Twelve Months?!
ONE year old!?
How did this even happen?
I can't believe how fast time flies, but boy when you have kids it seems to speed by even quicker!
This last year has been amazing
Amazing and crazy
and...
chaotic
memorable
challenging
exhausting
and full of all sorts of new adventures.
I truly wasn't prepared for motherhood.. in many different ways.
When I was pregnant I felt like I could take on the world when it comes to having a newborn.
It really is funny how much you think you know before you have kids of your own.
But I really did feel like I was prepared..
I had helped my cousin with her two kids that were about 18ish months apart
I was there during the day and would see how breakfast, lunch, errands, etc. would go
I would go over at bed time sometimes and help with baths and dinner
I also had lived with my sister and her two babies that are 20ish months apart
I had seen how exhausted she was with a newborn
how many diapers she had to change
how difficult it was to keep up on all other chores
how much laundry a newborn could produce.
I really felt prepared.
I thought I knew what was ahead of me.
And it some ways I did know a lot..
But really, nothing can prepare you.
There is nothing like having your own child.
It is HARD!
hard hard hard!!
Definitely the most challenging thing I have ever done.
{Not that I've had to go through many challenging things}
But it is just difficult
the sleep deprivation
the wondering if you are doing everything right
are they sick?
Tired?
Frustrated?
Poopy bum?
Oh you weren't done pooping and now I'm covered in it?
Okay, good.. I was wanting extra laundry.
The nervousness in every move you make.
Am I keeping him up too late?
Putting him down too early?
starving him?
Not using the correct lotion?
Sensitive skin?
making sure they are happy..
not bored..
that you are creating memories for them
Feeding them..
Oh feeding them.
Man I feel like that takes up most of my day
And at least it's a little better now... at least he typically eats what I put in front of him
because that's a whole other frustrating story..
ya know.. preparing food.. new food.. so he can try new things.. only to have him reject it
then you clean it up
then it's time for milk
wash dishes.
wash bottles.
and then he's hungry again. (Especially if he didn't eat the previously prepared meal)
There are so many questions
and so many aspects of being a parent
and it's hard to know if you're making all the right choices.
Oh and did I mention the sleep deprivation?
because seriously.. I've never been a sleeper inner.
BUT.. boy would I love to sleep in some days
and get a nap during the day
(sleep when they sleep you say? Oh, okay.. and all those dishes and laundry will do them selves, huh?.. I don't think so!!)
And good luck getting anything done while they're awake
before he could crawl I was so anxious for the day that he could follow me around so I could get something done instead of just listen to him cry in the other room cus he couldn't move.
But now.. he still cries in the other room.. Or cries while he tries to follow me around
or pulls himself up on my legs and cries for me to pick him up.
hahah! So.. yeah, getting stuff done while he's awake is rather difficult.
Back to there being no way of preparing you..
That rings true in more than just how much work they are.
The love you have for your own children is unlike anything else you've ever felt.
I genuinely was uncertain how I could love another baby like I loved my nieces and nephew.
But.. then this little tiny man came into the world and it happened.
It is amazing.
Truly amazing.
To hold your own baby. To know that you created this tiny human. To know that he belongs to you.
It is an intense and wonderful love.
I love being a mother.
It really is the hardest thing, and has been so much more of an adjustment to my life than I ever anticipated, but I wouldn't change it for anything.
There is nothing like it
It is so incredibly rewarding
To hear their laugh
and see their smile
and receive their snuggles
and kisses
and witness their "firsts"
and be the person they need.
Gosh. It really is the best.
I love this baby boy.
I am so lucky he chose me to be his momma!
On to information about this 12 month old little man!
Weight-- 19 lbs 3 oz {6th percentile}
Height--28.75 inches {18th percentile}
Head Circumference-- 18.5 inches {69th percentile}
At the doctor today he noticed all the fishys on the wall
and on the lights
he was pointing at them and babbling to them.
It was cute.
He has never acknowledged it before when we've been in there so I really liked it!
Diapers
Hughes Size 3-- He's just a little squirt
Eating
I am so grateful that he has become a much better eater!
He loves pretty much all fruit
That's the majority of his diet
He also likes turkey deli meat
Well.. most all meat
and bread..
He is funny because he's picky about when he will eat things
sometimes he will like it if he sees you eating it and you give him a bite of yours
other times he will only eat it if you put it on his tray so he can pick it up himself
Sleeping
I don't even dare say this out loud (or type it)
But he on April 16th and 17th he slept from 830-630!!!
I think I had to go in and put his binky in one time around 10, but that was before I was asleep.. so it doesn't really count :)
Last night he woke up at midnight and ry was awake and put his pinky in and then again at 430 I had to put his binky in. So that was a bummer.. I was hoping that we were going to make a habit out of it!
