About a week before this guy turned one, I threw together a little, family party! With so much going on, I wasn't sure if I could make it happen, but it turned out to be super fun and cute, so I'm glad it worked out!
Megan Shaheen, gave me an ice cream maker as a late birthday present a few months ago along with an ice cream recipe cookbook. I remember glancing at the recipes, feeling like they seemed to be a lot of work and tucked it away for another time. WELL, the idea popped into my head that I could make Tanner's party an ice creamed themed party and have some homemade, specialty ice cream for dessert. When I pulled the cookbook out, I realized it was a "Jeni's Ice Cream" book, which is the shop that we went to twice in Nashville! Such a funny coincidence! Unfortunately, my favorite flavor wasn't in the book, but the other three I tried out were just as yummy!
We invited both sides of our family, but the Goodmans were sadly out of town. We started out with some swimming, before diving into pizza and watermelon and finishing the evening off with ice cream sundaes.
I put together a string of pictures from Tanner's first year and while I was making it, one of the kids joked, "Hey, it's a Tanner Banner!" Haha! So it is!
I found this cute idea to make an ice cream cone garland using cotton candy and it actually turned out! When the party was over, I cut down the bags to hand out to the kids as party favors. Badda bing, badda boom!
The man of the hour!
He was not afraid of his cake at all. Once he had a taste of that frosting, it was over!
Doing his signature, power arm thrust!
We had regular vanilla and several of the small batch, gourmet flavors I made. Salted Caramel, Sweet Corn with blackberry sauce and Milkiest Chocolate that I added chopped almonds to. I really wanted to make the Dark Chocolate one but it had fresh brewed coffee in it. Boo.
You wouldn't think sweet corn would be a good flavor, but I loved how it turned out. Once I layered the blackberry sauce with it, it sort of overpowered the corn flavor though. The salted caramel tasted like dark, sweet caramel from the bottom of a kettle. Super deep and rich and delicious. I was a fan, but man alive, that was work! It literally took 3 days to make these, destroyed my kitchen many times over, and kept me up way past my bedtime. Perhaps I'll have the energy to try some more flavors by his 2nd birthday. ;)
Oh this sweet boy! Just happy to be watching all the fun going on, on the others side of the fence!
So glad Grandma Ann could make it!
He got some really cute outfits and books! So grateful for everyone that spoiled him!
His actual birthday was a few days later, I think on a Wednesday.
Breakfast donuts!
Quite the ragamuffin crew but oh! Tanner's faces!
His big gift didn't come til the next week (a Fisher Price climb on pirate ship), but in the meantime he got a green, push and go car and an inflatable pool!
At the time of my writing this, he is 14 months old, but here are a few facts about our Tan-man!
He is such a happy guy. I can't count how many times people have asked me, "Is he really this happy all of the time?" Yep, he really is. He takes after his daddy with a sweet, laid-back personality. Of course, he's still a toddler, so he whines or cries like any other kid, but generally speaking, he is a happy go lucky!!
There are two notable exceptions to this characteristic. After his bath and when I'm doing Olive's hair.
He HATES getting dried off after his nightly bath and getting his diaper and jammies on. Liiiike, I may as well be sawing off his arms and legs. I still don't understand how a one year old can be stronger than me in this endeavor. I am often sweating and exasperated by the time it's over. Also, he could be happily playing in the living room, but the second I take Olive into the bathroom to do her hair, he goes ballistic. It's like he has this hair-doing alarm that goes off in his head and he knows he's about to be ignored. Even if I let him into the bathroom, he just sobs at my legs, crying and screaming until I'm done. Why?? Why, child, why?!
He started walking right after his birthday. It was sooo fun for all of us to watch! Those first little steps, falling, getting back up, two more steps, falling, etc. We cheered him on and clapped our hearts out. He was SO proud of himself and never seemed frustrated when he fell, just thrilled that he was learning to do what the rest of us were doing!
He loves a good beat! When he hears music, he waves his little arm up and down. It's my favorite.
When he sees or hears anything new, his eyes go wide and lips purse into a circle while he makes the sounds, "Ooo. Ooo."
He is a happy companion in the car. So quiet that sometimes I forget he's there or fear he's fallen asleep. For whatever reason, that doesn't translate to happy traveler though. Driving to Pinetop and Woods Canyon Lake for camping, he was NOT fun.
He still sleeps in a pack 'n play in the toy room. The poor child. We have grown out of this house and a crib just doesn't fit. Luckily, he doesn't seem to mind. He uses a pacifier at night, but not during the day. He goes down like a champ. I sing him Rock-a-bye-baby, lay him down (if he hasn't squirmed out of my arms by then) and he promptly rolls to his belly and falls asleep. Or hums to himself until he does.
At 14 months he takes one nap around 9 or 10am, drinks one bottle, first thing in the morning and loves all the food that we are eating. Baby food is definitely snubbed and spit out. Actually, I can't even get it in his mouth before that tongue makes permanent station at his lips, barring any morsels from entering! Speaking of his tongue, he has the funniest habit of letting it sit, right between his lips 75% of the time. You'll see him toddling around, tongue visible, as though it's too big to fit properly inside his mouth. Not hanging out, just barely showing, like he has three lips. I have no idea. ;)
He has the best habit of coming over to you randomly and needing a snuggle. He'll lay his head down on whatever body part is available (my shin has gotten a snuggle before) and just rest it there for 15 seconds. It's short, but I swear it adds years to my life! I look forward to those moments most.
He doesn't know any words but says, "mum-mum-mum-mum" when he's distressed. I'm pretty sure his subconscious knows what it's doing. ;)
I comb his hair over every morning in the cutest little side part. Gosh, he's so handsome!!! Those deep, brown eyes! His dark, thick hair! I sometimes wonder if it's excessive how much I stare at him. How much I kiss his perfectly round, soft cheeks! I just want to eat him or squeeze him too tight or something else cannibalistic, I love him soooo much! His brothers and sisters are pretty fond of him too. Weston, in particular, is known best for smothering him with hugs and kisses until he screams. He has seriously made my life. I feel terrible saying it, because I'm sure there are so many contributing factors, but raising him this past year has transformed the way I see babies. He has brought me SO MUCH JOY. So much, I have felt like my heart could burst! My other children of course brought me joy, but it was also so darn hard. They were hard babies (well, Weston wasn't, but with his weight issues, not taking a bottle, torticolis, helmet and well, the fact that I was raising 2 year old Collin at the same time, I don't feel like I got to enjoy baby Weston). But this time... this time I got to enjoy my baby! And I finally get now why people love babies. Why they are sad when their baby is grown. I have absolutely soaked him up. Breathed him in. Treasured all the moments. With every milestone I bemoan that he is getting older! He is perfection! Perfection, I tell you!
Tanner Lindblom Evans, you are a treat and a blessing and your mama is smitten by you! Don't you ever forget how loved you are!!
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