The week leading up to the boys' first birthday party were pretty hectic. Actually, the month leading up to it was busy. We got a canopy for the back patio and had a play set installed. Jim worked on the yard (although it couldn't really be saved) while I planned the menu and worked on ideas for their cakes.
Out of everything, the cakes took up the most time by far. I literally had been working on them for months, trying to decide what kind - cupcakes or regular - what style, flavor, etc. I even made demo cupcakes, to be sure I knew what I was doing and what I was getting into. In the end I made their barn-shaped cakes and Publix helped with the green field cake for everyone else. What started as farm animal cupcakes morphed into melted candy animal figures, then into the final ceramic animals. I don't know why the cakes were so important to me. Weird.
The decorations turned out better than I expected, with the help of my Mom, Dad, and Lucy. The fill-your-own-balloons helium tank was 100% the right call, as were the fun streamers.
We had chicken fingers, fruit salad, macaroni salad, chips and veggies with dip, and fries for lunch. The beverages were iced tea, homemade lemonade, and mint orange infused water. I bought what I could premade from Publix and my Mom and Lucy helped with the rest. The parting gifts to the kids were bath books, except for Thomas and Benjamin who got something more age-appropriate.
I was pretty busy wrangling the boys, or trying to get the fries to cook, so I only got glimpses of the party but I think everyone had a good time and there were enough surfaces to eat and visit. The boys were starving by the time noon rolled around so we plopped them in their seats. They went to town on the chicken but spit out every piece of macaroni salad. They just don't like pasta.
After lunch they did a little socializing with everyone. Around 1:30pm we sang Happy Birthday and let the boys at their barn cakes. They were excited for a split second until they got frosting on their hands. Apparently it wasn't a good sensation and they just couldn't get past it. We also discovered that they don't like cake and spit it out, even when we tried again the next day. Really red icing for the cakes wasn't the best idea, either, and their little hands were stained pink for a few days.
I think overall, besides the icing trauma, the boys had a good time. They were wiped out for their afternoon nap and slept a solid 2hrs. hehe
Wednesday the boys had their 12 month check-up. Zach weighed 21.56lb (32nd percentile, down from 45th) and was 29in long (26th percentile, down from 47th). Alex weighed 21.63lb (33rd percentile, down from 34th) and was 29.5in long (42nd percentile, down from 65th). Looking at them, I really think they're working towards a growth spurt, so I'm not too worried about the percentiles. Plus they're crazy mobile now and burning the highest number of calories they ever have.
We talked to the doctor about how they're not crawling or sitting up on their own yet. Instead they're focused on scooting and cruising. We put the boys on the floor and gave the doctor a demonstration of both. He wasn't concerned since they are moving and have good muscle tone. They are physically able to do those things and just don't know it. If the boys haven't learned to crawl or, more likely, walk in the next two months, the doctor will get us a physical therapy evaluation appointment.
Watching what the boys have been doing over the past week, I doubt any PT will be needed. Their favorite thing right now is to play school bus. My parents got them a ride-on school bus toy that also can be pushed from behind. Alex loves to ride on the bus while Zach pushes it. We switch them so everyone gets a turn, but you can tell which they prefer. They'll circle the house forever while one of us steers it for them. Zach can push it pretty fast, too, but gets sidetracked looking around. Alex will get impatient and start moving it forward with his feet.
The scooting has gone into high gear, too. In a blink of an eye, they've gone from one end of the house to the other. I was brushing my teeth and looked down to see both of them scooting into the bathroom after me. They think the springy doorstops are fun and sproing them whenever they get the chance.
We also talked to the doctor about weaning the boys from breast feeding. The magical bonding experience has been over for a while and after a year, I'd like my body back. He recommended just going cold turkey at night (meaning don't even go in until morning), then slowly dropping the daytime feedings. They went their first night without milk last night, but I still went in to comfort them when they woke up. I also cut their morning feeding short due to pain. I don't really know what's causing it (I had plenty of milk) but Zach hurts a lot more than Alex, and when I pull him off, there's red teeth indents. I guess that's some additional motivation for us to stop.
They're both drinking a lot of whole milk now from a straw cup. They finished a half gallon last week, plus most of one of those big containers of yogurt. They've been getting some diaper rash, though, and I'm worried it might be dairy related. I'm going to try a milk free day tomorrow (Alex loves water more anyways) and see if that clears things up.
We went to Carter's today to get the boys 18mo pajamas. The 12mo ones were getting waaay too short. It was like doing origami to get their feet in and their wrists were sticking out about an inch. hehe While I was there I got them a bunch of new shorts and a couple of t-shirts.
I've ordered a gate to help block off the downstairs bathroom, stairs, dinning room, and office. That will essentially leave the other half of the house available to the boys. I think it will make things a lot easier for me since any non-kid friendly things (like all of the cats' stuff) will be out of reach and the boys won't be too far out of my sight. In an ideal world we would be able to kid-proof all of the 1st floor but I just don't see that happening. I also got a gate for the top of the stairs and netting for the railing so they can scoot around on the 2nd floor without too much issue. Right now I have to close them in rooms to grab something from the laundry room, which freaks them out.
This whole standing and cruising thing is pretty exciting, and I'm looking forward to when they can walk. Carrying +40lbs of baby around all of the time gets old, although this is the nicest my arms have looked ever!
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