March: Baby's First Birthday

Our "baby" - he still thinks he's a lap dog.

Our youngest celebrated his first birthday in March.  We didn't have a big celebration or anything, but he's a dog and unaware of time and age anyway.  As long as he has his family around he doesn't really care about anything else.  Our furry "family" tends to resemble a human family about as much as is possible.  We have our youngest who is full of energy to the point of exhausting those around him.  He loves his mommy and daddy completely (I have to include here, though, that he loves his mommy more) and thinks his older brother and sister are the greatest things in all of creation.  He wants to spend every waking moment playing with them and will follow his brother everywhere.  We're hoping the neighbors aren't just being polite when they say they don't mind.

Our oldest child is far too cool and mature to be bothered with her younger siblings.  She does NOT remember ever liking the middle child and has definitely forgotten the days when they played together.  She has her own, much more interesting things to do and does her best to avoid both of her younger brothers.  Like most older siblings, she has instilled a sense of fear and respect in her younger siblings by doling out pain whenever their efforts of affection annoy her.  They have learned to give her a wide berth.

Then there is the middle child.  He is sometimes still a little boy who wants to play with his baby brother.  At other times he feels like he's too old for silly games and tries to hide to avoid playing with his younger brother.  Most of all, though, he just wants to hang out at his girlfriend's house.  Again, we're hoping the neighbors aren't just being polite when they say they don't mind.