- The Freckled Key

Maxine Gean Key. Named after my grandmothers, Maxine Jeanette and Caroline Gean. Born at 8:36 p.m. on a Tuesday, February 17, 2015. I labored for 13 hours and after 20 minutes of pushing, heart rate dips, and the use of forceps, out you came. You were whisked away quickly to the baby table on the other side of the room by the NICU team to make sure that you were okay.

I remember your Gramma took a picture of you on that table and brought it to me to see while I so anxiously waited to have you on my chest. The first thing that caught my attention was your eyes – WHOA. They were SO big. And those eyebrows – oh my, so expressive. I’m pretty sure you came out of the womb thinking, “What the WHAT?!” and you’ve been just as intensely curious about this beautiful, complicated world ever since.

We celebrated your one year birthday on a Saturday, February 13, 2016, in the company of our nearest and dearest. I made your smash cake and the other desserts and your family (aunts, uncles, grandparents) chipped in to help us clean the house, make decorations, and complete the food spread. I teased that you would not remember any of this and that this party was actually for your dad and I – we survived the first year of parenting. Hallelujah. When it all came together, I just couldn’t stop smiling. Not only did the house look beyond what I had hoped and imagined, but every time I looked up I saw my people. Your people.

(My mom made this streamer banner and the paper flowers! Aunt Shelly made the “Maxine” banner.)

(Scott and my brother hung the streamers from the ceiling and my dad tacked on the paper flower.)

I chose to do a lion theme for your birthday because when you were about 7 months old you made your first animal sound – a lion’s ROAR. And you were hooked from then on. Roaring for days!! I would ask you, “What does a lion say,” and without missing a beat you would stop whatever you were doing and reply with the cutest but boldest “ROAR!”

(I had this quick craft on the porch for the kids at the party: Lion Masks – Paper plates, elastic, strips of colored paper, glue sticks – DONE! Thank you, Aunt Amy, for your help on this! We precut the eye holes and paper strips and drew on the faces ahead of time so that all the kids/parents had to do was glue on the strips.)

(My mom made the streamer banner for the gate.)

(My in-laws and my parents helped out with the food both for the party and for dinner that night when everyone left!)

(I made the desserts! I made a smash cake for Maxine, a two-layer cake, and cupcakes. I attempted to make these dehydrated pineapple “lion mane” toppers myself, but alas I had to rely on the magic touch of my mom on this one because mine…… well let’s just say they looked more like the lion had stuck his head into a socket.)

(The smash cake and two-layer cake were Smitten Kitchen’s banana cake with Sweetapolita’s swiss meringue buttercream.)

(A sausage and cheese plate, hot crackers, and peppers with hummus made up the savory spread.)

(For the cake topper I purchased a wooden lion puzzle from the Target dollar bins, had Scott assemble it, spray painted it gold, then threw together this little party hat from some scrap paper and glued it on his head.)

And it’s funny that you chose the lion as your favorite animal because, Maxine, you are as tender as you are vivacious. As brave as you are spirited. As loving as you are fierce.