Isaac turned two on Wednesday, February 24th. Last year was great as we got to see him eat cake for the first time, but this year was even better. This time, he understood the concept of having a birthday party, spending time with family/friends, and opening presents. I worked hard to make sure he had a special birthday, and I think he enjoyed it.
Last year, Isaac was very, very sick on his birthday. That was the time he had a bad ear infection that got even worse when the doctor didn't notice it at his sick appointment. Instead of prescribing an antibiotic, the doctor thought it was a virus and wanted us to wait it out. So, I was home with him on his birthday last year. Unfortunately, it wasn't a fun time as his fever soared to nearly 104 degrees. Both sets of grandparents dropped by to see him, but it was an abbreviated visit for obvious reasons. Thankfully, he was better just in time for his birthday party. That year, it was just a small family party with cake and ice cream. Isaac LOVED his cake, but he did not want anything to do with ice cream.
This year was much different. Isaac was well, but I was sick. So I was home again on his birthday, battling strep throat. I let Isaac go to preschool that day because I knew they would do something special for him on his special day. I sent cupcakes for his class to eat, and the pictures they took during snack time were priceless!
I also let Isaac go to preschool so I could get ready for his birthday dinner. Both sets of grandparents, maternal great grandmother, Aunt Colie, and Aunt Pam came over for dinner that night. I would've loved nothing more than to rest all day while I was sick--and I did rest some--but I also spent a good bit of time getting the house in order and preparing all of Isaac's favorite foods.
Isaac was so cute when it came time to eat. I carried him on my hip while I fixed his plate so he could tell me what he wanted to eat. His eyes lit up, and he said, "I
like mac--oni and cheese!" Then we moved on to dip some more food on his plate, and he said, "I
like rice!" And then, "Ooh,
chicken!" When we were getting ready to sit down at the table, his eyes were so wide as he said, "Collard greens and cauliflower and BROCCOLI!" I brought out the corn casserole last, and he was excited about that too. Seeing his reaction made it all worthwhile.
Isaac enjoyed cake and ice cream this year, and he couldn't open his presents fast enough. If he had trouble with the wrapping, he would say, "I can't open it!" When prompted, he knew to tell everyone thank you for his gifts.
We saved the best for last though. After he'd opened everything else, I said, "Isaac, you have one more present. It's in your room. Do you want to go see it?" Of course, he did. When he opened the door to his room, a new Thomas toddler bed was waiting for him. I'd bought the bed a few weeks ago and started prepping him for the idea of sleeping in a "big boy bed" about a week before his birthday. We went to the store so he could help me pick out his "big boy sheets," "big boy comforter," and "big boy pillow." He gravitated toward the Thomas products, so I knew I'd done a good job of picking out his bed. When he saw the bed, he knew what it was for. He climbed in the bed and said, "Go to sleep."
But...he did not go to sleep very easily that night. He liked the idea of sleeping in a Thomas bed, but he didn't like the idea of actually staying in the bed and going to sleep. We reassured him that he was safe, and you could just see the tension leave him. We tried a bunch of different tactics to get him to stay in the bed, but nothing worked. Finally, my brilliant husband Wes came up with the idea of putting his pack and play next to his bed. The other side of the bed was against the wall, so he thought that might make him feel enclosed and more secure. It worked! A short time later, he was asleep and so was I.
The first night of sleeping in a toddler bed was rough. It took about an hour and a half for him to fall asleep. The second night was better. That time it only took 30 minutes. The third night was wonderful. Within five minutes, he was out like a light. So sleeping in the bed at night is going well. Now we just have to work on naptime.
Today was Isaac's birthday party. This year, he's in preschool, so we invited the kids in his class. We're also in a new church that has many families with young children, so we invited the kids in his Sunday School class too. Family was invited, along with other friends we have who have small children.
I'd been planning the party for months - buying things along and along, and trying to think of things for the kids to do once they got there. Everything in the world seemed to happen this week, so much of the prep work (filling treat bags, making posters, etc.) was done last night. Aunt Pam and I went to the WW Mann Center last night to decorate and get as much ready as we could. I got there about 7, and we didn't leave until 10. I'd forgotten some things at the store, so I had to go back to Wal-Mart before going home.
I thought I'd be stressed out if I waited to make the cake
and cupcakes today, so I made the cake batter and baked it last night. It turned out to be a thorough waste of time though. Around 1 A.M., I discovered that some of the cake had stuck to the pan, making it impossible to decorate! So I was up this morning around 7:30 and working nonstop until 1:00 this afternoon to get everything done.
It all came together though. I left around 1:30 to run a couple errands and then drove on to the WW Mann Center to take care of the finishing touches. The party was from 3-5, and it turned out well. Isaac and his friends had fun in the bouncehouse, coloring pictures, playing with balls, getting their faces painted, and playing the Web Walk game. We're all exhausted now, but it was definitely worth the effort.
So my "little baby" isn't really a baby anymore. Now he's two...a toddler...a little boy. It's hard to believe that it's been two years since I had him. Time flies.
