Katie’s Half Birthday

We have a little tradition in our family of celebrating a baby’s first half-birthday (that is, when they turn six months old).  We make a half-cake, top it with a half candle (Brian takes great pleasure in cutting a candle in half lengthwise) and then sing “Happy Half Birthday to You” while the baby blows the candle half-out.

Older siblings usually blow out the other half.  You can read about William’s half birthday here.  Katie’s was much the same.

William helped me frost the half cake.  He took his duties as Quality Control Inspector quite seriously.

The finished half cake is below.  I was gratified that it turned out well.  A recent attempt at making yellow cake was a spectacular failure.  This one, on the other hand, was perfect.

Everyone was so excited to celebrate!  We told Katie that if she was a good girl and ate all her carrot puree, she’d get to watch us eat her birthday cake.  She thought this was a great idea!

After cake came the giving of the half-gift.  Half-gifts in the past have included baby socks and half-finished handknitted sweaters.  William and I went shopping together and picked out this:

It’s a little mini-blankie shaped like an owl.  We’re hoping it deters her from finding and chewing on other cloth objects, like Jeffrey’s discarded socks.  (Yeah, ew.)

Eleanor used the package ribbon to make a “crown” for our little half-birthday girl.

She is getting improbably big.  How dare she grow so fast! — although we love every inch.