Hello world!!

Holy smokes, I’m almost 15 months old now, so this post is way overdue–sorry!!!

I’m still a giant! But my height has started lagging behind a bit, so the doctor has predicted a significant growth spurt soon.

At 9 months I was:
Weight: 21.7 pounds (70%ile)
Height: 28 inches (42%ile)
Head Circumference: 18.5 inches (91%ile)

At 12 months I was:
Weight: 24 pounds, 3/4 ounce (69%ile)
Height: 29 1/4 inches (33%ile)
Head Circumference: 48 1/4 cm (93%ile)

Look!  I’m pointing!

I started pointing at 9 months old (wow, that’s early!) and quickly became adept at using it to communicate a plethora of requests and comments.

Back in April during the Easter season, I melted Mommy’s heart when I pointed at Jesus and just lit up with smiles. Since then I loved pointing at all of His pictures around the house!

At 9 months old, I also started sitting up when I woke up and it totally threw Mommy for a loop!

My brother has always laid in his crib until Mommy gets him, so she totally cracked up when her baby started popping up on his own before she got there–smiling and raring to go!

Around that time, she decided to lower my crib mattress and stop using arms socks when I sleep.  How on earth could I be growing up so fast?!?

I pulled myself up to stand all by myself at 10 months old!!  Boy, was I a cutie!!

I also started crawling at 10 months old!

I did a cute little belly crawl that people often described as doing the breast stroke on land.  :)

I had two crawling speeds: Totally Casual and HOLY-SMOKES-I-HAVE-TO-GET-THERE-BEFORE-MOMMY-CATCHES-ME!!!

I threw my Mom for a loop AGAIN when I started standing in my crib after naps at 12 months old!  I loved to stand and bounce and walk along the rail, babbling to myself, until she gets me.

That was also when I started standing on my own for short periods of time!

At about 9 months, I became a troublesome nurser.  While I loved the food, I was frustrated with the patience it required and way more interested in everything else.  So I started biting.  A lot.

But Mommy kept me going until I finally turned a year old and then she let me stop.

I spoke my first word at 11 months old!

It was: “that”.

I would point to picture after picture in a book and declare, “Dat!… Dat!… Dat!…”

More words quickly followed:
“Night-night” [nye-nye]
“Bye-bye” (with accompanying wave)
“Mama”
“This” [dis].

And when Mommy asked me to say “Dada”, I promptly waved and said, “Bye-bye!” Poor Daddy was heartbroken that saying goodbye was the same thing as “Daddy”.

And you better believe I still love food!  Just check out the way my eyes light up when it’s time to eat!

Mommy thinks that when I was in the pre-mortal life, there were at least two things I couldn’t wait to do with my new physical body.

#1: Feed myself food!!

Food-food-food!!!

And #2…

… Play sports!!!

The only thing that made me happier than seeing a ball is being able to touch-whack-dunk-hit-catch-throw a ball!

I’m also a fantastic fan of water!  Baths, sinks, spray parks, and pools–you name it and I love it!

Oooh, and slides!

They are heavenly!

In fact, just being outside is awesome!  I learned very quickly that when Mommy puts on my hat, we’re going outside.  And I would get very excited!

Oh, and I’m very gifted at making saliva bubbles.

While slowly saying, “mmaaa-mmaaa”, I can produce impressively large saliva bubbles in my mouth–just for fun!  It’s awesome!

(Though, sadly, Mommy has yet to get a good still picture of it).  :(

One of my favorite breast-stroke-belly-crawl destinations was going through the kitchen and around the corner to…

… the puzzle table!!

Where I loved to announce my arrival by LOUD BANGING!!!

And I never could decide which was my favorite… The drums above…

… The cymbals …

… The whistle …

… The piano …

(Oh man, I’m so cute!!)

(Mommy could seriously just sit and watch us all day long!!)

…  Or the party-favor noise maker!

Man ALIVE did I love that noise maker!!!

I swung that baby ’til she broke!  Does anyone know where Mommy can get me a new one??

I am very intelligent.

And incredibly alert!

