happy birthday to the happiest little dude

cole is one! that is a strange thing to think, i'm realizing - that he's growing up is, of course, undeniable but somehow to be one full year old is such a different thought.

can you believe the difference one year makes?

we celebrated on sunday in stanley park, at ceperley playground at second beach. i hadn't ever really been to that park (other than biking past it) and it was a terrific place. lots to do, lots to see - very vancouvery too. we had our immediate local family, good friends, balloons and cupcakes, running and playing and only a few raindrops. grandma bonnie helped cole take his first solo slide (very exciting!) and cole tried to eat his very first clam on the beach (denied!).

he seemed a little concerned about the flaming candle - maybe because we play a lot of 'fire chief' here at home with his red fireman's hat? he much prefered eating the cupcake...

thank you so much to all who came to celebrate with us - which was no small feat considering it was all the way downtown, we moved parks at the last minute, and the sun run made traffic & transit generally confounding.

yesterday was his actual birthday. we went to the aquarium and had a grand time, running everywhere. i'm amazed that in the course of a few weeks he's gone from gripping the couch to venturing out on his own to running away in public places. :-) he squealed and ran and chortled from one thing to another. made friends with everyone, loved the otters, thoroughly enjoyed playing up to his elbows in the tidal pool and got his first touch of a sea cucumber (me too!). we played on the grass in the park too, and he chased birds and found sticks and tried to eat pinecones...

after supper we went to the park across the street to release his balloons. i know that's not a really great thing to do, what with the birds and all, but i couldn't bear to let them become all sad and deflated in the house, or to go and pop them myself... somehow seeing them float up and away as cole and jamie let go of them really seemed right. the first year is under our belts, all of us. we've leared so much, come so far and are ready to see what's next.

happy birthday little guy. we love you!