How is it ALREADY been a year since you were born? Daddy and I can't believe it - time really does fly when you are a parent! Every day is an adventure with you, we get the opportunity to look at the world in a whole new way through your eyes. You help us to appreciate the small things and to realize that family is really all that matters. We are incredibly blessed!
- This past month has involved a LOT of traveling. You are an amazing little guy and normally either laugh and talk or fall asleep on the many flights you have been on.
- We spend the second week of December in Texas so we could visit Grandma and Grandpa Texas, Uncle Chad, Aunt Elesha, Oliver, Nathan, Uncle Brian, Aunt Mary and their Baker bunch...the list goes on and on. We celebrated your birthday early and, man, did you go to town on your basketball cake! It was pretty awesome I must say!
- We spent your birthday flying after Momma & Dada got off of work. We landed in Iowa just in time for your Grandma and Grandpa Frohling to wish you Happy Birthday. We had two delayed flights and you just slept right through it all! You got to enjoy another birthday celebration on Christmas Eve with more family. I have to say that our Iowa friends and family think you are amazing! Cousin James said the sweetest thing when your Great Aunt Janet was rocking you. He said, "Grandma, it looks just like you are rocking baby Jesus." He said you reminded him of baby Jesus because you smell good, have no hair and have soft skin.
- Santa came to see you and BOY do you have a LOT of toys! Momma is working on organizing them so you're not too overwhelmed. We rotate them so you can play with everything that your friends, Aunts and Uncles have so generously given you.
- You now have seven teeth. You are cutting a couple of more and this has turned you into a little vampire baby. Let's just say your nursing days are coming to an end!
- Besides "Mama," "Dada," "dagee" (doggy) and "uh oh!" you have now added "light" (said with a slight Texas twang), "dat," (that) "dis" (this), "Iz" (Izzie) and "baa" (ball).
- You can sign doggy, more, all done and you also point really well while says "dat?" or "dis?"
- When football is on, you will point at the TV and say "Dada dat." I think it means you are saying that Dada and you watch football/ESPN together every morning.
- You like to blow raspberries, kisses and click your tongue and imitate us constantly. It's VERY entertaining! I really love your open mouth kisses. I don't like it when you fake me out with a kiss and bite my nose instead (that has only happened once though).
- You are still a great eater. You are now on pretty much all table food and are beginning to drink cow's milk. We do 1/2 formula and 1/2 whole milk right now and are working on adjusting to all cow's milk over the next couple of weeks. If you don't want something though or are full, you will turn your head and NOT eat it. I am glad that you do this since it shows you are developing healthy eating habits.
- You are also drinking from a sippy cup most of the time. We are starting to wean you off of the bottle, but weaning you from nursing is coming first, then the bottle.
- Baths are still tons of fun for you!! I hope you have Momma's love of water.
- You are pulling up and starting to take steps while we hold your hands. We bought you your first pair of shoes at Stride Rite and you are doing great! You especially love to kick them against your high chair and stroller to make noise.
- You wear a size 4.5 M shoe.
- You are now in size 4 diapers.
- You are still in 12-18 month one piece outfits and shirts. Pants are 6-12 or 9-12. The 12-18 pants are still a little long.
- We went to your one year appointment and you are doing fabulous! You now weigh 22 lbs. 6 oz. (42nd percentile) with a height of 30 3/4 inches (77th percentile) and a head circumference of 18 inches (72nd percentile). This means you are tall and thin with a big brain! You weigh less than your last appointment because you are so mobile now.
- The doctor is very impressed with how you are developing, especially given that you had to have tubes at such a young age (six months). She was especially charmed by your unique mode of scooting.
- You are starting to get up less at night, so I am hoping for longer stretches soon! (Can that be your New Year's resolution? HA!)
- Your favorite spot in our house is the windows. You love to pull up and bang on them. I like the little baby hand prints!
- Your favorite color is still orange and you love to play with balls, anything that makes noise, trucks and your Little People farm.
- Dada and Momma got you a ball pit for your birthday and you will play for a good half hour in it. You like to throw the balls out of it right now and play peek a boo in it. You have a really good arm! Right now, you throw with both arms so we're not sure if you're right or left handed. Maybe you're ambidextrous?
- You really love Addison and Izzie. You are trying to say Izzie. It's hard to tell if you are saying "dis" or "Iz." You literally squeal with joy and laughter when we go upstairs to let them out of their kennels. They adore you too - especially when you eat and throw food at them. You lift your arm and they sit on their bums and then you feed them some of your food. You haven't yet realized that they don't go to restaurants with us so we have to tip more for the mess under your chair.
- You like to play in the dog's water bowl. You only did it once and now you go STRAIGHT for it every time you are in the kitchen. They now reside on the counter when you are in the kitchen.
- You are truly a very happy and smiley baby. I am not ready for you to be a toddler QUITE yet!
- You are crawling up the steps (with help of course) and we are teaching you the safe way to get down them (thanks Aunt Shari and Uncle Josh for that tip). Baby gates and electric outlet plugs are a great thing! We did have to get another brand of outlet covers since you figured out how to get the first brand out very quickly.
- Yesterday you grabbed a diaper out of your basket. I asked you to bring it to me and if you had a wet diaper. You scooted right over and handed it to me. Sure enough, you were wet! You are so smart!
- We love you VERY much, Hayden! God has blessed us with you and we cherish every second together. We are so proud of you and promise to always support and love you! Happy First Birthday, Snugglebug Monkey!
Love,
Momma