But I also think he is teething again, so maybe that has something to do with the waking up!
It is substantially easier to put him back to sleep when he does wake up though.
You just have to go in and put in his binky and sit by him for a few minutes so he knows he isn't alone and then he will comfort himself back to sleep.
So SO much easier than
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| he loves to hold the corner of his blankey and rub it between his fingers |
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| his eyelashes.. and lips! ooo I love them! |
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| like really.. those lashes!! |
Clothing
Still the same as last month :)
Once we can officially switch over to spring/summer I will put away all his 3-6 month clothes and he won't even have the option to wear them, but for now he still does wear a few of the long sleeves and pants.
Mostly we are fully switched to 6-9 and 9-12 month though!
Seems so weird that he can fit in such a wide range of sizes.. and in the same brand.
Random
Says "dada" and knows what it means
he heads down the hall looking for Ryan
or if he hears the door opening he will say it
Well... really he says it all day. I think he misses his daddy while he's gone all day
and I don't blame him. We are in the same boat there.
He has serious mommy separation anxiety issues.
He doesn't appreciate it when I go anywhere out of his sight
even if it's just in the same room and he can't see me
he panics.
I will be happy when he grows out of that.
It will be nice to walk out of the room and know that he won't just be so sad!
Points his little finger at everything and makes the cutest little noise
"eennttsss" <<---something like that..
and scrunches his little nose.. and it's the sweetest.
He loves to play in the bottom cubby in the bookshelf
he learned to do this while at April's house
so I cleared out one of our cubbys so he could do it here too!
He really loves balloons and balls
he tries his hardest to throw the balls and it's so funny and adorable to play catch with him.
and he could chase a balloon around the house all day
He even knows that word
if you say "where's your balloon?" He starts looking all over for one
Because.. yes, we have had them around our house for about the last month.
When you're planning a balloon themed party, they tend to show up frequently :)
This is such a fun age!
It's so fun to see all the new things he figures out every day.
I love watching him grow.. But I also would love if time would slow down just a little!
--Picture time--
We went on a few adventures this month..
First, the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point.
He really liked it and was pointing at everything!
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| he especially loved this at the end where you use a paint brush to brush away sand |
Next adventure was to the Hogle Zoo!
It was seriously such a fun day!
He loved all the animals and being outside
It was perfect weather!
I am so so grateful that we have family around to go and do things with!
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| baby orangoutang |
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| Something about his little hand holding on was the sweetest thing! |
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| finally got worn out! I didn't want him to sleep and miss anything anyway, it was too fun to see his reaction to everything! |
Easter!
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Since using the paint brush at the dinosaur museum, he has become fond of brushes.
He uses them and brushes the floor.
Oh I just love him! |
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| Cutest little hands holding onto daddy's tie! |
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He loves to put sunglasses on!
It is too funny!
He will bring them to me to have me put them on him
I need to get him some his size :)
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being a big boy walker!
And that tongue!!! |
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Still loves putting things into other things
This little bottle kept him entertained for the longest time |
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One day when changing his bum I noticed this rash on his knee
I got a little nervous about it, it was pretty red and large.
Well, 30 minutes after it appeared, it was totally gone. So weird.
He had had an almond butter sandwich at the zoo a few days prior so we wondered about that. |
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| First big boy bath! |
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This rash was a few days after the first one.
and he had another almond butter sandwich earlier in the day.
So I am thinking that's what it's related to. |
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| He always goes and sits down in his car seat or baby bouncer and plays in it |
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Then he decided to take it one step further and stand up!
He thinks he is sooo big! |
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| I thought coloring on the chalkboard would be fun, but he just wanted to eat the chalk. |
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I saw this activity on pinterest. Cotton balls and a toilet paper roll.
It definitely kept him entertained for a good amount of time. |
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For awhile there he would love to get in the cupboard and play with the dishwasher detergent balls.
They are all individually wrapped
and I stayed close and monitored.
but he loved to put them in and out of the box and in and out of a vase under the sink too. |
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| helping mom and dad put tighter the new bed! |
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He loves playing with balloons.
One day he was being way too silent for too long so I went walking into the bathroom and I knew this is what I would be walking in to. Sure enough, I was right! |
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| first time coloring |
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| trying coloring again |
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| at the park! |
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| so sleepy! |
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| He found the doggy door |
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| He loves baby Addi and is always curious what she is up to! |
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I thought it would be funny to put him in his baby swing and see how he liked it
He thought it was pretty funny, and then he started trying to climb out, of course! |
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| more balloons! |
I love love love you baby boy!!!
Thank you for such a great year and for being such a sweet little boy.
We are so lucky to have you as part of our family!!!
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