Ethan's birthday party!!

As some of you heard, we had a little party for our sweet little Ethan on December 3 in the cafeteria of Dean's school. It was really special, because it was his FIRST ( I know, duh!) birthday but also because my mom got to share in the day, as she was visiting with us from Missouri. Below are some pictures of that fun-filled time - ENJOY!

We made two cakes for the day - the monkey cake was for everyone to eat and the panda cake (you'll see it later) was for Ethan to tear into. My mom used to make all of our cakes, so it was really important to me that I make Ethan's cake(s) as well. Super fun and only mild hand cramping! YAY!

Lilly, one of Ethan's friends, made sure to come over and say Hi right when she got there. I didn't get a picture of it, but right before this shot she had put her little forehead to Ethan's and whispered something to him. SO SWEET!!!!

A picture of all the food and drinks - there was puppy chow (the people kind), oreos, caramel popcorn, chips and salsa, little smokies, piggies in a blanket and meatballs. Needless to say, there was plenty.

The theme was jungle, so we had little jungle plates, napkins, streamers, etc. Very festive. (:

To make sure the little ones had fun, we had a puppet making station and a cookie decorating station. I was quite impressed with all the creations that the kids (and adults) came up with!

The little guy of honor - Ethan himself. You can't see it completely, but his shirt has a monkey on it with the number one. My friend, Kim, does embroidery and made his onesie for him for the day. THANK YOU KIM!!! He looked super adorable in it!!!

Our good friend Emily and Davy brought some other games for everyone to play, should they get bored. It was GREAT!

Everyone ate and played for a while, then it was time for the cake. We stripped Ethan down to his bib, diapers and socks, and plopped him in his high chair. At first, Ethan was unsure of what to do with the cake, but once he got a good taste of the frosting, there was no holding him back.

He kept shoveling it in till he couldn't see or sit up straight...I mean, he just looks exhausted in this picture!!

This is the panda that I made, mid attack from Ethan.

What a happy little baby.

However, that smile quickly turned to big crocodile tears when it was time for him to get cleaned up and open presents...

We changed him, fed him some milk and Dean sat with him to open gifts...not sure if you can tell, but Ethan was absolutely EXHAUSTED by this point...

All the kids were helping Ethan explore and play with his new toys - it was really fun! Soon after, it was time for clean-up (thank you to everyone who stayed and pitched in! It was a HUGE help!!!) and good-byes.

And here is the end of the day, after Ethan had a nap, a change of clothes, and the chance to play with one of his special balloons that had his name on it. What a WONDERFUL day!!! Thank you so much to everyone who came! We really appreciate it!!!