y son is now one.  (That kinda sounds like Dr. Seuss.)
 
What has undoubtedly been the most eventful year of my life is over (although another one is quite possibly right around the corner).  The boy I hadn’t even seen yet a few days more than a year ago, is now on the verge of walking by himself, and has started eating real-people’s food now (crackers, rice, vegetables, all sorts of stuff).
 
We had a party for him last weekend.  It was a blast – something that surprised me, since just about every person we’ve ever met was there.  We started out planning this little soiree for our closest family members, and somehow ended up with 35 people at our house (the house that still has a boxed-up Christmas tree in the dining room, mind you.  We’ve decided just to leave it there until next Christmas, since we’ve already reached the halfway point).
 
But everyone had a great time.  We had lots of food – something like ten pounds of hamburgers, a huge cake (with a free smash cake for the baby, which he tore into like a lion), and my mother-in-law’s amazing potato salad (and much, much more).  Everyone just sat around, ate, talked, and cooed at the baby (which really was the whole purpose of the thing anyway).  It was strange, though, seeing my uncle talking cars with my wife’s brothers, or my dad conversing with one of our friends from high school.
 
The Little One got a pile of stuff – not like he didn’t have enough toys and clothes to begin with.  It was great to see that all of those people cared enough to bring him something.  There’s nothing worse than being alone in the world – and that’s something my son will probably never have to deal with.