First birthdays

I went to Cooper Lanka's 1st birthday party today, and he did not disappoint. Cooper is the super duper adorable son of my co-worker, work spouse and friend Ben and his wife, and my Sparkle Twin, Erin.

He had a mild meltdown when they put a birthday hat on him while we sang "Happy Birthday," but who can blame him? Who wants to wear a cone hat with a tight string around your neck anyway?

Once the hat came off it was game on. They sat him down in his high chair and gave him a monster cupcake all for himself. Cooper was a little weirded out at first; I think more by the crowd of paparazzi/family standing in front of him than the actual cupcake. But once he tasted that sugar, it was on like Donkey Kong. Like any man, Cooper decided eating with his hands was too time consuming. So he shoved his face into the frosted cupcake and munched that way. We were all in tears it was so hilarious.

Then it was presents time, where he became more fascinated by tissue paper and a box with a picnic kit inside than anything. There was also an all out war between Ben and Erin's families to see who could give him better gear from Ben and Erin's respective colleges (University of Dayton and Xavier).

It made me think of my first birthday ... or what I've heard about it. I believe I wasn't too into the crowd in my grandparents' backyard, so I demanded my parents hang out front with me. I started rollin' VIP at an early age.

It also made me look forward to three first birthdays I'll get to celebrate next year. Heather and Jason are having their baby Tuesday; and Lauren and Justin and Janine and Jason (two separate couples, not some weird polygamous union) are actually due on the same day: December 11. Two boys (Schwartz's and Miller's) and one unknown (the mysterious Franciose's).