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Monday, September 23, 2013

ONE YEAR

sam, 

this past year has been the most amazing year of our lives. there have been hard days as your dad and i have both been learning how to be good parents, but we both agree that we wouldn't trade a thing for the blessing it is to be your parents. 
if i am being honest, i had been dreading your first birthday. this past month i could have (and did) cried at the drop of a hat thinking about you no longer being my baby boy. i would scroll through pictures of you every night when i got in bed and my heart would sink thinking about how quickly this year passed. i knew i would be a mess on your birthday so i just didn't want it to come. i wanted time to freeze so that you could be my baby forever. 
but then, as if on que, your little personality got 100 times stronger. i told your dad yesterday that the past two weeks of have seriously been the best with you. you have always been so charismatic but something in you has intensified recently. you will find me from across the house and trample me to give me the biggest, slobbery kisses over and over. you have started walking, you find everything hilarious, you have learned so many tricks to keep up laughing. i laugh out loud constantly at the things you do. you have just been SO affectionate recently and we are eating it up. when you lean in to kiss your dad or i you put your lips together and say "mmmmmmm".
it was like you picked just the perfect time to remind me that even though you aren't my little newborn anymore, there is SO MUCH MORE that we get to look forward to with you. i can honestly say that you as a one year old has been my absolute favorite stage. you are so full of life! you literally love everything and teach me daily to see the beauty in the small things. you make your dad and i happier than we ever thought possible and fill our days with joy and endless love. 
now onto all your fun new milestones! you are a walker!! obviously, you preferred method of transportation is still crawling. but if we stand you up you will walk from your dad to me and are so proud of yourself when you are done! the look of accomplishment on your face is just about the cutest thing i have ever seen. you took your first steps on september 2nd (labor day) and i think the most consecutive steps you have taken is 11. big boy!
you love to entertain everyone around you. when you know you have someones attention you will pull out all your best tricks to keep them entertained and laughing. you love to wave "hiiiii" and "byeeeee". you say "boo" when you are playing peek-a-boo and you say "yaaaay" to just about everything. ball, bath, toy, bottle, tickle, nose, saaaaa (sam), mom, mama, dada and daddy are some of the other words you can say. it amazes me everyday how much you have learned and how much you pick up on. you point to your belly when asked where you belly is and point to you nose when asked where your nose is. we are still working on eyes, ears and mouth but you are slowly picking up on those with each passing day.
you love to watch cartoons in moms bed in the morning while drinking your bottle. your favorites are sesame street, daniel tiger's neighborhood, and the lorax. watching you try to smile or laugh at your favorite parts of the show while still trying to drink your bottle is hysterical. 
we all joke that you are 100% boy! you love any kind of sports ball you can get your little paws on. and you actually have a really good throw. we got you a little tikes football and basketball for your birthday and they have been you absolute favorite toys to date. you could lay with dad all day and watch him throw a baseball in the air over and over. you LOVE TO PLAY CATCH! you and i will play catch for at least an hour every single morning and it never gets old to you. you also love anything with wheels. cars, trains, wagons, you name it. 
you have the biggest sweet tooth! you get this from you dad. you guys will share a bowl of ice cream on most nights and you will squeal and grunt until you get that next bits of ice cream in your mouth. we can't feed it to you fast enough. you can spot a dairy queen blizzard cup from a mile away. you love french toast, bananas, avocados, chicken, baked potatoes, crackers, cheese, and anything that is on our plate. seriously, the best way to get you to eat is to pretend like it's our food. 
i have to say that one of my absolute favorite things about you is how sweet and sensitive you are. don't get me wrong, you love your rough housing and love to wrestle with your dad but you also have this sweet, gentle and sensitive side to you. when anyone around you is sad you will cuddle and give kisses until everything is better again. it is the sweetest thing and melts my heart into a thousand pieces. 
your first birthday party was a blast! we were able to have both sides of the family there and based your party on the book "oh the places you'll go". it turned out so cute! you were pretty confused with all the attention you were getting but loved opening all your new toys! you were definitely spoiled. your dad and i now joke that you probably would have been happy just getting your little football and basketball because you now have those glued to your hands at all times. 
i still had a hard time and got a good cry in the night before your birthday as i rocked you to sleep. but i truly could not be more excited for this next chapter in your life. i can't wait to see you as a toddler and watch you grow and develop into a sweet little boy. we adore you, sam!

love, 
mom and dad





















one year wellness check-up stats:
weight: 19 lbs 2 oz (15th%)
height: 29 3/4" (45th %)
head circumference: 50th% (for some reason they didn't write down the exact measurement)