I so wish I was one of those cool parents that’s all “yeah, my baby is turning one and we are celebrating with a cake with just our family, no biggie.” I think parents like that are just so cool and really setting their kids up for realistic expectations of future birthdays to come. But it’s just not me. I want to run up and down the street with my hands in the air yelling to everyone that will listen, “LEO IS TURNING ONE! HE SURVIVED A YEAR! ALEX AND I SURVIVED A YEAR!” and throwing pieces of Wegman’s Ultimate Cake in the sky like confetti. I’m STILL in shock that Leo is here, and not only that, he is here and almost one! Somehow we managed to make it through every single day of the past year together–8 and a half months of that year which were sleepless and I walked around the earth like an unshowered zombie. So I’m going all out for Leo’s first birthday because I’m a geek and I’m crazy and gosh darn it, I think we deserve a reason to celebrate. I spent at least three hours of my night yesterday sending out invitations (in addition to a few hours creating the invitation and another few addressing the envelopes that I thought I was doing ahead of time only to find out they were too small when the invitations I ordered actually arrived–see what happens when I try to get ahead of the game?) You’ll probably get one in the mail if you are reading this. I’m inviting everyone because I want everyone to be there. And if you don’t, come anyway. You’re totally invited! I have to blame my parents for my birthday-enthusiasm. I’m in my early thirties and still get boxes of cookies with “Happy Birthday Janelle” individually written over each one as I have every year.

It still baffles me how much changes in a year. About this same time last September, I was hugely pregnant and headed down to the Cape to photograph the Devaney clan as a surprise birthday gift to Mrs. Devaney. This year, Alex, Leo, and I headed down to the Cape to spend the day with just Meredith and her family and we had three little ones romping around the beach. How crazy that a year ago Leo wasn’t here, Elyse, was a teeny baby and Emily so much younger! I love that Leo has the chance to grow up with these two beautiful little ladies, just like Alex grew up with Meredith and her sisters and brother. So many Bruno/Devaney memories of the past, and many yet to come!

Thanks for having us down and for the cooler full of drinks and food and amazing beach time.




What a great way to say goodbye to this summer!  Thanks for inviting us down.

Love you guys! See you at Leo’s party 🙂