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It’s so cliche…but so true. Holy cow, a lot happens in a year…but that year goes SO fast.

I can’t believe this time last year I was cradling this teeny tiny person and wrapping my head around the fact that this sweet thing had been in my belly the whole time and was now a real person and member of our family.

At one year old, you are sleeping through the night consistently (!!!!!) from about 7 at night to 6 or 6:30 (sometimes earlier, but sometimes later!) and taking two naps a day, each lasting anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. You are super easy to put down and still love to have your pacifier on hand, and blankie to cuddle with.

You are a fairly easy-to-please eater, but definitely have your moments when you suddenly decide that today, no you don’t like applesauce anymore, thank you very much. Only to go back to liking it the next day. In general, you do well and we can always find something that you’ll gobble up. The best advice I’ve gotten in terms of mealtime is to not sweat a meal, but look at the big picture of how balanced you were throughout the week. Good thing — because more than once, a “meal” has consisted of cheddar cow crackers and baby cheetos!

You are getting much better with a sippy cup on your own as opposed to us helping you hold it up (something you never mastered with the bottle, either) and after a couple days of cutting back to only bottles when you first wake up and at night for bedtime, we cut them out altogether and you didn’t flinch. We started a slow switch from formula to whole milk this past month and you didn’t bat an eye. Cold, straight outta the fridge. Low maintenance…love it!

In addition to “dada” and “mama” which you’ve been saying for a while, “bababa” for bottle has become more consistent, and “baw” for ball, and “ah dah” for all done, with which you wave your hands to do the sign. We also SWEAR you say “doh” for door…one of your favorite activities is to open and close every door around the house. You love to give hugs and kisses when asked, and if I saw “aww” when you hug your Babar stuffed animal, you will give him extra hugs for another “aw” reaction ha!

To balance out the lovey side of you…apparently we need to work on sharing a bit! One of your daycare teachers jokingly mentioned that you will go all day not caring about a certain toy, but then once someone else is playing with it, it must be yours instead. Greedy, greedy. Sigh. Goal for year two.

You are starting to fit into some 12-18 month clothing, but pants in general still run a little long on you — short legs like Mom, sorry! 🙂 I’m hoping when you are doing more walking versus crawling, they won’t get in your way so much — all that knee-dragging pulls them down even further. Speaking of, you walk along anything you can grab onto, and do a little standing here and there unsupported. Ultimately though, you know you’re faster if you crawl, so you’ll drop back down to all fours and take off in search of whatever you have your eye on. For the longest time, you would “walk” behind your walking toy but on your knees, we’re finally seeing you walk behind it ON your feet! If we leave a gate open, you BOLT for the stairs and can climb them crazy fast. You are quickly mastering turning around to go feet-first on your belly DOWN them, and slide off the couch, bed, etc in the same way.

Your one-year appointment isn’t for another couple of weeks, but we weighed you at home unofficially the other day and you clocked in at 21 pounds on the dot. Anxious to see how tall you’ve gotten!

You continue to favor cars and balls above all else. Except for the remote. That is your FAVORITE. THING. You actually scoot along the couch and end tables looking for it, yell at it when you spot it (out of reach) and howl like a crazy person if we let you hold it, waving it lasso-style over your head and staring at the TV screen, expecting it to come on. Ri.Dic.U.Lous.

Happiest of birthdays, my one-year-old boy. Since I first learned you were on your way to us, you’ve infinitely changed my world for the better and we couldn’t love someone more. You are such a happy, spunky, strong, and loving soul and I can’t wait to see the life you will lead. I’m so very lucky to be your mama. Thanks for choosing me for the job.

Eleven months…

It’s a tiny miracle I can sit down to write this post…because you are constantly on the move! We laugh at how fast you are – we blink and you’re across the room, pulling up on something. You LOVE to be standing and this new height level perspective you’ve discovered!

You’re aware that you’re missing out on things when you’re down on the floor and we’re standing up or sitting up on the couch or in bed. You  whine until one of us picks you up so you can scan the situation and see what you’ve been left out of.

