Once a year, Jewish people throughout the world participate in a practice called Bedikat Chamatz. This is where all traces of leaven are removed from the house in order that the home may be perfectly “clean” during the celebration of Passover. They discard all yeast and products that might have yeast in them. They scrub down stoves, ovens, appliances, cupboards…anything that a leavened item might have touched or even left traces of.
You may be wondering what on earth this has to do with Emery’s birthday. I will tell you:). One of the most unique things I ever discovered about Seth was that, unbeknownst to him, he practiced his own form of Bedikat Chamatz once every year in November. But instead of removing leaven from his home/car/office, he removed the color red. Now, I love BYU just as much as the next [properly] indoctrinated co-ed. But you see, Seth has a rather… impassioned loyalty to the Y. The week before the Cougars played the Utes was pretty much the most important, perhaps sacred week of the year to him. So out went the color red. And pink, and coral, and maroon, and rose – basically anything that resembled red. This is how much he loves his Cougs.
So when it came time to celebrate the first birthday of the son of Seth Barrus, it was kind of easy to pick a theme:).
Here are the highlights…
Enamored daddy. These two are developing an undeniable bond:).
Emery knew something was up when guests showed up and he started getting so much attention. And he reveled in it! He was absolutely delightful🙂 (And thank you, Aunt Bethany, for the balloon!)
Gift opening was a little confusing:). He didn’t quite grasp why each toy kept getting moved to the side for another. He just wanted to play!
Time for cake!
In our family we avoid giving anything with table sugar to our babies…until they turn one, and then it’s a sugar liberating extravaganza!! (At least for one night.)
He wasn’t sure what to do with this new found freedom…
And then it became serious business.
And this may be the real reason I don’t let my babies eat sugar before age one. So I can get pictures like this one on their birthday:)
Emery has got to be the most loved baby ever to be born. One of my favorite things about this birthday celebration was watching his older brothers laugh and cheer all night over the tiniest things he would do while opening presents and eating cake. I feel sad that I don’t have any pictures of them with him! I don’t know what I was thinking. Those boys adore him. They are so good to him and he is so lucky to have them.
Emery has been an absolutely perfect baby. The joy he brings to our lives is indescribable. One night when he was about 8 months old, I discovered that he had a little fascination with my eye lashes. As I was singing to him in my arms, he started touching them and trying to pull at them. So I let him feel what they were like by fluttering them against his cheek . He giggled and leaned his face in to mine for me to do it again. From then on it became a little ritual of ours when I lay him down for bed. It soothes him and makes him smile, and it gives me the most incredible feeling of love. He is the most loving, sweetest boy in the world. We are so blessed to be his parents.
Can’t believe how big he’s getting! So adorable 🙂