Anthony's Birthday Party

I would never have been able to pull of Tony's birthday party, without the help of my grandparents. While I was busy taking care of Tony, grandpa finished grocery shopping for me. Grandma was busy cutting fruit, making the salads and pulling everything together. We had a wonderful birthday party, and Tony even seemed to enjoy it. He felt good enough to open some gifts, play with his new toys and eat his birthday cake. I was able to get a few pictures with him smiling.

The best surprise was my dad and his girlfriend Judy making the trip from WI to join us. They haven't been to Iowa since July of '97. My dad was smart and brought a toy for Chase. So that gave them an opportunity to hang out and play with his hovercraft. We ate really well. We had shredded beef, brats, hot dogs, corn on the cob, fresh fruit, cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, and beans. We just had the best time visiting with family and friends. Tony received enough new outfits for 10 days. It is a lot of fun dressing him up! He also got some cool toys. Rob and Miranda gave him this car he can ride on, but for now converts so he can hold on and walk behind it. He is really starting to get the hang of it now.

Tony didn't know what to think when we all started singing "Happy Birthday," to him. He got quiet and then had a big grin on his face. He had a great time eating his cake. I put a whole piece in front of him, and he picked up the whole thing and tried shoving it into his mouth. He was such a mess. All over his face, in his hair, on his clothes. I had to strip him down, and give him a bath in the kitchen sink. Considering he didn't feel too hot, we had a fun party.