You LOVE music, in particular the shaker song at Book Babies, the version of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by Pentatonix, and If You’re Happy and You Know It continues to be a fave. You bop along to tunes that strike your fancy!

This was a month where so many things just seemed to CLICK for you. You suddenly became way more interested in food – a wider range, and a greater quantity. Daycare has started trying things on their menu with you as well, so you’re being exposed to a wide array of things to try. Favorites right now include anything with blueberry, yogurt, puffs, baby “cheetos”, bites of Mom’s veggie pizza, baked potato soup, the Plum Organics “Mighty 4” pouches, and blueberry toaster waffles! As a result, you are taking smaller and fewer bottles – one when you wake up, a couple small ones during the day, and one when you go to bed. We officially started the transition to whole milk this week – no more rushing to Costco for formula!

I’m crediting the increase in food with the increase in sleep. You wake up maybe once a night now, and usually it’s for a brief moment to get that pacifier back – which we still sometimes have to help with, since you still like to throw them out of the crib (?!). You’re going to bed between 7 and 7:30, and sleeping until nearly 7 most mornings.

You are all cars. All the time. Nothing else exists when we’re outside or in a parking lot and a car/truck of any sort goes by — it has your full attention. You will pull acrobatic tricks in our arms to get a glimpse of a passing car. You have a handful of toy cars, all of which seem to be your playthings of choice right now. You push them around the room as you crawl, and recently starting making “vroom” type noises.  You have the need for speed!

Physically, you seem to have gone through a recent growth spurt – you feel heavier, you’ve moved up a pants size, and you have a little more belly now, too – perhaps all that new food? 🙂 You also just seem more SOLID – it must be all that constant muscle work of crawling, pulling up, and walking along things. It’s true — you really are “Sooooo big!” as you like to show us! Your hair is going a bit curlier now that you really have some – we scheduled your first haircut for this weekend to trim up a little for Christmas and the big O-N-E.

(On another developmental note, this was the first month you hit a point where you were “over” your monthly photo sesh with Mom…#notamused #arewedoneyet #mamarazzi.)

…I’m crying (happy-ish) tears that the next post will be about celebrating your sweet soul on this planet for one. whole. year. Time flies when you’re having fun. 

Ten months…

You are quickly morphing into an older baby boy. And heavy emphasis on the boy. When I learned we were having a son, so many boy mamas told me “ah! you’ll love this — boys LOVE their mamas”…and it is so true. I love that you are a cuddler, want to be held, get into my lap to read a book, and give full-on slobbery kisses when asked. 🙂

You are a repeat of your daddy, and in more than just the looks department! It’s incredible to me how, at ten months, you can already have such a tuned-in interest to motors, things that go, anything on wheels…you get the idea. The following three pics taken on Halloween were in the span of a couple seconds as you broke into a bouncing dance and grinned as a random car went by. This happens EVERY time you see one.

You are ob.sessed. with the dancing matches commercial from the Ad Council! It comes on a lot in the morning when the news is on and we’re getting ready…you will bolt back into the room to watch it, or whip around if you’re turned from the TV when it comes on. It just might be your favorite jam, followed closely by “If You’re Happy and You Know It”. You are definitely a fan of music! You are starting to bop along to certain songs that strike your fancy. You still love to clap and the waving is hit-or-miss but you’re getting the hang of it. We’re working on “SOOOO big” — but you still just give us your “you’re so weird, guys” look when we try this one with you.

Month ten was another sicky month for you – we went from a healthy nine month check to back in the office the following week with double pinkeye, then a couple days later to confirm hand/foot/mouth. It all came with a nasty phlegmy cough, just to keep it fun and interesting. I wouldn’t wish hand/foot/mouth on anyone — there was a 24 hour period in there that was by far my hardest 24 hours of parenting yet (including labor!). You had a fever for days on end, wouldn’t eat or drink, and I had to give you syringes of pedialyte just to keep hydrated. Poor buddy. Thankfully you have bounced back 100% – I missed my happy, spunky baby!

