Party time.

Recently William and Paul both celebrated their first birthdays. You would never guess they are so close in age if you glanced at them side by side. Paul is developing typically and he is learning new things every day. He's robust and active, with an appetite for fun and food.
William on the other hand struggles with the smallest things. He's had stridor and difficulty breathing all his life. His physical development is at about the level of a 3 month old - he can't even hold his head up properly yet. The hard truth is that there are a lot of things William will never do.  We know he might never run or jump or kick a ball - but that doesn't mean he can't take centre stage when he is the birthday boy!
And it was an extra special celebration for our William on party day. He actually managed to eat some of the very extravagant  birthday cake. It was a wonderful moment, as this tiny guy usually takes all his calories as liquids. Maybe he just got caught up with the excitement of the party and had a wild and crazy moment. Or maybe this is a sign of things to come. We will take it either way - we love celebrating our kids achievements, big or small.

It was a great party. The cake was over-the-top (though over-the-top is standard here - you'd think we would get used to it). The kids were all excited and the grown ups were just a bit giddy too. Birthdays always make everyone feel a bit emotional. After all these kids have been through, it's a real privilege to able to honour our precious one year old boys on their birthdays.

Here's William, getting comfortable and enjoying all the action.

A difficult decision for Paul - he has food, presents and a balloon. What to do first?

    

There seems to be a bit of a theme in Paul's pictures. Let's just say he was happy with the catering arrangements. You might notice that the ayis are always willing to keep his spoon topped up. Food in this culture is very closely linked to love. Feeding some-one is not just a practical task - it's a way to show love.  Paul's ayi is not only making sure he doesn't leave the table hungry. She's showing him that she loves him very much.

Poor William - this is not his best angle, but it was too cute to leave out. Apparently having a giant Pooh Bear hovering over you takes a bit of getting used to!