Today is my little man's birthday. He has been such a joy and a blessing to our family this year. I cannot express how grateful I am to have him with us. After such a crazy pregnancy and birth, I was thrilled to find that he was the happiest, easiest baby I've ever known. Seriously. It's the one thing that almost everyone comments on - that he's always smiling and that he always seems to be happy. I will say he's not ALWAYS happy but most of the time he is. I will also say that while he has been a super easy baby....I think he's going to be a monster of a toddler!
Caedon at a year old:
- At his one year check-up this morning he was 23 lbs, 3 oz and 29.5 inches long. He's just above the 50th percentile for weight and right under for height. I don't remember his head circumference but it's always way above average. He has a big head! Lots of brains in there, you know. :)
- He's not walking quite yet. He'll stand up for a few seconds and look at you like he WANTS to walk but then he'll drop down and crawl. I'm not sure if it seems safer to him or just easier.
- He IS talking. He learns words and says them a few times and then he'll stop saying that word for about a week before it pops back into his vocabulary again. From what I recall right now, he's said Mama, Dada, bye-bye, ball, bottle, diaper, thank you (my favorite!), please (which is also super cute) and Papa. My mom also said that while she was baby-sitting he said monkey, mine and Grammy but I haven't gotten to hear those yet!
- He also signs "more" and "eat"...sometimes. More often than not, though, more is not in reference to food, which is how we teach it, but in reference to doing something naughty. I'll pick him up and take him away from the movie cabinet where he knows he's not supposed to be pulling all of the movies out onto the floor and he'll start signing "more". No, Caedon, we're not going to do that some more. Goofball.
- He already tests the limits quite alot. He knows that the printer and the movies are off limits. He'll look at you and head that direction and when you say, "No," he'll grin and keep going. Cute. But very rotten. I have to force myself not to laugh at him.
- He LOVES to eat. Seriously, this child may only be one but he's going to eat me out of house and home! He loves...well, everything, really. Except peas and green beans. Those get smushed all over his high chair tray after he finishes eating. On Monday we went out for breakfast with friends and he had a breakfast taco from Chiloso - just tortilla and egg - and he finished the whole thing. And a jar of baby food. And the Gerber Puffs I had in his bag. Piggy baby.
- He enjoys making music with his instrument toys and he loves to dance to the music from other toys.
- He absolutely adores his sister. He has missed having her with us this week. She sits next to him in the van and there have been times this week while I've been driving that I know he's wondered where his playmate has gone! He loves Kyler, too, but Melissa has always been more of a helper with him and they have a special relationship, I think.
I can't wait to watch how he grows and changes over the next months and years. He's such a sweet, special little boy and I just adore him!
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| My little man before we came home from the hospital. So hard to believe he was so tiny! |
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| And look how much he's grown! |
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| A sneak peek from his one-year photo session and cake smash! He had a blast! |