So corny 😉 but I love these two! #iowaboys

A photo posted by Liz Smith (@lizblogphotog) on Oct 18, 2015 at 8:00pm PDT

You are investigating tons of new foods – depending on what we’re eating, you try little nibbles of our meals, are obsessed with puffs and yogurt melts, yogurt, applesauce, mango, and most recently teething biscuits. You strongly prefer things you can feed yourself over me pointing a spoon at you, so we’ve been experimenting with the Num Num spoons that let you (try!) and feed yourself a little. Otherwise, it’s mostly just finger foods. I picked up our latest round of formula just today at Costco and found myself wondering how much of this I have left to buy…soon enough, we can start cutting it with real milk, and phasing it out!

Picasso in the making. #bathnight #thisisgoodfordadscomfortzone #creativemess A photo posted by Liz Smith (@lizblogphotog) on Oct 29, 2015 at 5:28pm PDT

Your vocab rotates around your three favorite things…”mama”, “dada”, and “baba”. 🙂 Sometimes when you’re annoyed I hear a “nah nah nahhhh” out of you…is it possible you already know the word “no”?! Yikes. You love to crawl into spaces, including the tent and tunnel your dad and I got you from IKEA.

Being sick isn’t all bad. Your parents feel bad for you and buy you toys 🙂

A photo posted by Liz Smith (@lizblogphotog) on Oct 26, 2015 at 6:52am PDT

You love to bang any two hard objects together to make clanking noises, and especially like to put objects inside containers.

Get well gift from Mimi and Papa Rosie 😜. #nothingbutnet #firsttry @prosenberg A video posted by Liz Smith (@lizblogphotog) on Oct 28, 2015 at 7:00pm PDT

You love your elephant walking toy, although you don’t walk with it yet, you scoot alongside it on your knees, or sit on it and bounce to the tunes. It arrived during a visit from your Aunt Blake – you had so much fun when she came to play with you for a weekend!

Someone got a new fun thing! @gqueenb #bouncin 😊

A video posted by Liz Smith (@lizblogphotog) on Oct 10, 2015 at 7:55am PDT

You roasted your first Halloween as Albert Einstein! I wasn’t sure if you’d allow me to put on a knit baby hat that I glued some hair to, nor did I think you’d stand for the white makeup I used to paint on eyebrows and a mustache…but you pretty much took it all in stride. Less-than-ten-dollars, less-than-ten-minutes-worn costumes for the win. 😉 You loved watching the trick-or-treaters come to the door…you were fascinated by the costumes and quickly put it together that the doorbell sound meant more new faces to check out. I’m in total denial that we are into the double-digits of month counts! In some ways it’s gone so fast, and in others it seems we’ve ALWAYS been a fam of three. Eagerly looking forward to the holiday season with you, and some slower, cozy winter months to soak up this awesome stage that you’re in. Love to you pieces, buddy. Muah!!

Obnoxious plaid times three. ☺️ A photo posted by Liz Smith (@lizblogphotog) on Oct 17, 2015 at 8:08pm PDT

XOXOXOXOXOXO,
Mom

Wishing you and yours a very merry everything, and peace and prosperity in the new year.

It’s official — you’ve been here on Earth longer than you were in my belly. Kind of surreal! This month was a particularly fast one — and lots of new firsts for you.

On the crummier side, you had your first ear infection, at the same time you were cutting three teeth, fighting an awful diaper rash, and worst – croup. Rough week this month for you, but you handled it like a champ!

You are starting to pull up on some lower surfaces around you. We’ve dropped your crib mattress. And speaking of crib, you’ve dropped your third nap of the day, a power nap you usually take shortly before dinner. You are getting more and more predictable in terms of routine — a morning nap around 9:30 or 10, and another around 2, both lasting about 90 minutes.

You gave us a great anniversary present when you slept straight through the night (11 hours) without so much as a wake-up to retrieve your fallen pacifier. Epic! You are still going down around 7 or so, and sleeping until about 6, typically waking at SOME point during the night in search of that darn pacifier.

