Joe and I arrived about an hour before the party, while Oliver was still taking his morning nap. When Jeremy brought him down from the nursery, Grandma Hilda and her partner, Larry, had just arrived too. Oliver was very much in waking-up mode and stared at them intently. Their last visit had been when he was a newborn, and his stare now was serious and focused, like he was taking notes. Oliver doesn’t glance at people. He studies them.
The first smile of the day appeared when Grandpa Joe walked into the room. That smile alone felt like a small celebration.
As more guests arrived and made a well-deserved fuss over the birthday boy, Oliver continued his careful observations. New faces, familiar faces, and perhaps the growing realization that he seems to have a lot of grandmas and grandpas. Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Greg stayed behind in California this time, but everyone else showed up in full force.
Two of Oliver’s one-year-old playmates came with their mamas. One little boy is already walking, while the little girl is close, moving confidently from one piece of furniture to the next. Between the people, the babies, and the steady stream of attention, Oliver seemed quite content with his crowded world.
By the time we got home, I was done. I stretched out and took a two-hour nap, which felt every bit as celebratory as the party itself. It turns out my wild party days are behind me, but watching a one-year-old take in his world is a pretty sweet way to spend them now.
No comments:
Post a Comment