Happy Birthday Schroeder!

Duren Schroeder Vonnegut Williams was born at 6:04 in the morning on the 27th of March 2009. Unlike his long and complicated name, this little guy has proven himself to be a simple, laid-back kind of fellow. He's a great sleeper, a versatile eater, and he sure does tolerate his older siblings well even though he's been squeezed, dropped, bonked, kissed and hugged to death by them this year. At one, he's standing confidently, walking tentatively, climbing like a two year old, and babbling up a storm. He fully understands the word no (or at least the tone that no is delivered) and is happy to please his mommy and daddy by moving away from cords. He loves cords, though, along with toilets, toilet paper, and the dogs food and water bowls, all banned, of course. He very much enjoys opening every cabinet door within reach, and is eager to pull out everything behind the doors. I'm trying to focus his attention on the tupperware cabinet which I'm totally fine with him throwing into chaos. He shares a room with his older sister and brother who quite frequently get him giggling in his crib. He is soon to be an older brother himself to miss Maggie Lu. I was concerned at first that he wouldn't get his full share of attention with another baby coming so quickly. Now I'm convinced that he might enjoy a little bit of personal space that this new baby might afford him. He has four little teeth that make him look a bit like a hippo, a thin mass of strawberry blond hair, and, of course, the signature blue eyes that all of those Williams kids inherited from their daddy. Most mornings before I take D'arcy to school, I plop him in bed with Stephen where he is content to snuggle. This is a sweet picture. Content, of course, until I return at which time he makes it known that he is hungry. He's happy to go to anyone, but he knows who mommy is which all the mommies in the world can imagine, makes me one very happy lady.
Happy Birthday Schroeder! You were delivered so quickly, it felt like an alien was being expelled from my body. You've turned from that crazy alien Sprocket to a wonderful little boy with lots of spunk.