Yesterday was Baby Bonnie's first birthday and let me tell you, it was an event to remember.
Baby Bonnie is my best friend, Amy's, child. We have to call her Baby Bonnie or else we get her confused with me. For a while there people started calling us big Bonnie and little Bonnie but you better believe I put a stop to that immediately. I ain't never going to have a "Big" in front of my name, I don't care how old or how fat I get.
I like Baby Bonnie quite a bit. To start with, she's named after me, so obviously she's awesome. Secondly, she's active as all get out and always running around getting into mischief. Just like her namesake. Thirdly, she eats everything in sight and makes no apologies. What a girl!
I'm not sure when it became a thing to throw big shindigs for one year olds, but I'm all about it. Barbeque, cupcakes and throwing frisbees in the park all in the name of some 12 month old who doesn't have a clue in the world what is going on? Sure, why not.
It's kind of crazy to watch my best friend be a mom and parent to this busy child who cries for no reason and eats bugs and makes terribly awful smells. I mean, who can understand a baby? And yet my bestie spends all day every day not only trying to understand the little one, but feeding her, bathing her, putting her to bed, etc. All of this service from a girl who it seems like yesterday was running around with me in a bikini and trying to date boys so they would take her out on their boat. My. Somehow we grew up.
Amy and Cody are very adoring parents. It is a little weird to be non parents and watch your friends who also used to be non parents with you suddenly become parents. And now they're doing all the parent things we all used to agree were totally ridiculous. Like talk in baby voices and schedule all plans around nap time. Also Amy lets Baby Bonnie scream into Amy's mouth and Cody just looks on and laughs uncontrollably at it all which is very weird to someone like me who has no children. But I guess as weird as it is, it is also very sweet and assuring to see a baby who has two parents who are so freaking crazy about her. I get convinced our whole society is going to pot with media now days and drugs on every corner and scammers up the ying yang. But then I see two parents like this, who are so wildly in love with their child, and I think maybe we're all going to end up okay after all.
It reminds me of a journal entry I was reading last week. I was a junior in high school and madly in love with a boy named Nate. I thought about him constantly, stalked him at church, doodled his name in my notebook. Junior year I had trigonometry with him and I flirted the best an awkward, never-been-kissed sixteen year old can flirt. Somehow word got around that he liked me back and I was in absolute heaven. He had never been kissed either, and I was convinced we were to be each other's first kisses.
The big girl's choice dance was coming up (I promise this tangent has a purpose. Or does it?) and two months before the dance even arrived I was making big plans to ask Nate. This would be our moment. Our dance, our perfect date, the ideal first kiss situation. But then Nate got asked by another girl. He went with her. They kissed. My pure, virginal, perfect boy was tainted.
I was heartbroken. Absolutely devastated. Not only had they kissed, but they were now dating, taking the crush of my lifetime officially off the market. I wrote this in my journal the night I found out: "Mom and dad could tell something was wrong at dinner so I told them. Surprisingly, they cheered me up. Dad said, "He's got a squeaky voice anyways," and then mom said, "and besides that he never speaks up and his nose is crooked!" I guess my folks can be alright. Mom reminded me to keep it all in perspective."
I guess I love this story because on the surface it seems so simple and ordinary, but it shows clearly how much my parents loved me. (And still love me.) How they adored me, just like Amy and Cody adore Baby Bonnie. And how they were trying to protect me and stop me from crying and keep me happy and all of those things that parents want for their children, whether they're one year old or sixteen years old.
There is a lot I would have liked to tell Baby Bonnie on her birthday, but she don't understand jack crap and she was too busy destroying her birthday cake anyway. But if I could have, I would have told her that no matter how freaking tough life gets she'll be just fine because she's got two parents who are absolutely, one hundred percent, madly in love with her and they will help her through all the rough times.
Take it from a Bonnie who knows.
Yep...we just love Bonnies, big and small, at our house. They rock our world.
ReplyDeleteI luv how cute you and your husband look together....made for each other
ReplyDeleteI was named after my Aunt. My uncle called us 1 and 2.
ReplyDeleteCute kid and I know what you mean about the non-parent thing. Looks like you all had fun!
I have a new nickname for you now, hope you like Big Bonnie.
ReplyDeletelove this post! Can't wait for you to see what all the fuss is about.
ReplyDeleteAww, that is just too cute/sweet that your best friend named her baby after you! Happy 1st Birthday to Baby Bonnie!
ReplyDeleteLil' B (thats what I am referring to Baby Bonnie as, because obvi we are one a nickname basis) is so adorable! And how wonderful is it that she is named after you. You must be one awesome friend :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Baby Bonnie! That's pretty awesome that they named her after you and so sweet. I love that you have such a close relationship with them. I've found it hard to still be as close with my friends that don't have kids yet since having a baby. It's weird. and I don't like it...
ReplyDeleteBaby Bonnie is too cute! I think it is great that she is named after you!
ReplyDeleteBaby Bonnie is absolutely adorable and she is lucky to be named after you! I bet you are going to have a lot of wonderful life lessons to teach her when she's older and can actually understand what you're talking about.
ReplyDeletexxoo,
Jordyn
I really enjoyed this post Bop and Mom and Dad's comments about "Nate" (wink wink) cracked me up. That sounds just like them.
ReplyDeleteAwww, I especially like the last pic of u and hubs! Very cute!
ReplyDeletethe first boy i liked had a horrible gap between his two front teeth. and his best friends were named darren and darren. :]
ReplyDeletelove the last three photos. such a beautiful baby. and a cute couple yall are. :]
We always need to take lots of photos of bubs first birthday since they will not remember any of it...........lol that first year often seems to go by so fast
ReplyDeletei begged my sister to name one of her kids after me and it never happened. she also stole the name I wanted if i ever decided to have a boy. color me jealous of your baby bonnie!
ReplyDeleteBaby Bonnie and that cake is an illustration of my feelings. That picture of the two of you makes me want a baby with pigtails. Or at least to know a baby with pigtails.
ReplyDelete