Gabe's 1st birthday

Gabe turned ONE just a few days after Thanksgiving.  So here is Thanksgiving - three pictures to show for it, shameful.

 

Greg and Nickelle came out and stayed with us and it was so nice to be able to spend time with my new SIL and get to know her better.

And here is Gabe's big day!   This walking toy from G&G was a big hit.  The funny thing is, he had a hard time actually playing with any of his new toys because his older siblings were so "helpful" in showing him just how fun the new toy was.  Seriously, it was impossible to get these kids to give him some space with his new stuff.

Also in the mail from G&G was a little box of presents and goodies...

...which he thoroughly enjoyed.

From Mom and Dad he got a CD player for his room.  We really feel that he has this great love of good music, and he looooves to go to sleep with a nice CD playing.  But I got sick of hauling my CD player up and down the stairs when I wanted it, so he got a cheap one of his own!  (Yes, I still use CDs, commence taunting...)

And a new carseat!  The one we used for the other two kids expired, so he got lucky!

Why are the boxes always more entertaining than the gifts?

I felt a little guilty that I was teaching piano on his birthday until PAST his bedtime.  Marty kept him up for me and made him one of his spectacular pineapple-upside-down dutch oven cakes.  He was tired, but loved it!

That weekend we took him to Organ Stop Pizza.  It's this pizza place with a giant organ in the middle and stops that go off all over the building; upstairs, downstairs, cats popping out of the walls, bubbles coming down while the organist plays "Under the Sea," lights flashing everywhere, etc.  We've taken all our babies there at some point (they are so taken with all those flashing lights!) and we thought our dancing, music-loving baby Gabe would like it best of all.

Nope.  He was terrified.  Hated every bit of the first few songs.  At the time, it was kind of sad and disappointing.  But now, I can't help but laugh at this picture! 

He finally calmed down enough to eat some pizza, but seemed pretty leery a lot of the night.  I do think he ended up dancing a little towards the end.

The rest of us still had a great time!  And it was fun that they already had their Christmas decorations out and were playing Christmas music.