Most days now you are going poop on the potty and rarely in your diapers, and also piddling in the potty. It’s funny because you don’t seem bothered much by being in a wet cloth diaper, but you certainly are catching on pretty fast.
Today we went to the lab for some standard one year bloodwork. You didn’t like that much but an animal cracker afterwards seemed to help a bit.
You’re like a little monkey these days, copying what mommy and daddy do. This week you blew a kiss to grandpa as you were leaving, bringing your flattened hand to your lips and blowing on it, as mommy did. Eating dinner, you’ll hold a hand up to “high five” mine, and you are starting to comprehend raising your sippy cup with our glasses, when we say “Cheers”.
You love to bellyflop on the pillows in the morning on our bed, all full of smiles and giggles. If mommy sleeps in later than you and daddy (Mark: “if???”) you will thump on the closed door when you decide it’s time for me to get up. It’s pretty easy to make you laugh. Being tickled also generates little belly hiccups of laughter.
We’re working on getting you into your crib without being nursed to lullabye land with a bottle of warm milk. You protest vehemently. I sit by your crib on a chair and try to soothe you, you aren’t sure why I’m being so horrible to you and you pull yourself up to standing, with tears in your eyes. I tell you “No, lie down or Mommy leaves” and as I start to stand up to go, you promptly plunk yourself back down, protesting just as loudly in case I didn’t hear already. Oh, it’s hard on a mommy’s heartstrings to do this, and we probably should have been more disciplined earlier on, but you were just so cuddle-able. We’re getting there, though, and it’s only nighttime bottle feedings now.
You crawl very fast now up on your knees, and you’re cautiously making progress toward walking. (I’m not in a big hurry, either!) You put one foot in front of the other and take real steps when we hold your hands.
Funny thing this morning… I was preparing your lunch in the kitchen. It got strangely quiet, I turned and you were no longer sitting on the living room floor where you had been a few seconds earlier. I went immediately to look for you down the hall, you weren’t in the bathroom, you weren’t in our bedroom, no sign of you in your bedroom. I called out “Taite….!” and hurried back to the living room. There you sat, looking inquisitively at me from the other side of the safety gate, which had been left open. You had crawled out and somehow successfully gotten down the step into the dining room. You looked up at me, as if you were quite proud of your accomplishment. Walking… who needs to walk???
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We decided to keep your first birthday party small and only have close friends and family so it wouldn’t be too overwhelming. Nolan, Katie and Abby, and Paul-Scott attended. (Unfortunately Dimitri was sick so couldn’t make it.) You all played and ran around and got all tuckered out. At one point, even before cake time, you had placed your head on the hardwood floor, as if exhausted. At cupcake time, you sat at the head of the table, your eyes gazing off like you were ready to fall asleep. “Happy Birthday to you” we started singing, placing the lit candles and cupcake in front of you, and you quickly ascertained that this must be all about you and your eyes lit up. We helped you blow out your candle, and you started the discovery of chocolate. 
Your Favorite Things to Do:
