1 Year

No longer do we have a little baby in the house. My baby is 1!! A year ago I was mesmerized by Paul's beautiful face and little body as we rocked away in the living room watching the snow fall from the sky.

Maybe it's because I'm chasing a 3 year old, or that we're more involved in so many people lives, or that Paul sleeps better overall, but it sure seems like his first year has gone by much faster than Josiah's first year of life. Some days I just sit and watch him and tell myself, "Memorize this moment, I want to remember it forever. I want to remember his baby sweetness and the way he looks and I want to remember this time in our lives forever."

1 year facts about Paul:

Weight: 22 lbs 6 oz (40th%)

Height: 29 inches (25th%)

Clothes: 12 month size

Shoe size: 3

Teeth: 8 and then the 2 top molars are breaking through the gums

Words: Not saying any words yet, but mimicking the sounds of words sometimes.

Eating:

Still nursing. Breastfeeding is a beautiful, wonderful thing. The bond is indescribable. It's not something that can be easily stopped. For the child, they need to nurse for food as much as they also need to nurse for comfort. So, I'm not sure when it will end, I don't think either of us is ready any time soon. :) I would love to nurse him through the flu season as he seems more susceptible to viruses than his big brother is; and breastfeeding provides him so many antibodies from me that prevents his colds from being worse than they are. (And as a side note, did you know that the longer a mother breastfeeds, the percentage of the risk of breast cancer decreases dramatically!? So, it's good for me too to continue to nurse him!)

He also eats table food like a wild animal. It's amazing he isn't chunkier, because he eats sooo much food along with nursing!! He will eat anything we put in front of him. Meat, veggies (raw or cooked), fruits, grains, breads, pasta, or anything that looks like food. Recently he ate asparagus and did not refuse more. He loves to feed himself, has not eaten baby food in about 4 months, and actually prefers to eat things from big chunks and bite them off himself as opposed to us cutting everything into small bites for him. He lets us know what he wants and doesn't want, by purposefully throwing all of the small bites of food on the floor in one swift motion and then reaching for more! He drinks from a sippy cup, just water. He has a bunch of teeth and I don't want them exposed to sugary juice just yet!

Motor skills:

He's WALKING as of this week!! His wobbly steps are the cutest thing in the world. He gets so excited when he walks a long distance that he waves his arms around and squeals that he makes himself fall down.

Personality:

Easily entertained. Great sense of humor. Independent. Quick to anger. Knows what he wants. Docile, most of the time. Likes to be close and cuddled. Has a sweet smile with a heart melting, giggly laugh!

Sleeping:

Takes 2 naps a day. Goes to bed at 8-8:30, wakes up at 10, briefly, goes back to sleep easily, wakes up again at midnight to nurse, then wakes up to nurse again sometime between 5-7am. This is actually fantastic! And you know what, Paul is the luckiest babe ever, he has slept every night of his life in the arms of his mama. ♥ Truthfully, when he wakes up to nurse, I barely know, I just fall right back to sleep and so does he. This is the great benefit to breastfeeding and co-sleeping. (I know I am not the norm of most people, but the fact that he doesn't sleep through the night does not bother me, nor do I think he should be sleeping through the night at any certain age. My views on nighttime parenting differ from most, I have strong personal reservations on not doing sleep training, especially under 1 year of age. Yes, I may not get a full night of sleep for a few more years but I am truly ok with it. My simple view on nighttime parenting is this: When I became a parent I gave up being selfish so if my baby/child needs me at night, they need me, and I will not deny them my presence just because I am tired or because the sun has gone down. "So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you..." Matthew 7:12)

Not so favorite things:

• The initial placement into the carseat, he always looks at me like I've deserted him, but once we get going he's usually fine.
• Being in the highchair without food.
• Getting out of the bathtub
• Being pestered, touched, squeezed, or pushed by his brother.
• Anything taken away from him. He cries and cries when we take something from him.
• Being removed from playing in the toilet bowl water.
• Sleeping in a crib
• Being out and away from home for long periods of time.

Favorite things:

• Taking a bath. LOVES it. He gets crazy when he hears the water running and will make a b-line to the bathroom as soon as he hears it going.
• Clapping.
• Music. We think he may posses some rhythm. He always rocks and bobs his head back and forth when he hears any music playing. The other night Justin was playing the piano and he just went and sat by the piano and bobbed his head and swayed his body to the music. I hope he will be musically talented like his fabulous father!
• Anything that looks like a wand/stick. He will carry it around and try to put it in things.
• Putting objects into jars. Then using the wand to stir it around.
• Being home. He is going to be our homebody. He acts fussy and irritable many times when we are at church or out and about for a long time but as soon as we get home he is as happy as he can be.
• Being rocked to sleep.
• Tearing up paper.
• Unloading every cabinet in the bathroom and kitchen and turning over every basket of toys.
• Practicing his walking skills. He wants to walk everywhere!
• Giving big open mouth kisses, even to Josiah!

Happy Birthday Paul!