This past Friday, I got to hang out with some of my favorite peeps: Hope, William, Sonia and little Abe! Sonia and Abe keep trying to catch up to me in size. We grow up so fast… [sigh]. Thanks for hosting, Sara! Mom says we should visit your house to eat play more often. Miss you all already!

Then, on Sunday, I got to see my long lost Aunt Carrie and Uncle Matt!! I was so happy to learn they haven’t forgotten about me. Gosh, how I wish Madison was in La Crosse though. It was definitely a cherished reunion, which also included Mahruq, Nizam, Sonia, Will, Tara, Hammer, Kayleigh and others!

Before it was all said and done, Sonia and I played this fun game called “Let’s see who can cry the most in Uncle Matt’s arms.” Some people thought we were being grumpy pants, but the truth is, we just miss Matt and Carrie.

It was a good weekend, full of good friends. If this is what life is like for a 1-year-old, sign me up!

In case any questions still linger regarding my maturity, we threw a birthday party to make it official:
I AM A ONE-YEAR-OLD!
We can’t un-do all the fun that was had, so there’s no going back now. I have come of age and reached a state of oneness. I’m not sure what this entails for my peers, or what the current research concludes, but I am my own trend-setter, so becoming a one-year-old looks a little bit like this:

1. I can turn up my sass-a-frass attitude with little warning.
2. I say “Uh-oh” for all noteworthy (and meaningless) life events.
3. When I need a little privacy, I’ll just shut the door. No adults allowed back in the room!
4. My new dance moves include a fancy head-banging routine.
5. Feel free to call me anytime; I can hold the phone up to my ear. (And because I’m really talented, I can also place other items to my ear, like remotes, socks and toy cars.)
6. When I’m finished eating, instead of politely refusing the next bite or impressively using my “all done” sign language, I’ll just spit my food at you. Because I’m classy like that.
7. I’m considering legally changing my name to “No.” People seem to call me that more often than “Jaeger” and it’s really growing on me. I’m not sure if folks think that’s actually my name or if it’s merely a term of endearment? Either way, I just smile and nod and continue on with my day.
8. I am winning most of the wrestling matches. (Some people refer to these as diaper changes.)
9. My cuteness trumps all naughtiness at this age, so I plan to take full advantage of that before my charm expires. Therefore, don’t mind me as I push the limits of the “wonderful ones” so we can all be better prepared for the “terrible twos.” You’re welcome.

My first birthday was one I won’t remember! Not because it wasn’t memorable, but because I haven’t fully developed the long-term-memory part of my brain yet. Still, it was good while it lasted. As you may have seen from my previous post, my day started off with a rushed photo shoot. Mom just had to get a picture of me with a “1 year old” sticker because apparently her brain’s memory function doesn’t work either. Then, it was off to daycare. We brought birthday cupcakes for all of my favorite teachers, but they decided to share them with us kiddos! We partied all day long at school until my parents picked me up and took me for a ride around Riverside Park. After that, we stopped at Rudy’s Drive-In for supper and then spent the evening with my college buddies at “ATP Open Mic. Open Stage. Open Minds.” Once the show got started, mom took me up on stage while the crowd serenaded me with a “Happy Birthday” song! Finally, we arrived back home around 9:30 p.m., where I was greeted with a balloon and birthday gifts that Grandma & Grandpa Goodenough snuck into our house. Unfortunately, I was too tired to open my eyes, but it was all still there waiting for me the next morning. It’s a wonderful thing, turning one-year-old…. there’s so much love in the air. And I love being loved!

Now that I’m one, I can eat like a big boy!

Sharing birthday cupcakes with my peeps.

Oops, I missed my mouth.

Me, mom and Cheyenne!

Here I am, spending my birthday at the ATP Open Mic night. (I got up on stage and all the college students serenaded me!)

Thanks for the birthday surprise, Grandma & Grandpa Goodenough!

Leaving the campus to head home.

I love balloons!

My Scooby-Doo birthday card from Aunt Kowee!

Mom says the Magnolia tree bloomed just for me!

Out for a hike with my dad!

I did it! I turned one year old. I’ve been working on it for a while and today it finally happened.

Here’s how my day started:

Here’s how it ended:

Need I say more?

(Actually, there is more and I have photo evidence to prove it. But, let me get settled into my new role of one-year-old and then I’ll share the rest of the story tomorrow!)

My birthday week continues! Yesterday, Dad enlisted some help from Grandma & Grandpa Goodenough to bring his childhood toys out of retirement. They are NEAT-to-the-O! Dad says he’s been saving these just for me! I love all things with wheels. Mom keeps giving me dolls and snuggle bears to cultivate my gentle, more nurturing side. However, my gentle-nurturing side would like to gently request a doll on wheels. Is that a thing? Or a snuggle bear on roller skates? Perhaps then I would reconsider. Otherwise, thanks but no thanks, and sorry I’m not sorry. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an abundance of cars/trucks/tractors/planes/etc. to take for a test drive!

Woo-hoo! I’m almost a one-year-old! To prepare for my upcoming birthday, my parents drove me to the Wilderness Resort Water Park in Wisconsin Dells to splish, splash, and have a blast! (Thanks for the free passes, Great Uncle Norman & Great Aunt Gerry!)

We had a super duper day! First, we enjoyed a couple laps on the lazy river and then we spent most of our time at the kiddie pool, where the cool kids hang out. It was all fun and games until I fell…

…asleep. Pre-partying is hard work.

Then, somehow, when I woke up, I found myself at the outlet mall. (Sneaky move, mother.) Mom claims we arrived there to search for my birthday present, but the polka-dotted pants she bought did not look my size. Once we finished “birthday shopping,” we met Great Uncle Norman & Great Aunt Gerry for a yummy dinner date before heading back up north. I love being almost one! Almost birthdays are the best!

Last Easter, I was on my way home from the hospital when we made a detour to Aunt Julie and Uncle Cory’s house for a celebration!

Easter 2014: Cortney made me a poster!

Easter 2014: I met Great Grandma Goodenough

Easter 2014: Ellen loves me!

At the time, I thought the party was thrown in honor of my homecoming, but as it turns out, Easter happens every year and it’s tradition to gather at the Nicolai residence for food, fun and family.

Easter 2015: Me & my cousins!

Still, this year was eggstra special because the Easter Bunny came to visit and left me a basket full of love! But wait… there was a twist. Before enjoying said basket of love, I first had to search for it, high and low.

After Dad and I finally found it, I had so much fun playing with all of my… Easter basket grass. Best. Gift. Ever.

Happy Easter, every bunny!