1/14/17
Please don't perceive my lack of blogging during your first year as anything more than your dad has just been slacking. When your sister came around, blogging was easier for her because life was just much simpler now that I look back on it. Now, with you and your sister running around (well, you're still crawling right now, but you're getting mischievous!), your mom and I are busy from sun up to sun down making sure we are being the best parents we can be for you guys...and after bed time comes each night, we are pretty much crawling into bed ourselves shortly after!
Your first year has been so fun...but it has flown by soooo fast! It's completely cliche, but it feels like just yesterday that I was speeding down the highway trying to contain my panic and stress to get your mom to the hospital after her water broke at home early that morning. Since that day, your smile has been so contagious that everyone who meets you can't help but comment on how adorable you are and what a charmer you'll someday be! Your huge smile melts my heart every time and your giggles and deep chuckles are an added bonus!!!
Mommy and daddy have been busy making sure you and your sister have everything you need as a couple of little kids. Even before you were born, we got a bigger house so life would be less crowded. This fall, daddy started working towards another degree in order to get his Principals License, but after the first class was over, he decided to stop because he was constantly stressed out, short on patience and realized it wasn't a good time to be doing that kind of work with a couple of cute kids like you and your sister at home. So someday down the road, maybe when you start school in a few years, I'll go back and get that license/degree so your mommy and daddy can keep giving you and your sister the best we can provide for you!
Your first year has had its ups and downs. You're generally a super happy little guy, but when you are mad you are super mad! Late in the spring and through the summer we were trying to help you work through a reflux problem you had with your tummy. You loved mommy's milk but not long after you ate it, you usually gave most of it right back! Because of this you were slow to gain weight and almost since the day you were born (you were a big baby when you were born!) you've been a little guy! But you did pretty well learning how to eat cereal and baby food (mama Barb and papa Tim got you trained in while mommy and daddy were on vacation to Seattle in August for a week). Since you started eating solid food (your first real food was taco meat!) you've loved it ever since, and you really don't like mommy and daddy feeding you anymore! You're fiercely independent when it comes to eating and we are all better off just keeping our fingers and hands away from you while you're shoveling food into your mouth using both hands!! Lately. You've been devouring bananas! Just the other day for breakfast you had a big bottle, a slice of banana bread and an entire banana!!! Most nights after dinner, we have to brush all the fallen food off your clothes onto your tray and then carry you directly to the bath tub! Your favorite part about the end of dinner is throwing food you don't want onto the floor or sneaking handfuls to Lexi! You also have quite the sweet tooth. At Thanksgiving we learned that you love mommy's pumpkin pie...and between then and Christmas you would eat a 2-3 inch wide piece of pie (always with cool whip!) all by yourself! We say you get that from your great grandpa Frank, because he always has room for pie after dinner!
Your first 8 months, you were not a good sleeper at night! Mommy would be up to feed you at least once every night. By the time you were 9 months she was exhausted and daddy had to break you of that...so after a couple of long nights and lots of tears, you learned how to sleep through the night and how to put yourself back to sleep if you woke up rather than screaming for mommy. (Daddy trained you while mommy was out of town working for a few days because mommy couldn't stand hearing you cry!) Now you are a sleeping champ and sleep for 12 hours every night, plus a couple of 1-2hr naps during the day. Your sister always has to be rocked to sleep, but we've always been able to lay you in your crib awake and you could fall asleep on your own...in fact, I can't remember the last time you even fell asleep in daddy's arms...you always want to be laying down for bed time!!!
Your puppy, Lexi, loves you way more than she likes your sister! Lexi would never let Erica get away with things you do to her! You can pull at her feed and tail while she is laying on the floor. Sometimes she leans over and licks your face until you stop or else she just walks away after a while. Since you started crawling late this summer, she will just come lick your face if you're nearby.
Your sister and you are so cute together! Erica always seems to know what you want when you're crying. Whether it's a bottle, a diaper change or different food, she's usually always right because when we do what she says you usually stop crying! You guys love each other so much! You play pretty well together, although she's not a fan of sharing just yet. When she is running around you crawl and chase after her or if you're not in the mood, you sit on our laps and watch her run by and giggle. Sometimes if both of you are playing on the floor you will crawl all over her and she will hug you and you'll hug her back! When you two are apart she says she misses you and wants to call you on the phone! We have lots of pictures of her hugging you and sitting together. And now that you're getting into mischief, she's an extra helper who helps keep an eye on you and if you crawl away into another room, she'll go pick you up under your arms and carry you back to us!
You're not all-out walking yet, but you're definitely ready! You've taken a couple of first, "official" steps just last week, but you still want to hold onto furniture or our hands...even Erica tries helping you walk! We thought you'd be walking by Christmas because you went from crawling to standing so quickly, but then you just took it easy lately...maybe you'll be walking by your birthday in a couple weeks?!
To start wrapping this up, here's a few highlights and recaps of the funny things you do that we all love about you:
- you don't talk yet, but your first words were "Mom Mom" (said together) and that's how we now refer to mommy
- because you don't talk, you grunt. In fact, you grunt so much that your friends at daycare call you "Hunter the grunter"
- you have the softest and best smelling hair and head! I can't help but to sniff your head and move my nose and lips through your hair every day...mmmmmm!!!
- you look adorable wearing camo and vests!
- because we're cheap, we can often find you wearing pink bibs when we're at home
- you use a nook only while napping and at bed time...otherwise you have never cried unless you were hungry or tired
- you didn't drink mommy milk for a full year like she wanted, but from Oct/Nov onward once we started giving you formula, you starting putting on the weight and seemed a bit happier...not to mention, mommy was much more rested and less stressed out too!!!
- you love bath time! Especially playing with your rubber duckies...you like to make a quack sound, but it comes out like "akak kak kak kak kak" and you always smile when you make that sound! Ohhh...and you love splashing...you're really good at sending water out of the tub with your tiny hands!
- you hate being strapped into your car seat! We moved you out of the carrier thinking you'd hate us a little less, but now you just have your meltdowns when we strap you into the car rather than strap you in while still in the house! On a related note, you hate being strapped into anything...your chair, shopping carts, etc...you just want to move!
And lastly...
- you're a whimp, just like your daddy!!! Teething kicked your butt, and sometimes you whine just because!
To wrap this up, you must always know how much your daddy loves you! You always have such a big smile on your face when daddy comes home after a day or two away and it melts my heart every time! As much as I love holding you and giving you bottles at bed time now, I can't wait to play catch with you in our yard, run around in the woods behind our house with you and to take you hunting at the cabin when you're older! Love ya lots little buddy/little man and my champ!
