This weekend my baby boy Scott celebrated his first birthday. Amazing how fast his first year has gone by, I still remember his birth on December 27, 2007 as if it were yesterday. Scott has grown quite big already, I think our nanny and my wife spoil him too much with tons of good food 🙂

During his first year he traveled a lot already, among others twice to Beijing and once to Holland, Belgium and France. And within the next six weeks he will visit Beijing again and make his first trip to the tropics. Lucky boy!

We celebrated his birthday with a brunch at the Le Meridien Hotel in Sheshan, where Scott among others tasted cheese cake, mousse au chocolat and cotton candy for the first time. He loved all three of them, but we did not give him too much to ensure he would still eat his regular food. Scott actually eats everything, so far there is nothing he really dislikes. From a few drops of champagne to a small spoon of caviar, and from French Camembert cheese to kiwi, when we eat or drink it Scott likes to eat or drink it as well. I hope it will stay like that, it will make our life a lot easier over the next years.

In the afternoon we did his one-year old Pick Ceremony. This is a tradition in which the baby has to chose from several objects which one he likes most (you count which one he choses 3 times, and you mix them up all the time in order to make sure the order does not determine his choice). The result should show what he will become as an adult. Scott’s main pick was an abacus, which means that he will likely become an entrepreneur or manager in later life. No surprises there 🙂

At night we had a small party at home, where Scott got his presents. For Scott the packing paper was often just as important as the presents. And what he loved most where the gas filled balloons that we bought in the afternoon. He has been playing with them for days, holding the string of one of them in his hands whereever he walks around in the house!

At night Sam Flemming and Vennie came to visit us with their son Leo (2.5 years old). We had a nice dinner (Shanghainese food) and chatted about all kinds of topics, while Leo and Scott were playing. Leo is a very polite boy, saying ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ all the time, I will also try to make sure Scott turns out like that. He has a good role model now!

I look forward to the coming year with Scott, the older he gets the more fun it is to be around him. Especially now that he starts communicating a bit and now that he can walk independently. And next year he will get a little brother or sister, I look forward to see his reaction to that.

Scott and Marc at the Sheshan Meridien Hotel on Scott’s 1st birthday (27 Dec. 2008)