Happy 1st Birthday, Cash!

We have a 1 year old, can you believe it? Cash turned one today. We had a little party with our friends and the missionaries on Monday. He had the traditional Hulihan family cream puffs. Too bad our microwave/oven didn't really want to cooperate with the dough. It produced a semi-flat pancake. Cash ate it, though!


Opening his present from Great-Grandma Betty:

Today, we let him have a chocolate cupcake, since he is my cupcake baby. I ate six cupcakes the night before I went into labor. I gave the rest of the batch to the labor nurses. Cash loved to squish it!

Thank you all for your birthday wishes! We love you!

Cash is Walking!

Cash took his first steps a couple of weeks ago. Since then, he's gotten bold and has been trying to walk everywhere. So far, he usually only goes about fifteen steps and then drops down to his knees. It's so cute though. I can't believe we're going to have a toddler on our hands (and under feet) in no time!

11 Months Old

Cash is now 11 months old and at such a fun age. He is so curious, playful, and increasingly mobile! He has taken a couple of steps alone but loves to hold my hand and walk. His new loves are dogs and birds, and we go for lots of walks trying to spot them.
He will be turning one in a few weeks, so I wanted to capture a few precious moments of my baby before he gets all grown up!

One of Cash's all-time faves: pulling the plug in the tub. Where did the water go?


Going for a ride in the toy basket:


I'm ready to dictate!


Silly boy:


His new activity: climbing!

Miyajima

After Hiroshima, we headed over to Miyajima ("shrine island") an hour away. We took a short ferry to the island. Miyajima is famous for its floating torii (shrine entrance), which is considered one of Japan's top three views. We had a great time at this very touristy spot, even though it was snowy and we had a sleepy baby on our hands!

Here we are in front of the famous torii. It looks like it is floating when the tide is high. That bulge in Fox's coat is Cash, fast asleep:


A beautiful pagoda:


This is Fox in Itsukushima shrine in front of the torii. In olden times, commoners were not allowed to set foot on the island. The shrine is built like a pier, and visitors would have to maneuver their boats through the torii in order to get to it. Cash was so tired. He fell asleep tucked in his dad's coat and slept for an hour.


Miyajima is also famous for its very friendly, roaming deer, who come seeking food from all the tourists.