My uncle Andy and his wife Kim had Elizabeth or "Ellie" last year. She was born 6 weeks premature and spent a great deal of time in the NICU. I spent some time with her there, and again after she came home, but travel time and balancing work schedules and sicknesses prevented me from seeing her as often as I'd like. Saturday was her 1st birthday party and I have to admit I had a pretty good time. My family traveled to make it, and Ellie is an amazing little girl. She is a ham for the camera, loves to engage her audience, and is already smart as a whip. It's amazing how "normal" she is for a one year old, considering the hardships she had to overcome very early in her life. The top 3 pictures below are evidence of some of that ridiculous cuteness.
The highlight of the party was watching Ellie eat her own birthday cake. The pictures above (although poor quality cause I snagged them from kodak online) capture her thinking process, which I think was rather advanced. I mean, she did start with a fork but "it was her party and she could do what she wants to" so face-in-cake she went.
This occasion made me realize once again that I am not quite ready to raise a roost of my own, but it also shed some insight on just how wonderful and rewarding that time of my life will be. Becoming a dad has transformed my uncle, and seeing my grandparents finally get to play the role of "grandparent" is truly heartwarming. They came, they spoiled, and then they left; a luxury they never had with me!
You could feel the love in the room, all because a 12 month old smiled or laughed. It's the little things...
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