Birthdays in Our 30's

I've noticed that birthday parties look quite a bit different now that we're in our 30's.  Here are pictures from my birthday only 4 short years ago.

Yes, this was Joel and my 26th, not St. Patrick's day.  Even if we are all wearing green.  And now?  Matt and I both have kids, and well, Joel's still living the fast life, but it now involves jet setting to different tropical locals every other week.  Lil jealous.  And...I've totally lost touch with both of them since I moved (though I should really remedy that).

This weekend was Tim's 30th..  Still fun, but very different.  It involved lots of children.  In fact, it was Robby's first party.

He did...alright.  He had to eat twice (fortunately, I just took over Dean's nursery), and screamed a lot at first, but then Jen managed to get him to fall asleep on her for a couple hours.  Which was wonderful for me.  Perhaps not so much for Jen.  ;)

Dean was entirely pleasant.  Just that couple months older made a huge difference.  He was very smiley, and cute in the outfit his mom made.  We were all cracking up when Cathy & I both recommended to a pregnant friend that she should get Summer SwaddleMe's, and Cathy demonstrated by putting one on Dean.  He has LONG since outgrown them and looked quite like a stuffed sausage.  He was laughing as much as the rest of us, though.  Robby was asleep, or I would have contributed an appropriate-sized model. 

 The boys did spend some quality time together.  Early on in the evening, they even were dressed so similarly that people joked that I was going to take the wrong baby home.  They were cheerful and happy until Robby started punching Dean in the face.  Obviously, this wasn't intentional, or hard enough to hurt him, but it did make him start to cry and broke up the blanket party.  Way to go Robby.  Whole new kind of drama to experience at parties.

All I can say, is that at least enough people are at the same stage of life that they don't mind us bringing along our screaming, uninvited guest.  Ok, maybe he was invited.  But he was still screaming.  I hope he didn't worry the pregnant friend too much.  He did that to another pregnant friend we ran into on a walk the other day.  I just want them to be as glowing and radiant as they should be.  Not shaking in their boots.  :)

So, bars may not be in the plans for birthdays any time soon, but I think all the little men getting to join in just adds to the fun.  Happy birthday, Tim!