BiRThDaY boY!

Brady turned 2 on December 31. He has been hopping around like a frog ever since he learned that frogs say "wibut" about a month ago. I got some video footage of it, but I'll save it for another post. Because of his funny impersonation, Becca suggested a frog cake for his birthday, which was a great idea.

Thanks to Cory's mom, I was able to use the cake decorating set she gave me for Christmas. I made a white cake because it's really light and fluffy after all the holiday snack food I'd been eating. But I couldn't pass up that red velvet cake mix at the store, so I used that to make the lily pad cupcakes. Here's a view of the cake from the top.

Between Christmas and birthday presents, this boy was spoiled! He has a whole new set of toys and some cute clothes too.

The party attendees were Cory's parents, his younger brother Devan, and his older brother Joel and fam (Melanie, Ethan, Megan and baby#3 due in July). I can't get any crunches in without Ethan jumping on me. This time was at his request and they all wanted to join in.

I don't know if blowing out birthday candles is something most two-year-olds do, but we were all proud of Brady when he finally decided to give it a go. I think Cory's instructions were inspiring, don't you?

I was so happy to get this shot of Brady enjoying his cake and ice cream. "Nummy!"

He has learned so much this last year. It's amazing to think about how much he has changed. Here are just a few examples:

• He gained 8 pounds and grew 5 inches.
• He learned to run, jump, spin in circles, and walk backwards.
• He's been pacifier-free for a year and never sucked his thumb.
• He learned to sign then talk, clap his hands, and give hugs and kisses.
• He learned to kick a soccer ball, throw a football, and shoot a basketball.
• He learned about the naughty chair, but he also learned to say sorry, please, thank you, bless you, excuse me, and I love you.
• He learned to fold his arms and close his eyes for prayers.

Brady has changed our lives in ways we never could have hoped for or imagined. We are so thankful for him and how he continues to surprise and entertain us. He's really cute too, which doesn't hurt. We love him so much, and we look forward to many more birthdays!