Some cute kid just turned ONE

Rhys' big day was Saturday, the 16th of April. What a big year we've all had! We enjoyed reminiscing about what we were doing only one year ago, which seems a world away. It almost is a world away, from the mountains up above Anchorage, down to the ocean near Girdwood, and now on a river on the Kenai Peninsula. And that little baby, who was so tiny and sleepy for his first few days, is now anything but. Courtney commented, accurately, that his spirit is much, much bigger than his body. That's certainly the truth in Rhys' case, if not in everyone's. The ride with Rhys is nothing short of exhilarating, in a sometimes exhausting kind of way. I'm still on a high from the most fantastic labor and birth experience I could have ever wanted (minus the NICU stay for Rhys shortly after). Rhys certainly adds flavor to our lives.

Courtney had a lot of work to do on Saturday, so I took the boys on Tallis' preschool field trip to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage. It was very appropriate, as we've gone to the Zoo for both of Tallis' birthdays and it seems to be the trend. If it weren't naptime, Rhys may have been much more interested in the animals than he was. He was quite expressionless as we watched the seals frolicking, whereas he would have been thoroughly excited had he been more rested. Oh well.

Tired or not, he woke right up when we took a break from watching animals and he got to stomp in the rocks and mud and puddles with Tallis. Rhys is all boy! He has the most delightfully infectious laugh, and he's thrilled with his developing walking skills. He cruises along while he holds onto furniture (and fences), and is learning how to stand up unassisted now. Soon he'll be trying his first solo steps. He's driven to achieve.

Big brother was a little more into the animals this time that he has been in the past. He's got almost nothing of the baby in him any more. Ah, growing up. I believe it now when people tell me it goes by so fast.

 
The batteries in the camera died shortly after we got to the Zoo (oops), but the brown bears were very active, wrestling with each other right under the observation deck. It felt death-defying to be standing right there watching it, with only a fence between them and us. It was a fairly good day at the Zoo. Afterward we went downtown and got photos taken at JC Penney and then spent a few minutes at the tail end of Anchorage's Kids' Day Celebration. The absolute joy of the boys was making off with some balloons. Rhys was in heaven. What is it about a balloon that makes kids so very happy?
 

While we were gone Daddy made a peach cobbler as Rhys' birthday cake. Blogger won't let me upload the ever-famous blowing out the candle video that we took (dang!), but with help from Daddy and Tallis that little candle finally met its match, after a quick spaghetti dinner. Rhys is a fairly clean eater, and without the icing a "cobbler cake" isn't all that messy anyway, but Rhys did enjoy dessert. He seemed to know that this evening was special for him.

Thanks to Aunt Joyce, he also learned that being one also means being rich. Thank you Joyce!

Tallis was an overly anxious helper when it came to unwrapping Rhys' gift from Mom and Dad. (Tallis is very excited for his birthday to come. It's hard to be patient for your own special day when you're that age.)

Uh, you expect me to do WHAT?

(Hey kid, you've gotta pay your way somehow!)

Oh, we are so happy to have our Rhys. I can't even imagine how incomplete we would feel without him. Thanks for adding so much spice to our lives, little man!