You are becoming a fan of sweet potatoes, applesauce, anything with blueberry, and if offered the choice, you always go for a sippy cup of water over a bottle of formula. I’m sure the cold of the water feels good on all those teeth you’re cutting (five is the most recent count – two bottom, three top!).

We’re working on waving — you do the motion, but then get so excited to be waving your arm that it breaks into clapping instead! Working on it. 🙂 One of our favorite activities is to sit outside and watch the neighborhood cars go by – and wave at them. You’re already into anything with a motor – nothing else matters if there’s a moving car to check out.

You get the concept of putting things INTO other things, and cause and effect of throwing/knocking down things. Favorite games are for us to stack up your blocks so you can knock them over, and then chucking them into your little push-cart or between the rails of the loft to the first floor. I love that you love to read books — you will follow along with anything we read to you, and your favorites at the moment are any of the touch/feel books with various textures. The That’s Not My… series is a major favorite!

You and I had our first nights away from each other while you and Dad had a “bro weekend” and Mom went to Philly for three nights. I love to you to pieces – but it was a welcome little break from mommyhood for a short while. 🙂 Dad did give the report (later) that you did a lot of crawling around babbling “mama” — it must be so confusing to be a baby! When I got home you kept touching my face and smiling – so silly! The ten-month update should be interesting, as the time apart seems to have kicked off some new separation anxiety habits – hopefully you do well when Dad leaves for a weekend later this month!

You have become pretty independent when it comes to bedtime. We rarely rock you to sleep anymore, for naps OR bedtime. You like to get drowsy with a bottle in the rocker, get your pacifier and snuggle your blanket over your head and be left alone, 90% of the time, falling asleep on your own.

Looking forward to more firsts with you soon – including your first Halloween! Your dad and I are already looking forward to the holidays with you, as you’re becoming a big fan of lights! Happy nine months, sweet baby man!

Eight months…

This month, by far, has been the most hit-me-in-the-face-you-are-no-longer-a-tiny-baby month, yet! You are such a little PERSON with opinions and preferences and the ability to really communicate now. You’ve emerged from a bundle of blanket to a “talking”, army-crawling, clapping, tongue-stick-outing, GRINNING little guy!

Everyone comments on how they’ve never ever seen you cry — even those who take care of you multiple days a week for hours on end! You are such a laid-back baby and only get grumpy when it’s time to eat or sleep, or in a recent development, if someone else at daycare is crying (empathy…I like it) 😉 . While we try to keep your schedule loose and your world wide so you can roll with things, I am continuously amazed at just how well you can adapt to new faces, places, and routines without much more than a hiccup. Our Labor Day trip to Charleston meant naptimes and bedtimes happened in bright airport terminals, you were left with a sitter you had never before met and in an unfamiliar hotel room, you were handed around to new people wanting to meet you, and spent more time in your car seat than you would have preferred, but I could not have been more proud of you (or grateful!) for how beautifully you adapted.  You. are. the. best.

Your babble is becoming more intentional. While you do just ramble to hear yourself, there are other times when I walk around a corner and you’ll peer in the direction I went, and give me an “eh!” until I peek back around to tell you I’m still there. It must be your version of “hey! where’d you go? are you doing something fun without me?” 🙂 You only seem to use “mama” when you want to whine about a toy out of reach, or you’re ready to be picked up, and you say it while squinting your face pathetically until you get what you want. A recent favorite game is for us to hide around a corner until you army scoot around to find us. You get SO excited to see that you’ve found what you’re looking for ha! You’re enamored with all the floor vents and any and all cords (sigh…let the babyproofing begin).

I can’t believe I didn’t lead with this, but you are sleeping. through. the. night. After about a month of being on all formula, we slowly cut out the bottles we were giving you when you’d wake to get you back to sleep in favor of just the pacifier. I think this helped you to eat more during the day, so you were “stocked up” for a long night’s sleep. You go down at 7ish very easily, and with the exception of an occasional early-morning waking where you just need help rolling into a more comfortable position, or to find a pacifier you chucked out of the crib, you otherwise sleep right through until 6, sometimes later, in the morning. It’s incredible how this is changing our world and energy levels. I wouldn’t skip the newborn phase for anything, but man, this older baby period has some definite perks!

