One Love

 It's official: We are now the parents of a one-year-old. Can't believe how far we've come since this day.

But first...Carl and Cindy came to visit, and Richard Simmons was on their flight. A good omen!

Even an almost-one-year-old likes to snuggle and drink a bottle with his Grandma...

But he also likes conquering the stairs with Grandpa!

He got his first "big boy" haircut. He didn't love the experience, but all the grown-ups did their best to distract him with toys and squeezy food.

For reference, here is the long-haired kid before...

And here he is after the trim!

For his birthday celebration, Emerson got a delicious chocolate cupcake.

All things considered, he was a pretty polite eater. This is about as messy as it got.

He loves practicing his standing everywhere he gets the chance. Pretty soon he'll be letting go and doing it on his own.

We had "Christmas in October" as Carl and Cindy took some shots to send out with their holiday cards.

An action shot as we tried to entertain Emerson with crackers at a restaurant.

When we told the waitress it was his birthday, she brought him a cupcake with a sparkler on top!

He got some fun new presents from friends and relatives.

What a happy guy! We're looking forward to another great year.