1 Year Old

Age: 1 year old!

It is bittersweet to be writing sweet little Buddy Bear's one year-old post. Parenthood has certainly been a wild ride, but I wouldn't trade a second of it. They say that having a child puts a foot on life's accelerator and that the days are long but the years are short, and neither of these statements could be more true. I've loved seeing BB grow and change, yet maintain so many of his personality quirks and characteristics he's had since the very beginning. I can't wait for the years to come, but at the same time, I'm trying to cherish every day of his infancy. Happy first birthday, my Ehren Gabriel!

Milestones: 

I think it's safe to say that he's hit toddler-hood early, from his daily increasing mobility to the full-blown tantrums, he really doesn't seem much like a baby anymore.

• From steadily walking to attempting running on multiple occasions, bipedal movement has become his preferred method of transportation over crawling. Once in a while when he's struggling getting over something, he'll crawl but he now knows that walking/running are far more efficient modes of travel.
• His comprehension has gone through the roof. I actively try to label things, and I can see that his understanding of language is starting to really blossom. For example, when I ask him where certain animals are on pages of his books, he's typically able to point to them and he responds to basic commands like "let's go outside" and "let's take a bath."
• He tries replicating many sounds and words but can't always quite get there. In one of his books called "Max the Brave," his favorite scene is when a giant monster sneezes (mostly because Leif and I make a big show of it) and now when we get to that part, he tries to say something like "aahhh-ooooo!" At this rate, I know he'll be talking sooner versus later. He already tries to join in on our conversations with his babble, so I have a feeling he's going to be a talker lol.
• BB is much more interested in socializing these days (when he's in the mood) and is considered quite a charmer by some. We went to the "Mother Goose is on the Loose" program at the library for children ages 0-4 and he was one of the most active participants. He was very engaged in the different music activities, went around to most of the children to greet them, and even went so far as to hug one of the other moms there! One of his less popular moves was trying to snag one of the older kid's animal crackers lol. When he encounters other children, especially ones that are 3-6 range, he desperately wants to interact but unfortunately, most of them are at the age where they don't want to share and aren't keen on hanging out with a little guy like him.
• He follows me around like a little duckling, especially when he hears me doing anything that may be of interest to him. He doesn't want to miss a thing and that includes putting away laundry, opening a drawer to get a spoon, and shutting a window.
• I'm so happy he's at the age where we can get involved in more programs and go more places like the trampoline park, splash pad, Play Station, and the playground. The trampoline park was by far the most popular since it possessed so much open space for him to explore and he appreciated the blaring music.
• He eats almost everything we eat now, which is so much easier than having to prepare him separate (usually slimier) food. He LOVES pizza and lasagna the most... and pumpkin pie, just like Daddy. He uses a sippy cup pretty well, but I know it's going to be a challenge weaning him off the bottle and nursing since he still wakes up hungry 1-2 times at night. I'm proud that I was able to nurse in at least some capacity for one year so far. In the beginning, it was more challenging than I could've ever imagined but it has overall been one of the most special ways to bond with BB, so the struggle was worth it. 
• BB has eight teeth (four on top and four on the bottom) and I think he's working on some molars as well!

Likes: Library programs, the splash pad, trampoline parks, running around Target, pizza and lasagna, plastic egg shakers, pumpkin pie, opening drawers and cabinets, reading, and crawling through tunnels.

Dislikes: It's been an ongoing thing, but I'd say BB's two biggest fears are the vacuum and the Magic Bullet blender. Even when he simply sees a vacuum, he starts whimpering, but I've been working on getting him acclimated to it. We've been storing the vacuum in our bedroom, so every time he goes in there, he points at it and makes a noise of concern. I reassure him and after he looks it over for a bit, sometimes he gets brave enough to touch it... progress. We've made huge gains in sleep training, but BB is not a fan of his earlier bedtime. Some nights are easier than others but generally he goes to sleep between 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. He's been getting up for the day much earlier too... sometimes as early as 5:15 a.m.!

Memory: Lately, Leif's been really interested in race car video games and bought BB both indoor and outdoor riding cars. They also like to "race around" by saying "vroom vroom" and running around the room with one hand on a steering wheel. It's adorable.

Mommy and Daddy: The new place has been wonderful. We've had some run-ins with our neighbors due to noise complaints from BB tumbling at all hours of the night... but it was the push we needed to get serious about sleep training. One of the best parts in having Thomas Park so nearby. The playground is a little advanced for BB but the splash pad is becoming one of BB's favorite places to go. He was wary of it the first couple times, but today, he ran right into the water without hesitation.