My 1st Birthday and More

Dear Cade,
I feel really bad that I have fallen behind in your blog lately. I think it is due to my new job and the fact that nowadays keeping up with you makes me pretty tired by your 8:00 bedtime.....however, Dad and I are loving your latest achievements- more about that later.
About two weeks ago, we celebrated your first birthday. We had a party at our house. Grandma and Grandpa Reimer, Grandpa and Grandma Cox, Auntie Jamie, Uncle Mark, Sophie, Uncle Mike, Great-Grandpa Reimer, Doris, Bonnie and Bill Nelson all came to watch you tear open your birthday presents and more importantly your first cake! We ordered a Sesame Street cake for your guests from the Cake Box (mom's fave) and had your very own baby chocolate cake loaded with chocolate frosting! When we sang "happy birthday" to you, you didn't know quite what to think. After a few odd stares our way, you started to clap and laugh along. Surprisingly, you went easy on the cake at first. Then I stepped in and cut up some small pieces for you......the rest was history. You loved your first taste of sweets and probably wondered why mom and dad didn't take it away and let you enjoy. You had a great day and by 7:30 pm, the "birthday boy" had had enough and went to bed. The entire day, Dad and I kept saying how we couldn't believe you are already a year old, but at the same time can't imagine what we every did without you around because it feels like you've always been here. You certainly have brought many great things to our lives.....we love you to pieces, Cade. Included with your birthday pictures, I also added a pic of you and I before my first day at my new store (Monticello). I felt it was appropriate since I have a picture of you and me (well, you weren't here yet) on the morning of my interview to get this job. I was 8 months pregnant with you when I passed and was promoted. You were my good luck charm that day, so I figured we'd carry on the tradition with an early morning photo shoot. Someday I will tell you the story about how I dropped $300 two days before my interviews on maternity business shirts, just to make sure one would fit on the big day (don't worry- I returned all, but one).