This past Wednesday, Andrew completed his first lap around the sun. As is tradition everywhere in families that have several children, we celebrated quietly at home for our one-year-old rather than having a big to-do. Andrew had his first taste of chocolate cake (in the form of a cupcake, which he promptly smeared all over his face, hands, hair, shirt, chair, etc.) and received a few small presents.

Having two older brothers, Andrew has as many toys as a kid could want, and plays with almost none of them. However, he keeps grabbing for his dad's keys and cell phone, so the little guy got his own toy keys and toy cell phone for his birthday. His grandparents also got him a musical Mozart cube thingy, which he loves to dance to. Andrew seems to have as much interest in music as his brothers and parents, which is just fine with us.

Andrew does the things that typical one-year-olds do. He walks like a drunk, babbles incoherently (also like a drunk, now that I think about it), and instinctively knows which stuff he should avoid playing with and plays with it.

While each of the kids has his own personality, appearance, and style, it's impossible to resist making comparisons. There is one way in which Andrew is completely unlike his brothers at this age -- well, there's two, but I'll get to that in a moment. Andrew is very, very attached to me. Sure, Alexander and Nolan have gone through phases where they would show me varying degrees of affection, but Andrew is constantly asking for me.

When I come home, he won't let me walk by without picking him up and holding him for a while -- otherwise, he'll just cry and cry until I correct my oversight. When I leave in the morning, he clings to me in a way that his brothers had only done occasionally when they were small. The difference is pronounced, and I don't mind saying that it's kinda cool. And don't get me wrong -- I know Alex and Nolan love me, and they still ask for hugs and monkey-back rides and the like. And yes, when they were young, they were attached to me. But not like this.

It could be annoying, I suppose, this constant need for Daddy's attention, but it isn't. I'll give him all the hugs I can as long as he wants 'em. Alex and Nolan are growing *so fast*, that I know it's only a matter of time before they've all outgrown the need for hugs from Dad. I spent this past weekend holding Andrew until my arm felt like it was going to fall off. Sometimes, it's a little inconvenient. But it's never a chore.

There is one other way in which Andrew is different from his brothers; he is the coolest cucumber of the bunch. He very rarely complains (his aforementioned need to be held by moi notwithstanding). He's as easy-going as they get.

That said, as he entered first-birthday-season a few days ago, he has decided to experiment with throwing his version of a tantrum -- again, usually to protest when he's not being held. His version of a tantrum is to refuse to stand up; he'll lie down on the ground and cry demandingly. Any tantrum from any child is a bit annoying, but all his tantrums are doing for me at the moment is reminding me of how effing lucky we've been with him so far.

These are hard times; I am hearing increasingly bad news regarding friends of mine who have lost their jobs, lost their health, or are losing those near and dear to them. I'm having some tough times of my own, for all that, and threats of more on the horizon.

But then there's Andrew. And Alex. And Nolan. I am ridiculously blessed to have them in my life, and incredibly fortunate that they continue to be so amazing, so healthy, and so just-plain-lovable. I love my guys more than I can possibly express, and only hope I can become a better father to them as we all move forward along this bumpy road called 'Life.'

PS: In that first photo, I'm holding the plate with the cupcake while I'm taking the shot. If I set it down and then readied the camera, Andrew would attack the cupcake before I could get the picture, and that would be that.

I mention this because, as an amateur photographer, I'm bothered by what looks like a cupcake as big as his head floating mysteriously in the foreground....