A reflection on first birthdays

This is James on his first birthday. He was not too happy about being stripped of his shirt, with a bib on and plunked down into a chair while everyone stared at him and took pictures.

This is William yesterday, on his first birthday. He looks almost equally unimpressed about being tied down to a chair awaiting his birthday cake.

However, the bleak outlook improved when the cake arrived. James, being the funny little guy that he is, dug into his cake face first. He didn't want to get his hands dirty, so he bent over and ate his cake.

Will not only go this hands dirty, but he had cake in his hair, up his nose and all over the shirt that his mom forgot to take off of him before he got his hands on his cake.

It seems to me that most little children are pretty miserable on their first birthdays. I realize that these are just my two nephews and I don't know if a generalization can be made based on the two of them. But maybe it would be wiser for parents to skip over the child's first birthday and have a party for their second birthday. James was much happier that day than he was for his first birthday. I say if the little guy wants a nap, let him have a nap, it is HIS birthday after all.