Happy Birthday Carter!!

We just celebrated Carter’s 2^nd birthday. He won’t actually be 2 until the 30^th, so I plan to enjoy every last minute of having a one year old in our home.  Parties and outings have always been a strain on the family. It seems that no matter how well we watch him, Carter always manages to get something unsafe. We have taken him to parties and I’ve worn him in the carrier the entire time, and it still doesn’t help. We spend the nights after these events with a little boy who can’t sleep. Sometimes just disturbed sleep, sometimes it’s crying out in pain and sometimes its reactive diapers that last for days afterward. I have started to wonder if he has nightmares or anxiety from these experiences. How else do I explain him crying out in his sleep, screaming and clinging to me? It is always s the same and it has made leaving the house a stress for us all.

Yesterday was Carter’s day. All of the food was safe for him. We made a “No Outside Food or Drink” rule and put that in his party invitation. Carter had 2 hours where everything really was for him. We set all the food out on the tables, and as guests started to eat, Carter wanted to as well. He asked, “Eat?” and I got to say yes. His little face lit up and he looked at me with surprise. “Me?!?” he said. I told him he could take the food right off the table and he was so happy.  I never had to say “No”, or “That’s not safe” or “Not for you”.  And when someone spilled food, I didn’t need to rush to clean it up. When Carter picked up food off the floor, I didn’t have to worry about whether it was safe.

He even got to try Cotton Candy for the first time. We rented a cotton candy machine and, although he liked watching Daddy make it, he didn’t know what to do with the texture.  He managed to eat a couple bites though.

He had a cupcake with chocolate frosting! Thank you again Amanda for coming up with such a great recipe. The Quinoa Merry Muffins were a success! Daddy helped him figure out what frosting was and how to eat it. Chocolate was a new and slightly unsure flavor, but there were lots of "Mmm's".

It was a truly magical day. Our friends and family were so supportive and accommodating to make sure Carter was safe and had fun. It may have been a short 2 hours for everyone else, but it was so important for us. Carter was normal. He was just like everyone else.