I watch everyone and everything.   If something happens once, I memorize and anticipate it happening again.  If Mommy lets me do something once, I request it again the next time an opportunity arises.

I’m especially good at watching my brother and trying to do what he does.

Like the day I crawled down the hall, pulled myself up and started drawing on the chalkboard like I’d been doing it all my life.

Mommy vacillated between elation that her 11-month-old child was independently using chalk correctly without any direct teaching and heartbreak that I was growing up even faster thanks to my brother.

I also love to pucker my lips.  And look outside.  Especially if there are animals or trees to see.

I also love books!

My favorite one is Peekaboo Kisses by Barney Saltzberg– it is wonderful!

Night lights rock!

And stroller rides! (Well, as long as they keep moving…).

And casually storing toys in my mouth.

This is one of my regulars.

His head fits nicely.

Without taking up too much room.

And if I’m really lucky.

And I maintain eye contact.

Mommy may be so amused by the adorable toy protruding from my mouth like I’m Santa Claus with a pipe…

… That she lets me touch the computer mouse for a fraction of a second!!!!

My days of looking like a vampire were sadly numbered when my two front teeth finally came in at 10 months old.

I love putting things inside other things.  The tiniest nesting block is one of my favorites!  I loved putting it in other nesting blocks.

I also love wearing glasses!!  So Mommy kept an old pair of 3D theater glasses for me to have.  :):)

I suck in my lower lip when I’m tired.   It’s positively adorable.

And I am totally goofy!  I love to make people laugh and have a fantastically keen sense of humor!

I especially love physical comedy and totally remind Mommy of her brother, Brett, who used to trip and fall down flights of stairs for fun.

And I love playing with Mommy!!

Like when I give her things!  Like toys.  Soggy food scraps.  Or lint from the floor.  It’s wonderful! :):)

And one of the cutest things that has ever happened in the history of the world is my “tucking”.

When I got really happy or when Mommy or Daddy praised me for something I did, my entire being would radiate with joy!

And then.

I tucked.

And smiled!

And holy smokes alive, if it wasn’t the most adorable, heart-warming thing you ever did see!!!

I’m extremely healthy, but a couple times I got sick.  It wasn’t fun. :(

And I’m very good at  showing Mommy when it’s time to empty the recycle bin.

*Adorably devilish grin*

It’s a good thing my brother enjoys being an excavator, because it really comes in handy for my messes!

And speaking of my brother–he’s awesome!   If I ever get sad, he tries to think of ways to cheer me up and make me smile.  It’s incredibly cute!

The main source of discord in our relationship is our mutual love of trains and sometimes my brother needs to have them to himself for a while.

Oh yeah, and sometimes he would hoard toys.

And find creative hiding places for them.

While at the same time saving his toes from the bumpers of my walker. :):)

And he’s learning to be gentle, kind and patient–even when I feel the frequent need to express my enthusiastic love for him with bites, whacks, pinches and hair pulls. :)

Yep, I sure love my brother and I’m super glad I have him!

Mommy loves… hearing me say words… making my eyes light up!… how happy I am all the time!… my boundless energy and excitement…  how much I love animals!…

… Watching me play with my brother…  hearing me laugh and giggle!…  tickling me!…  my chubby cheeks…  my awesome Buddha belly!…  seeing the cute trail of toys I leave all around the house…  how much I love seeing Daddy come home…

… Catching me in a snuggly mood… when I lay my head on her shoulder… my beautiful smile!… my awesome sense of humor… my love for independent play as well as family play… how much I love people and always make them smile…

… My intense and painful displays of affection (bites and pinches with ecstatic smiles!!)…

… And just how doggone and downright CUTE I am !!!

Daddy loves… seeing me crawl excitedly for him when he comes home… my cute little bites (punches, slobbers, etc) on him when I’m happy… how much I love to hold the side of my crib and bounce… how much I love books… how quickly I learn new things, like climbing the stairs…

… My cute little tucks… seeing me sitting up in my crib… watching me destroy Bubbers’ train tracks… holding me… eating my ample belly and hearing my loud giggles… my impatient yelling when I’m not being fed fast enough… and everything else about me!!