I don't have time to write the 'Pob at a year' post, and am feeling horribly guilty as I haven't done the 'Pob at 11, 10, 9 or even 8 months' I think. I will do the year post, just probably not til next weekend. But I did want to write about today so that I have a record for the future.
Today as you might imagine has been very hectic. I baked the cakes last night. Cakes plural as we figured out about 10 days ago that Pob has a mild allergic reaction to eggs, and I didn't want to risk making it worse by giving her a cake with egg in, just to be on the safe side. But I'd ordered this fancy number-1 shaped tin (don't do it - it took me nearly an hour to figure out how to line the tin!), and it was such a messy shape I didn't want to mess with the cake recipe to put in it, so I did a standard victoria sponge recipe for that, and then made an eggless chocolate cake that a friend had recommended.
Pob woke up chatting this morning, and we brought her down a little later than usual, having laid in bed listening to her for a while. She completely ignored her presents and crawled over to her current toys, pulling out a book to 'read'. Once I started opening her first present, however, she got quite engaged and pulled the wrapping apart. The present itself was quite a hit although I expect it will drive us potty over time. She jiggles along to the music every time it plays, which entertained everyone at her party this afternoon.
After her morning nap H took her to the park while I iced and decorated the cakes, tidied up, got plates etc out, decorated the table. We gave her all her favourites for lunch - spicy chicken, tomato, asparagus, melon and mango, and she happily went down for her afternoon nap while we ran around madly tidying further, organising balloons etc., having showers and generally beautifying things. Then people started to arrive.
We invited just family and godparents and their children, and some of them couldn't make it, but that added up to around 16 adults and eight children at its peak, which was plenty. I brought Pob down after her nap and a bottle, and she needed to sit on my lap for the first 15 minutes or so while lots of people came up wanting to play with her, but after a while she was fine to venture off for a few minutes, before needing to come back to H or I for reassurance and a cuddle. She had a lovely time and particularly enjoyed clapping her hands after everyone sang happy birthday - her face while everyone was singing was quite a picture, she kept looking around, presumably wondering what on earth was going on. But the clapping she understood. And the chocolate cake, she understood that too. Given it was her first taste of chocolate, her first food with added sucrose, and her first ever cake, she dispatched it pretty fast, and of course the icing got everywhere. But she didn't sign for more, she instead reached for the blueberries and tomatoes on the table, so hopefully we haven't ruined her preferences for ever.
It was a lovely party, and I think she had a lovely day. We had another enjoyable bedtime together, and she went happily to sleep. Tomorrow we leave at 730 for a week away - unfortunately I will be working about 14 hours a day but hope to sneak away from time to time to see her, and she and H will be having fun in the mountains together. It will be another adventure.
Happy Birthday darling, thank you for today.
That sounds like a perfect first birthday. Happy birthday to Pob!
Posted by: elizabeth | Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 21:27
I was a bit premature in my birthday wishes yesterday, sorry. So, in a more timely fashion - happy birthday Pob!
Posted by: MsPrufrock | Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 21:50
Hooray! Happy birthday Pob :) Enjoy your week away!
Posted by: Kay/H | Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 21:51
Beautiful, and I'm impressed she knocked back chance of more cake for the fruit and veg. Gorgeous day for all.
And happy Birth Day to you too Thalia. xx
Posted by: OvaGirl | Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 23:49
Happy birthday to Pob, and happy parents for a year day to you and H. Love to you all.
Posted by: Girl Detective | Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 03:13
Happy Birthday POB (it's really been a year already!)
Posted by: Silver | Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 04:39
Happy Birthday Pob! It sounds like a perfect 1st birthday party.
Posted by: Sassy | Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 13:56
Happy Birthday Pob! I can't believe it has been a year! I still remember you floating in a little bubble on the right side of your mommy's blog.
Any chance you'll send me a photo of the b-day girl? You know, with all the extra time you have on your hands? :)
Posted by: Amyesq | Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 15:38
Sounds like a lovely party. Happy Birthday again pob.
Posted by: Betty M | Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 20:38
Happy bday pob! I can't believe it's been a whole year already!
Posted by: Nico | Monday, 22 September 2008 at 15:57
Happy birthday, sweet Pob!
Posted by: Flicka | Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 01:29
Happy Birthday Pob!
Posted by: MoMo | Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 02:33
Happy birthday pob! And happy mommy-versary to you too, Thalia!
Posted by: Sara | Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 12:26
I'm catching up on my reading and cannot believe it has been a year! Happy Birthday, Pob!
Any photographs of this 1-shaped cake??
Posted by: annmarie | Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 15:05
Happy Birth Day to both of you!
Posted by: DD | Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 16:56
Can you believe our babies are turning 1 now? It's amazing. And wonderful. And happy birthday to your beautiful little girl.
Posted by: Helen | Wednesday, 24 September 2008 at 09:33
Happy birthday, Pob!
Posted by: Amelie | Thursday, 25 September 2008 at 17:14
OH! Happy Birthday POB!!
Posted by: beagle | Friday, 26 September 2008 at 14:27
Happy Birthday, PoB!
Posted by: luolin | Friday, 26 September 2008 at 16:19
A year come and gone, and such wonderful things happened in that time.
Happy birtday!
Posted by: Lut C. | Saturday, 27 September 2008 at 23:03
Happy birthday, sweet girl!
Posted by: nikole | Sunday, 28 September 2008 at 01:11
Happy belated birthday, Pob!
Thank you for writing these last two posts. You may recall that Pob and the Kitten share a birthday (Pob is older by 2 hours and 3 minutes), and I have been very neglectful in writing things down. Reading your posts made me relive both the day of her birth and the day of her birthday - and now I'm off to write the details for her!
Posted by: silene | Sunday, 28 September 2008 at 15:05
Happy birthday Pob! Sounds like a successful party, T.
Bea
Posted by: Bea | Monday, 29 September 2008 at 08:00
Happy Birthday to Pob, very late! Sorry!
I assume you are busy saving the free world from economic disaster, but if you have a minute, and feel like explaining the bailout etc, I'd love to hear it. I kind of understand it, but I could use some clarity.
Posted by: Aurelia | Tuesday, 30 September 2008 at 03:48
that is so wonderful!!! thank you so much for posting about it as i have been wrangling over what to do for piper's.
Posted by: Sarah | Monday, 06 October 2008 at 17:24