12 Months and Counting

We took the boy for his 1 year well-child check this morning, and - wouldn't you know it - he is a 22 lb 31 inch beautiful specimen of a boy. He is in the 30th percentile for weight, 50th for height, and his 18 inch noggin is 50th percentile. Everyone we saw this morning made comments about how much energy he has and how he is "certainly all boy!" -- we almost had to drug him to get him to sit still on the scale! He had to get some shots, but the doctor gave him an A+ and we aren't due back until 18 months. His checks always seem SO far away when I make the appointments -- December seems about the right length of time from now, but 18 MONTHS? - that is a lifetime away!

  

Things are really starting to change around here -- well, starting?, I don't remember a single year in my life that things have changed so rapidly around me. Our baby is rounding into such a little boy - and we are literally chasing after him the whole way. 

 

Mr. Colt has developed quite the independent streak. He has decided that he is no longer submitting to the torture that is getting his diaper changed and attempts to execute a crocodile death roll off the changing table every time I lay him down.  And Sunday, we were at the park and my camera battery died. I put the camera in the bag and was carrying it while Jeff and I herded Colt away from sidewalk drop-offs and delicious-looking sticks and other such toddler magnets. Colt wanted that camera bag BAD so I handed it to him. It was pretty heavy for such a little guy and it took him several minutes before he could walk, and carry it, without falling over. The bad news is that there are no pictures of this little moment -- because, umm, the camera (with its dead battery) was what was in the bag. Making it so heavy.  Trust me it was adorable.

 

 

We are making the transition from two naps to one in anticipation of The New Daycare. That's right - we've officially outgrown Ms. Barbara's. We are still on the waiting list for our first choice, but we'll be starting a new (interim) daycare on 1 August. At the new place, he'll be taking one nap instead of two -- so we're trying it out. So far it's not too traumatic. I hope he's all settled into the new nap schedule by the first of August as I'm sure there will be plenty of other changes that we don't even know enough to prepare him for... 

Somehow he knows. There's this side of the fence. And that side of the fence. And let me tell you the grass is always greener. We have half of the living room, the entire entryway and the hallway fenced into a hundredish square feet of playroom for the monkey. Jeff refers to it as the squirrel-proof bird feeder. It's only a matter of time before Colt figures out that if he puts the diaper box riiiiight next to the fence... *sigh* For now, it contains him. But he is constantly testing it for weaknesses.

 

The big 1 Year Mark* means exciting stuff like a new carseat and the introduction of whole milk**. And I know that most people start their babies on sippy cups at like 2 weeks old, but we decided not to mess with "such a good eater" -- until now. And the kid is just not wild about sippy cups. I've convinced myself that we just haven't found the right one. And yes, there are LOTS to choose from. We are slowly working our way through the entire selection of sippy cups at Walmart (and elsewhere) and have yet to find the perfect fit. Read: I am open to sippy cup advice. The sooner the better.

And speaking of good eaters, Colt has started to really enjoy his dinner. This is for you Aunt Lynn. He makes a HUGE MESS. I still have to only give him a few pieces of carrot/pasta/green bean at a time because he mistakes suppertime for some sort of let's-see-how-many-of-these-I-can-fit-in-my-cheeks contest. So we are taking a lesson in pacing ourselves, but we are getting there. He's all about using his hands to eat, but is easily distracted and so far drops more on the floor and his lap than in his mouth. Does Consumer Reports review dustbusters?

 

Yes, our boy is running full speed ahead into toddlerhood. Lately, I may as well TRY to take pictures of the back of his head as the last thing he wants to do is sit still for a bajillion pictures. He has two speeds: running/jabbering/climbing. And asleep. This kid does not wander -- he walks with purpose. His little internal compass points him in the direction of all things trouble fun.  

*Yes, Colt is aware that it has been 19 days since his birthday. If you have not yet received a Thank You note, please know that you have not been forgotten. I've been on his case about getting those sent. He promises to finish them this week.

**For the record, Walmart does a LOUSY job of labeling/displaying/organizing their milk case. Last  week, I stood there for eternity reading every single label in order to determine where the hell they were hiding the whole milk. I called everyone I could think of to ask - and left a bunch of rambling voicemails about the conspiracy of milk labels. 1%? 2%? Skim? Soy? Rice? Chocolate? Freaking WHOLE! I finally determined that since what they had labeled as "Vitamin D" didn't have any other "%" communication -- that I had found the closest thing to whole milk offered in the store. Done. Whatever. Milk should not be that hard.

Comments

[Lori S]

I love him. His pictures alone make me grin. Miss you guys. Let's get together soon, okay?

Lori

[Autumn]

For the record, he drank out of the sippy cup you had out all day on Saturday with relatively little problem. He couldn't quite get that he had to turn it a certain way or he'd just suck up a bunch of air but he reached for it and drank out of it anytime I offered. Maybe it's the one!

[Nancy Bunch]

You should have called me about the milk. I'd have set you straight.

[Becky]

Toucan do it! Love it!

[Laura]

I miss lots of milk choices. In Botswana, you basically get to choose from a GIANT shelf of "full cream" (which is like drinking yogurt), and only a few boxes of "fat free." No such thing as light chocolate silk. :(

And I would love my own penguin sippy cup! I would drink wine from it.

[Lindsay]

He is absolutely ADORABLE. You are right where I was a year ago and this brought it all back...

I LOVED my boy at one, but I'll be honest, I'm having even more fun now that he's two! You've got a lot to look forward to. :)