Babies don't know that it's their birthday. No amount of singing and being excited on their behalf will change their disposition.
So it shouldn't be surprising that Leif was upset this morning. In spite of all my good cheer, he was cranky as all get out. He didn't like breakfast, he didn't want to play with toys, and he didn't want to have any of his brothers make silly faces at him. He just wanted me to hold and nurse him, which I could only do so much of because I was getting everyone ready for church.
He was the maddest about the drive to church. It was bitter cold and he wouldn't let anyone warm up his hands. It wasn't until Nan gave him a granola bar that the day started to look up. But only moderately so, because being one is mostly frustrating.
Here's how we tried to make the day special:
1. Sven was really excited about Leif's birthday. He wished him a "Happy Birthday, Leif!" just about every time he saw him. That was sweet.
2. Sven was also really excited about Leif's presents. We let him help to open them but then made him wait until Leif was tired of the new toys to play with them. So Sven was just standing over Leif's shoulder, ready to pounce at the first sign of waning interest. Of course, Leif is only one so he is still happy to share. When you're a baby, watching other people play with cool stuff is almost as good as touching cool stuff yourself.
3. I made a flourless chocolate cake that was to die for (if a little mushy). I put some of the batter into a cupcake pan so that Leif could have his own little cake to eat with his fists. Traditional one-year-old cake mess: check.
4. We had Nan and Poppy, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Ash, and Maddy over. That makes anything count as a party.
That's a small list. But what else do you expect? He's only one. All he wanted for his birthday was to be carried around and to suck on Nan's phone. Unfortunately, he had to put up with a lot of being put down and having stuff taken away from him as well. That's the life of a one-year-old.
So it shouldn't be surprising that Leif was upset this morning. In spite of all my good cheer, he was cranky as all get out. He didn't like breakfast, he didn't want to play with toys, and he didn't want to have any of his brothers make silly faces at him. He just wanted me to hold and nurse him, which I could only do so much of because I was getting everyone ready for church.
He was the maddest about the drive to church. It was bitter cold and he wouldn't let anyone warm up his hands. It wasn't until Nan gave him a granola bar that the day started to look up. But only moderately so, because being one is mostly frustrating.
Here's how we tried to make the day special:
1. Sven was really excited about Leif's birthday. He wished him a "Happy Birthday, Leif!" just about every time he saw him. That was sweet.
3. I made a flourless chocolate cake that was to die for (if a little mushy). I put some of the batter into a cupcake pan so that Leif could have his own little cake to eat with his fists. Traditional one-year-old cake mess: check.
4. We had Nan and Poppy, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Ash, and Maddy over. That makes anything count as a party.
That's a small list. But what else do you expect? He's only one. All he wanted for his birthday was to be carried around and to suck on Nan's phone. Unfortunately, he had to put up with a lot of being put down and having stuff taken away from him as well. That's the life of a one-year-old.
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