We're 1

Eli is one entire year old.  I can not believe that just a year ago, I was walking into the hospital, 3 days later, I left with a baby, 6 months later our little boy started showing off his little personality, and now he has grown into the most fabulous little boy I've ever known.  He entertains us daily, always keeps us guessing (and on our toes), and continues to light up our lives. 

Eli had his 12 month appointment last week and it went so well, the doctor said that he is growing beautifully and we're ready to start the toddler phase (real milk, no more formula!!!!).  He had such a great time running around the doctor's office while we waited patiently and totally entertained himself.  He is right on track developmentally and the doctor is so proud of all of his accomplishments, including his napping/sleeping schedule, eating routine, walking, jibber-jabbering, etc. 

Weight:  27lbs, 4oz (95th percentile)

Length:  31.5" (95th percentile)

Schedule: 

7:30am   Wake up

8:00am   Breakfast (banana - sometimes 2, toast, and a cup of milk)

10:30am Nap (2 hours at least)

1:30pm   Lunch (meat, veggies, string cheese) 

4:00pm   Nap (1 hour)

6:00pm   Dinner (meat, veggies, string cheese)

7:30pm   Bath

8:00pm   Bedtime (our bedtime routine will change now that we aren't doing bottles, I have high hopes that we'll replace that bottle with a book - but I don't know many people that would be excited by exchanging a food for a book)

Food:

This little boy has never had an issue with foods, he'll eat anything we hand him.  Some of my go-to foods are black bean burger patties, lunch meat (nitrate free and low sodium from Sprouts), fish sticks, and rotisserie chickens from the grocery store - already cooked = easy peasy.  For veggies I'm addicted to the freezer veggies that you just pop in the microwave for 5 minutes.  They have less sodium and are ready to go right out of the bag without seasoning.  He loves the peas and the broccoli versions.  He also loves avocados and green beans.  Now that he is really chewing, I've started giving him multigrain club crackers and he loves the size of them (he always wants the whole of anything and hates it when we cut up his food, so this is great).  He also loves macaroni and cheese and cous cous (which makes a HUGE mess).  He'll also eat pretty much anything we eat and he loved the chicken lasagna I made the other night. 

We've moved the booster part of his high chair off of the huge rolling part of the highchair and strapped it onto a chair.  I think that Payton worries that I'm moving him too quickly out of his "baby" stage when really, I'm just trying to get some of the big baby clutter items out of the way. 

What can we do now?

• Walk
• Climb up on things when mom isn't looking
• Use a sippy cup all by yourself (you've been doing this for a while, but now you put it back in the cup holder on your high-chair)
• Use a fork.  You love to grab any fork near you.  You see how mommy picks up your food and puts it on the end of the fork for you to eat and you try to copy her.  You also slide the fork all across the top of your high chair - I think in an attempt to pick up food - and knock it all over the place.
• Say "da" (your version means "Dad" and "dog"), "boom", and "ma ma" (mama usually comes out when you're tired and whining).
• Point at things we like and let out a grunt.  His way of saying "I want".

Eli's favorite things:

• Whacking anything and everything with his drumstick (including the dogs, other people's heads, hands, knee caps).
• Putting stuff in the dog's water bowl.  He thinks this is so funny, especially cell phones (sorry Nonna) and remote controls.
• Pushing around chairs, his lawn mower, his Mater tow truck, his Radio Flyer bike, his firetruck, his wagon, or anything else that has wheels.
• One of his most favorite things to do is play with the water hose.  He has no concept of this major drought we are in and enjoys wasting water.  I would love to see the Sherriff drive by on a no-water day and and tell us to turn off our water.  I would make him do it and try to wrestle the hose out of Eli's hand.  It would cause quite a scene.
• Going outside, going for walks, playing at the playground, playing in the rocks, throwing rocks, trying to eat rocks.  He is such a boy already!
• Stuffed animals.  Lately, he's really been smitten with his little animals, especially his lovey.  If you hand it to him, he squeezes it really close to his chest and smiles so big, showing off all of his teeth.  Sometimes he'll even let out a sweet little whisper, like he's talking to him.

Mommy's favorite thing:  Over the past week or so, Eli has really started to recognize who his mommy and daddy are, and most of all his mommy.  I love it when the only thing that will soothe him is his mommy's touch.  I love when I hold him and he wraps his chunky arm around my neck.  Or when we go to a new place with lots of people and he squeezes just a little tighter around my arms.  This past weekend we visited with lots of family at Payton's family reunion.  He did great walking around, but when he sensed that he was just a little too far from his mama, he would stop, look around until he saw me, then run my way and want to be picked up.  One afternoon, when he was winding down, he actually sat in my lap and let me rock him.  It was a fleeting moment, but oh so sweet!

He is such a happy little boy.  He loves his family and his puppies.  He's happy when he wakes up in the morning, with a big smile on his face, and he's dreamy when we lay him down for bed at night.  He does have his moments where he screams for attention and whines to be held, but he's easily entertained and often-times just looking for a change of scenery. 

We have a lot to learn, about him, and about ourselves and each other as parents, but we've learned that communication is key.  Communication with Eli and communication with each other can solve just about any issue we encounter.  Love is behind all of it and what keeps us going when we get frustrated or when we encounter something new and challenging.  We love this little boy to pieces and are thoroughly, 100% enjoying this journey. 

And a little video from our last trip to Fredericksburg, in Uncle Ray's old truck.