of that evening's festivities, was simply an oversized slice of chocolate brownie (if you just gasped, you should probably stop reading my blog altogether).

Considering his options for a "smash cake". Notice onesie.

That night, after Josh got home from work, the grandparents and Max's great grandmother came to the house to gift Max with a Radio Flyer wagon! It is the classic version with the wooden sides, and mommy's favorite part - a canopy! Max's Grammie had already been over the day before to play and give him his sweet "European" (aka: fancy!) toy car and board books of all the Disney Classics, which we can all openly acknowledge we moms enjoy just as much as the babes (if you still don't wish, on some minute level, that you could be Ariel for a day, then you're on glue).

Max's birthday party was Sunday, August 5th at The Little Gym of Paradise Valley. I highly recommend this place to hold a birthday party - the staff is super nice, they help you set up decorations (and provide them, too, if you so choose), run the party at a nice pace, serve the food and cake, and clean up everything afterward while consolodating all of the kid's loot into bags and helping you bring it all out to your car. If they did laundry, I may have never left.

Max had an awesome time playing with all his little friends! They sang, played with balls, bubbles, and parachutes, ran around, and ate snacks and cake. And as this all took place, I looked around at everyone. So many people came to celebrate Max, half of whom I didn't even know a year ago. It proved to be quite an emotional moment for me, filled with gratitude for all my friends and family, old and new. If it weren't for a rubber ball inadvertently thrown at my head, I may have even teared up a little.

And then, like any other day, the sun began to set, Max got cranky for a much-needed nap, and it was time to wind down. Only now, we go forward with a one year old son. A child who, in the past 365 days, has managed to turn my world into the most vibrant life force of love and happiness I could ever hope to reflect back to him. Max, your Daddy and I love you beyond measure, we love who you are and who you are becoming. Thank you so much for choosing us.