A first birthday party

This one-year old is something else. He's an old soul, one of those babies that can stare right through you with a look that holds secrets from a different world. His parents get it too. I admired the sensitive attention they gave him as they followed his interests and investigations throughout the party, from hand held walks around the house to ceiling fan explorations. There were several opportunities for Eli to explore the celebratory balloons that were new to his environment. I loved how nonchalant Eli was about all the activity. He explored his smash cake fully enough to need a bath, and then explored the water in the bathtub fully enough to get thoroughly clean. At the end of the party, everyone sat in the dining room reliving and laughing about the birth story and discussing all things baby. A first birthday is as much a celebration for the parents making it through that first year of having a baby as it is about the baby turning one. It's a time so full of intense highs and lows; there are sleepless nights and inconsolable cries, but also a first smile, a first tooth, a first everything. Ultimately, the first year marks the indescribable expansion of the heart to fully include another being into an established relationship. This birthday party was perfectly about Eli, evident in all the adoring smiles of those surrounding him who care so much about him.