Noah :: One Year Update

Dear Noah,

This past weekend you turned ONE year old! Exactly one year ago you came into our lives as a  7 lb, 8 oz little baby, and today, you are a 22 lb soon-to-be-walking toddler who loves to explore his world. My oh my, how did an entire year fly by so fast?! I still don't think I've wrapped my head around the fact that you are ONE. That may take a few weeks to sink in.

Your two-way communication skills have continued to develop these last few months, which is very exciting! One of the more obvious milestones you've reached this past month is your ability to point to things. You started off pointing at your sippy cup whenever you wanted a drink of water, and now you love to point at whatever you happen to want/see that interests you. It seems fitting that yesterday in Target, on your 1st official full day as a toddler, you pointed to a box of Cheerios you saw on the shelf, and then proceeded to have a mini meltdown when you realized you weren't getting any Cheerios at that exact moment ;) Meltdowns aside, it's a lot of fun watching you express your wants with gestures. Besides pointing, you clap on command (or whenever you are happy or excited), give kisses to Mommy & Daddy, and you absolutely LOVE to give toys (and other objects) to others, including puppy. 

You still enjoy many of the same things I've mentioned in the previous few months, especially bath time, reading stories + turning the pages in books, clapping, climbing up the stairs, hiding in the curtains and playing peek-a-boo, playing with puppy, pushing your push toys around the house, and walks in your stroller. This past month you've developed a love for a few new things, too. You love Sesame Street, Elmo (he's your new cuddle partner during naps), brushing your teeth, drinking from a straw, and learning to feed yourself with a spoon. Your favorite foods are clearly still cheese, eggs, and yogurt.

Some of your not so favorite things include diaper changes, getting dressed, having your nose/face wiped, and you especially dislike it when Mommy tries to open your mouth to take a peek at those little teeth of yours!

Oh, and speaking of teeth, you cut another tooth today actually! You are up to 4 teeth now with 3 more on the way very soon, one of which is cutting through as we speak. 

Before we get to your big birthday celebration, Mommy just wants to say how very proud I am of you for making the switch to whole milk such a breeze! The week before your birthday we cut out your final two daytime bottles, including your morning bottle, and you barely even noticed they were gone. You now drink milk (and water) exclusively out of a sippy cup like a big boy. As of yesterday we officially said goodbye to all of your bottles! Hooray!

Okay, now for the party fun! We celebrated your 1st birthday with a circus themed backyard party with family and friends. Many of the people who played a big part of your 1st year of life were there with us to celebrate your big day. Since Mommy plans weddings & events for a living, it was a lot of fun for me to plan this special day for you. I chose a circus theme because the circus is lively and fun, and I think those two words describe you perfectly. For the decor we had a tent with hanging paper lanterns, a popcorn machine, a "sweet shoppe" with lots of goodies, balloons, and popcorn containers filled with various toys and treats for your friends to take home. Naturally, we also had a smash cake for you, which has recently become a very popular tradition during a 1st birthday bash. You were a tad cautious with the cake at first, but once you tasted the icing, you seemed to have fun playing with it. I know you likely won't remember your 1st birthday party, but I hope you are able to look back on the photos that we captured from that day to know how truly loved you are.

As I wrap up this letter, I wanted to explain the importance of these monthly letters to you. When you were still in Mommy's tummy I knew I wanted to make it a priority to sit down and write to you each month. Time flies by so quickly as we all get older, and we so often forget many of the little things that happen along the way. These letters allow me to document each month in detail. Even though this is the last monthly letter documenting your babyhood, I still plan to write to you every few months to check in. I hope you will love looking back and seeing how much you changed in just a matter of 12 short months.

Welcome to toddlerhood my sweet boy! Mommy and Daddy are SO excited to see what the toddler years have in store for you.

Until next time, here are some of my favorite snapshots from your twelfth month. 

Playing with puppy

The aftermath of using a spoon by yourself ;)

 

Turning into a little boy

Daddy snuck this photo of us, and I think it's one of my faves

Dinner on the patio 

1st time playing in the sand box

1st balloon!

Playing with Haley

Making a wish <3

 You're ONE! :)

Playgroup pals 

 Family photo

Your 1st bike!

Having fun with Mommy on your birthday!

"Official" one year photo! 

 

Here are your 12 month stats:

Weight: 22 lbs, 4 oz.
Height: 31"
Clothing Size: 12 months (still in size 3 diapers during the day, but transitioning to size 4 at night)

I love you,

Mommy