the birthday circuit

We've spent the past month on what I've affectionately been calling the birthday circuit. All of Thatcher's first friends made it to their 1st birthdays with their parents' marriages and sanity barely perfectly in tact! I've talked before about the importance of close mom friends, and it was such an amazing blessing to be on maternity leave with these babies. After we all went back to work, we stayed committed to play dates and supporting each other. Our conversations range from "what sippy cups work well" to "I am going to hit my husband on the head with a frying pan if he {insert annoying behavior} one more time," and I just feel so grateful that these little ones and their amazing mothers have made an indelible mark on Thatcher's first year.

First we celebrated Lillian, Thatcher's very first friend (they met when Thatcher was 3 days old), and Thatcher still sleeps with the lamb that Lillian gave him. The wine her mother gave me was gone that evening. Anyway, Thatcher and Lillian are now in school together and they love each other. Their little faces light up when they see one another, and I hope that never changes! Lillian is 8 days older than Thatcher, and she had a fabulous jungle party in early February.

Then it was the Thatcher Gator's turn. He was a cranky mess for his birthday because it was a few days after his surgeries and he had an ear infection, but we had fun nonetheless!



And then it was time for Sofie's Seuss Soiree. Sofie has so much personality, and she's just a riot. She's full of energy and determination, and I can tell you that she's going places. She's spunky in a way that just makes my heart so happy.

The very next weekend Bert's mom threw an adorable "Hot Dog! Bert is 1" barbecue for his birthday. Bert is literally Thatcher's only guy friend. For some reason we are surrounded by little girls, so Bert and Thatcher have a lot of women to keep happy! Bert's mom gets major credit for ALWAYS following through on Pinterest crafts.

The day after Bert's party, we all celebrated Louise with a crawfish boil. All of the babies had a blast toddling around outside in the sun, and I love nothing more than a sticky sunscreen baby. Their red cheeks and sweaty hairlines are just perfect.

It is truly amazing how far they have all come, and we are looking forward to many more birthdays, playdates and milestones together!