You want all screens, all the time. Iphones, iPads, laptops — sitting on the planes recently was particularly mind-blowing to you as you stared around at the sea of screens and couldn’t understand why everyone wasn’t sharing them with you. The first signs of frustration at not getting what you want have all been centered around this need for the screen. You’ve also put it together than the remote turns on the TV. Even turned away from the screen, if you see us lift the remote, you turn to face it to see what’s coming on. We’ve busted out a couple Baby Einstein DVDs for when we need 20 minutes to get some things done uninterrupted, and you are completely entranced. We call it Baby Crack! You have recently discovered a love of yogurt, and are all about your puffs. You can take or leave the fruit and veggie purees, but we keep sending them your way!

You started at a daycare center this past month and so far, we are very pleased with it. There are always pros and cons with any adjustment, but while we miss the daily text pics from our sitter, we like that you are getting exposure to other babies your age and a wide range of activities structured around your specific age and abilities. You haven’t learned to nap as well there yet (more noise and activity than your previous spot), but you appear to come home happy!

Just when I think you can’t get more fun or lovable…you do. Hopefully someday all this mushiness doesn’t embarass you — but if it does, oh well! 😉 Love you so, SO much, sweet little man.

Seven months…

If I could only pick one milestone or development to share this month…it’s that you are becoming quite the OPINIONATED little man! The fact you can give us cues as to what you like or don’t is really helpful – we feel like we actually have some communication going on! We know clearly when you want to eat or don’t (whimpering and pathetic sad eyes to eat, annoyed grunting when you’d rather not – ha!), when you are bored with something and ready to move on (sighs and more grunting), and when you can’t reach a toy you want (or more often than not, something that’s NOT a toy that you think you need to have…like the remote, the iPad, or Mom’s camera) — this noise I’d describe like a mad wet cat haha — you open and close your hands as you reach and make this sound until you get your desired object in your hands (and mouth).

You eat a couple of teaspoons of puree in any one sitting, and while you make a disgusted face at first with ANYthing other than milk, you seem to eventually get pretty excited about bananas and squash. You show some interest in what we are eating, but get especially excited when we drink something out of a clear glass – you swipe for it if it’s within your reach and I’ve learned to be on-guard when sipping! The few times we’ve given you sips out of the glass (water) you get ridiculously excited! You are starting to hold your own bottle – yay!

While you are able to tell us what you don’t like, there is NO mistaking when something makes you downright elated!

Pure joy expressions at funny noises, jumping in your Jolly Jumper, and you laugh ALL THE TIME – a lot of the time we’re not even sure what at! All we have to do is make a crazy face and you get a fit of giggles.

Other times, it’s viewing the world upside down as you arch back on your head while laying on a pillow. You are super silly, love to be tickled to death, grabbing faces, giving kisses, and having your toes munched on.

You are becoming much more inquisitive and watchful. You love to engage with other babies around your age, and watch in wonder when kids are a bit older than you.

You are getting the hang of a (loose) nap schedule, going down around 9am and again around 1pm, with a cat nap most evenings around 5 or 5:30, before heading to bed around 7. You are getting up once or twice a night, but I’ll take that over the 3+ routine you had going for a while! You are popping two lower bottom teeth — I can’t wait to see what your new grin looks like this time next month!

I sound like a broken record, but you are changing and growing every day – when Dad was gone for a long weekend he couldn’t believe the change in you when he got home! I’m excited for all you’re learning…but okay if time wants to slow down just a little.

(Unless you’d like to hurry up and learn to sleep through the night. Just sayin.)

Love, love, love,

Mom

Undeniably our most dynamic year of marriage yet, it has also been the most blessed. Thankful for the main guy in my life who’s been my partner for eight years now, as we enter a whole new dimensio of “us” in the roles of parenthood. I couldn’t ask for a better teammate on the journey.

Happy anniversary, love of my life.