June, Already?

Seems like I post once a month. It's seriously tough to blog every day.  How in the world did I do this before? 
Around this time last year, I was in labor.  I guess this year Memorial Day weekend happened later this year but the Tuesday after Memorial Day in 2009, I was in labor.  Can you believe it's been a year?  I cannot believe time has flown so quickly.  My baby boy is finally 1!  I remember the first few months were really rough and time went by so slowly. I couldn't even fathom his first birthday happening because it seemed such a long time.  Things started to get a little easier when Carey was around 5-6 months old and I guess the remainder of the year just flew by.  It is so fun to see my little boy's personality shine through.  I truly do have a happy baby boy (for most of the time) and it's been a tremendous joy to be a mother to him.  I'm looking forward to our many years to come (through fun times and bad times)!

[Thank you, Macey, for the pictures!  I wouldn't have any time to take any pictures and everything would have gone unrecorded.  :) ]

Carey had his first birthday party over the weekend.  Meanie cooked for most of the party - a traditional Vietnamese celebration meal.  We had brought over some Vietnamese pastries when we went up last at his mother's insistence just for Carey's birthday party.  These pastries are a must-have at big Vietnamese celebrations, like weddings and such.

Steamed buns with pork and egg inside; pork in a flaky crust; spring rolls; cold peanut butter noodles

Meanie also cooked a Viet sticky rice, spring rolls (what NYers know as "summer rolls"), green papaya salad (not so good, lol), my mom made her cold peanut butter noodles, there were grilled chicken wings and steak. 

Here is Carey's first birthday cake:

It was a chocolate cake/chocolate mousse on the inside covered with fondant. I had asked them to make a Baby Einstein cake for Carey and they did a great job on it.  I got this cake at Shop-Rite - it was perfect!!  Now I know I can just get my cakes at the local grocery store and not at an over-expensive custom bakery.  It tasted great, too!

I bought this little hat for Carey but he hated putting it on, so here it rests on the table.  :(

I made Bakerella's Cake Pops on a whim after discovering the supplies at Party City.  They came out really well and I look forward to making more of these so I can perfect the skill.  It's a great job if you have little bakers helping you out, too.

They look easy to make but in reality, a little time-consuming, but its outcome is really rewarding.  Not only did they look good, they tasted good, too!  I want to make more of these now. I don't think I can decorate as nicely as Bakerella does it but at least I can do the basics.  Mine are Devil's Food cake with chocolate frosting with blue Candy Melts, dipped in sprinkles or sand sugar.  It gives a satisfying crunch to the cake balls.  :)

Thanks to everyone coming to help us celebrate Carey's 1st!  It was definitely fun! Too bad he won't remember any of it.  =*(