Look Who Turned ONE!

Still cannot get over how fast this year has gone by! I can honestly say I've been good about slowing down and enjoying each phase he's been through. In spite of some very deep sleep deprivation with this child, I have truly enjoyed every thing about him. He's a happy, sweet, opinionated, and funny little boy that has brought much joy to our lives. I thank the Lord everyday for honoring us with another son. I am overwhelmingly blessed through my husband and children.

Some notables about our sweet little one year old! (Pardon me for the details. This is really more for me to look back upon than to entertain dear readers. I'm sorry if this is verbose. You can skip to the party pictures at the end if you like.)

He LOVES to eat! Grapes, cereal, pretzels, applesauce, bananas, crackers, chicken, ham, french fries, cheese, pasta, even tuna sandwiches. There isn't much that this boy will turn down, unless he just can't chew it. Even then he'll just gum it to death. He only has 4 teeth so far, so he's doing what he can with what he has. He's been known to hoard food in his cheeks and still have it there 20 - 30 minutes after he's down from a meal. He's also been known to shuffle on his hands and knees under the high chair after a meal to scavenge when Momma isn't quick enough to clean up. Who needs a puppy with a Mr. Hoover. :-)

He's also still nursing a couple times a day and even though Momma's almost ready to wean, Bubs seems to have NO interest in giving it up. Since he hasn't attached himself to a blanket, lovey or pacifier, the process of weaning is a little dicey right now. It makes him very grumpy, so we're taking it slow.

We're FINALLY sleeping through the night. This is such a blessing! Up until 10 months, Bubs was waking up every two hours, sometimes more often, to nurse. I was a zombie! But now bedtime is generally around 7:30 and wake up time is around 6. While we'd love it if he slept a little later, I'm just grateful he's sleeping through at all!

He loves, loves, loves, Big Brother! Monkey is the sun, moon, stars to this little guy. There really aren't many people that can elicit a bigger smile than Big Brother. Maybe De-dah. But Bubs thinks his older brother is the best thing ever. Big Brother isn't always thrilled or gentle with his little shadow, but that doesn't seem to deter the little guy. He's a strong-willed character in his own right, so whatever Monkey is dishing out, he's holding his own pretty well. It also helps when you're almost as big as your big brother. Currently, there is only about a 5 lb difference and they're already in the same size clothes.

He's a Momma's boy. I think some of this is because he's still being nursed. If he's not shadowing Monkey, then he's busy pulling on my leg attempting to crawl into my arms. As a busy Momma, I was/am forced to wear Bubby in a sling while I attempted to take care of the house and Monkey. He LOVES to be worn. Still, to this day! But he's nearing 25 lbs and that's a lot to carry in a sling, while cooking, potty training, cleaning, and playing basketball with a toddler.

He's walking! He's actually been walking for about 2 months now. I was bracing myself for him to not walk for awhile, since he's such a big kiddo. But along with his size, comes strength. He's still a little wobbly when he's tired, but every day I'm noticing more stability and speed. I guess that's needed when you have an almost 3 year old brother to keep up with! And while my back is aching from carrying him in the sling so much, it's bittersweet to watch him chase JK around the island in the kitchen. The laughter and screaming make it worth it.

He's started talking! Strangely enough, his first word was a bark. LOL! He LOVES dogs or any animal for that matter. But he will LEAP out of our arms if he spies a dog. And I know it's a dog when he starts making this deep gutteral woof, like our Boxer. He also says "uh-oh" and "doddie", which can mean Daddy or doggy, depending on what direction he's pointing. He says
"Momma", but it's usually in a sing-songy way and he doesn't seem to associate it with me yet. He calls me Doddie. Since he adores Daddy and dogs, I guess I will take it as a compliment. While he doesn't have an arsenal of words yet, he has a slew of different little squeals that he uses to communicate. We almost always know when he's in the room and what he wants.

He loves to dance! It can be a song in a commercial, a song from a Laurie Berkner video, or even a cell phone ringing. No matter, it will stop Bubby in his tracks and he immediately starts this slow squatting bob. While he comes from strong musical genes on both sides of the family, his immediate reaction to music is always a surprise to me. Adorable to watch!

He loves all things having to do with balls, cars, trucks, and trains. There have already been quite a few fights in the W household over who was playing with what ball or car. Still not sure how we're going to enforce this whole "share" concept, but we're working on it. I've also been intrigued by the fact that Bubs already understands that vehicles make noise. He always makes this little "running engine" sound when he rolls his Hot Wheels around the house. Perhaps I am under-estimating how much of an influence JK has on him.

About to sing and partake in the caterpillar birthday cupcakes with big brother and cousins.






Licking off icing from the candle...



I think I got the hang of this cake thing...



But I don't really like being messy...


Duuude...



Kickin' it up with an after cake cocktail. Life is good!



Yes it is. Especially with you in it little man. We love you so much! Thank you for blessing us the way you do. We are so grateful to have you in our lives, our family, and in our home. Your chub and sweetness has charmed us all!


Love,
Mommy and Daddy