We spent Wednesday celebrating Sethy's first birthday- which was really exciting for everyone, especially the kids who love him so much. We (the kids and I) went to the pool and hung out for a couple of hours- Seth loved to splash and jump- then he fell asleep on my shoulder. Lily baked a cake and the boys enjoyed decorating it with icing and a variety of sprinkles (in the end the unanimous opinion was that it resembled a golf course).
Then there was the traditional cake plunge- as only a one-year-old can do with such fervor and lack of grace.
Seth kept alternating between laughter and looking at me as if I'd been witholding some sort of utopia from him his whole life.....just before bedtime, Gramma and Grampa gave him a big red wagon

(and yes, we are well aware that this may just be the instrument of death if his brother Ben decides to pull him down the hill of our cul-de-sac).

It is hard for me to imagine that 365 days have passed since his very harrowing birth.
He is such a unique spirit- very content to be held or to crawl around, and he has a fantastic sense of humor. He tolerates a lot of chaos, at the hands of his brothers, and will play for a long time with Lily- doing hide n' seek and dramas of her creation. We don't have any unusual nicknames for him like for the first three, "Sethy" seems to have stuck as the label of choice, though my father calls him "Lollipop" and Tom, every once in a while, will call him "Buh" (Buh? what kind of term is that exactly?).

Sometimes I dare to imagine what my life would have been like if I'd been content with having three children- there would be more free time during my days and I certainly would be able to think of a hundred ways in which to use it. But there is a hopefullness and joy that comes out of the presence of a baby in one's household- the ability to experience the newness that is their every milestone- the wonder of balloons and kitty cats and someone saying "BOO." He takes hold of every minute of his existence and swallows it whole- making the most of cool watermelon, the laughter of his siblings, and baby cones from Bruesters. Babies are the experts and the wise sages of living in the NOW and I am recovering my own sense of miracles from being with him these days.

Happy Birthday lovely boy.