Elliot - 12 months

We made it.  We survived the first year!  Too bad I'm a month and a half late writing about it.  I'm sorry, dear Elliot.  Mommy has just had a lot going on.  But there is so much to celebrate and talk about with this little guy, so here goes ...

Elliot, at 12 months, you:

- weighed in at 27 lbs and 5 oz.  That was an official doctor's office weigh in on the day before your first birthday.  I will have to look back at your length, but you were 95th percentile for both weight and height.  That's crazy to me!!

- wore mostly 18-24 month clothing and a size 5.5 shoe.  You started to cruise around more and started a new daycare, so we had to get you some shoes!

- had 4 teeth all the way in (2 top and 2 bottom), 2 more almost in, and 2 more just cutting through.  Almost 8 teeth!

- were standing up, cruising around, but not quite walking yet.  But you do have this crazy knee walking thing.  You will walk all over the house up on just your knees.  I tried to get you some baby knee pads but they were too tight on your chubby legs.

- loves to dance and clap.  Your new dance move looks a little Elvis-ish as you keep cocking your head to one side and kind of smiling.

- must aspire to be a dentist because you will not keep your hands out of my house or off my teeth.

- refuse to wear bibs and will pull off every kind I try to put on you, even if it has a snap, velcro or goes on over your head.  You manage to get them all off almost immediately.

- love all food ... except eggs.  I cannot get you to keep scrambled eggs in your mouth.

- think it's funny to crawl with your head down on the ground like a bulldozer or something.  It is pretty funny actually.

- still steals every cup you see.  You have a crazy sense for when someone has put down a cup.  You can spot an unattended cup across the room or house and go for it!

- still have those baby blues!!  I cannot believe I have a blue eyed baby.  I love it.

- are so curious in your sisters' bathroom... the very same way James was.  You love to climb on their stool at the sinks and grab whatever you can reach.  So much to explore in there.

- love love LOVE baths.  And swimming.  I will never get tired of watching you smile and splash in the water.  But I sure wish you could quit trying to drink all the bath water.  I cannot keep a cup or anything like that within your reach or you fill it up and pour it in your mouth and face.  And then cough and sputter.

- started a new school the week of your birthday.  We followed your favorite teacher Mrs. Brandy there.  It has taken a bit of adjusting, but so far, so good.

- are the lightest sleeper ever.  I do not dare peer over your crib after you are asleep.  You can sense someone looking at your.  Half the time, you can sense even when I walk in the room after your are asleep.  Uncanny!

- enjoy watching Little Einstein videos on my phone.  But poor kid ... that's the only time you get to watch a baby video because your siblings rule the tvs with their shows.

- throw everything out of your bed when you wake up or when you are fighting sleep at nap or night.  What is it with ALL my kids doing that?

- are a smart little dude.  You know to point the remote at the tv, you grab a phone (or anything resembling a phone), hold it up to your ear and say hi, you grab a toothbrush and shove it in your mouth or a hairbrush and pat it on your head.  You are very observant and smart.

- say mama and dada, of course.  And you love saying ball and have just started saying uh-oh when you drop something ... or before you intentionally drop something (like Annabel did).

I just cannot believe you are ONE.  I am in denial, so that is why I refer to you as 12 months.  Still sounds like an infant that way.  My favorite thing this month has been watching you interact more and more with your siblings.  And your "interacting" includes wrestling, grabbing, pulling, etc.  You are definitely going to hold your own in this household.  And of course I love love love hearing your little voice as you are forming new sounds and trying to say new words.  I know that is going to be so much fun to hear over the coming months.  And from the sounds of it, I think you might be very talkative.  You are not a quiet baby.  But you really have been so happy lately.  So many people comment on your happy disposition, and it is true that when we are around people, you usually are grinning and flirting.

I have a lot of pics to post this month.  Before your baby dedication, I did our own little photo session out in the yard and got some super cute pictures of you.  I can't pick a favorite, so here are a few (dozen) of my favorites.

Or course he was trying to climb the stairs.

Clapping and grinning.

My happy boy!

I absolutely love this picture with those fingers, toes and pouty lips.

And this face cracks me up! 

One of my favorites from the day.  Pretty good amateur photo.

He loved crawling all over the grass.

And then he found the slide.

Blue eyes!!

My other favorite from the day.  Love those arms, legs, fingers and toes.

Time to go in, but he wanted to go back outside.

And then my other favorite photos from your 12th month...

I love bath time hair.

And then he got a haircut.  And not a very good one. 

Fun with balloons at his sisters' birthday pajama party.

Crazy haircut or not, he is still so stinking cute!

Loves chilling in his wagon.

Fun at the park.

Doing his crazy knee walking.

And on the very morning you turned ONE, this is what I caught you doing.

Pulled the chair over there and climbed up by yourself.

And quite proud of yourself.

My sweet birthday boy.

Then we celebrated your actual birthday with a swim and a cupcake ... your first cupcake!  It was a hit.

It's my birthday!!

My first cupcake.

Fun but messy!

Trying to suck that belly in to squeeze through.

No more little babies in the house.  All my little ducklings are growing up!  And I'm telling you what ... in the month and a half since you actually turned 1, you have become such a funny, curious and mischievous little guy.  But I'll save that for another post.  I am just glad we survived the first year!!  Now I am going to start praying about this next year...