Erik is ONE!

Our little "corona-baby" is one! This has been the most bizarre year for many reasons, but it really seems like it has simultaneously dragged on and flown by all at the same time.

Despite the chaos of the outside world, Erik is truly living his best baby life. He has literally run into toddler-hood and fills our house with giggles and sweet belly laughs when he is happy, which is most of the time. I'm sure it has helped his demeanor to not be forced to keep up with anyone's schedule other than his own, which has been possible due to all the time stuck spent at home.

Erik is as easy-going as every third baby should be and looks up to his devoted big sisters so much that he has started to imitate them on a regular basis. He loves to eat, and he loves being outside, so he fits right in with the rest of our crew.

Total pro at the sheep photos

Erik's first birthday coincided with Election Day, so everyone had the day off to celebrate. We made the deliberate decision to ignore all election news and as a result had a very lovely day. Our first order of business was to have some "nana," which is what the birthday boy calls all food, including but not limited to, bananas. On the menu were scrambled eggs, of which Erik had at least two all by himself.

We planned to go on a bike ride after breakfast but noticed some friends playing at the park across the street while we were getting packed and ready to go. We thought we'd join them for just a few minutes...but ended up staying all morning. Erik got to swing to his heart's content, so I don't think he minded the change in plans.

We did eventually go on that bike ride, taking a picnic to the elementary school playground, so more outdoor playtime. It was time for a nap after that in order to gear up for more fun. The girls "helped" Erik open up his birthday gifts from family, and really, it would have been rude if they hadn't shown him how to play with everything. I have a feeling he's not always going to share so readily.

Next came dinner--featuring noodles in honor of "Noodle" (the nickname the girls gave him in utero). We had to then quickly prepare for the Zoom party cake smash. A silver lining of celebrating birthdays during this strange time is that it is easier to include our family from far away. Once we got everything settled, technology-wise, the question on everyone's mind was whether or not he'd dig into that cake.

Birthday Boy or Chippendale dancer?

Despite his tendency to eat everything in sight, it took a while for Erik to figure out the whole cake business, and he mostly made a mess. But it was fun to share the moment with family in Washington, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas anyway.

It wouldn't be a birthday at our house if we didn't stretch the occasion out as much as possible, so we also hosted a drive-by/walk-by party the following Saturday. The weather was beautiful, and we are so grateful for the friends and neighbors who stopped by and indulged Erik me by taking a picture with the infamous sheep.

So, maybe not the first birthday we'd envisioned last year, but if 2020 has taught us nothing else, it's to expect the unexpected. Happy Birthday, Little Buddy! It's definitely been a year to remember.