Cake Smashing!

Cake? Oh, you want the cake smashing?

He did well with this, too. Actually ate most of the cake, in fact.

After this, he had a nice bath and jammies.

First Birthday!

One year ago, Parker and I were doing this at about 4:30 on his Birth Day. 

2011, and here we are, setting up for the anniversary of the event!

My big birthday boy!

Parker didn't care that much about unwrapping the presents.

Although this ribbon was fun!

Maia actually didn't stick around much to help either, as she was given a Big Bag of dress up stuff, which she played with Lydia and Gracie.  

She would come back into the room from time to time to steal focus. Get a little spotlight.

Parker didn't care much about the clothes, but the toys were interesting.

I think the party went very well.  Both Maia and Parker, who both stayed up over an hour past their bedtimes, were in great moods.  Maia had plenty of entertainment with Lydia, Adrian and Gracie.  

Parker, after the initial shock of so many people in the house, settled in and did just fine! We were really proud of them both.

Parker at 12 months

We have to wait until Parker's 12 month appointment to find out officially how big he is.  With all the doctor's office visits, he's been weighed a lot, but on various different scales, and often clothed or with a full-ish diaper.  He's somewhere around 21.5-22.5 lbs, which, even though he seems like such a roly-poly baby to me, puts him only at 50th%. Feels like 75% to me!  He's a solid boy. Those cheeks! Those chubby legs!  LOVE!

Parker cruises, and fast. I thought perhaps he'd be walking by 12 months, but it seems that he doesn't really need to yet. He can get wherever he wants to go based on a combination of cruising, push toys (or an available chair or pant leg) and crawling.  His balance is pretty good... he will walk holding on to one hand or behind me while grabbing a fistful of my pants.  He just isn't terribly interested in standing on his own, yet... and to walk, he's going to need to learn how to stand.  So, I guess it'll be another month.

And he loves to explore!  If we leave the mud room door open ever so slightly, he makes a bee line to it.  If you tell him "no!" he'll crawl faster!  There must be something fascinating in that room.

 He really enjoys hanging out in the Maia's kitchen. 

Words: Uh-oh (his first), Mah (more, which is his most consistent sign), Di Doh (Thank you); Bah (ball). We're pretty sure he knows Mama and Dada, but they're used inconsistently.  More specifically, we're hearing a lot more vocalization, vocal range and sounds post-tubes. It just sounds more like language.  And we're really seeing him put it all together in his head.  We're asking "where's your ball?" and he will say "Bah!" and look for it, find it, and go after it.  Much of this development is within the last 2 weeks.

Signs: More, Milk, No, All-done

He will wave and blow kisses, and give "mah" kisses on your face. Still loves to give zerberts. He's quite talented. He will occasionally blow kisses if you tell him "love you!"  We've seen a little bit of pointing. 

Favorite Foods: Yes. Don't think he's turned his nose at anything yet.

Clothes: 12 months (for a few more weeks)

Shoes: size 3

Diapers: size 3 or 4. Fours probably fit better, but 3s go up to 28 lbs, and there are more in a box for the price... so 3s it is, since we're not having leaking issues yet!

Teeth: 8 (4 up, 4 down) and one molar (upper right) thinking about poking through, but it has not yet made a full debut.

Sleeping through the night: Yes, finally! Prior to the ear tubes, he was getting up an average of 3 times a night, and nursing back to sleep at least 2 of those.  This was getting pretty old for me, since I've been sick more this year than ever in recent memory, and well... two kids just takes infinitely more energy.   So after the tubes, it was time for some sleep training. Within 4 nights, he was putting himself back to sleep through the night. Hooray!

Update: No, he changed his mind.  He can sleep through the night, but with all these milestones coming fast and furious, I think he's too excited to sleep.  He's often up at least once a night, and will grab and cling to you desperately when you go into his room to comfort him.  Once you pick him up and get him settled down, even sleeping again, he will repeat the desperate clutching should you try to put him down.  So Ray and I take turns, and often end up sleeping on the bed in his room with him for the sake of self preservation.  It's all a phase, it's all a phase...