One

My busy, curious, funny, handsome, smart little guy.  This week you will be 1!!!

You have so many new tricks!  Even though you are not saying many words, you know what I'm saying.  If I say, "It's bath time!" you'll crawl straight to the tub.  If I ask if you're ready for nap and to snuggle with your lovey, you'll giggle in response.  You try to say "breakfast" after I do and I love seeing what it sounds like each morning- usually something like "juh juh."  You'll get it soon!


You're a great eater.  You love your mom and dad.  We like to make you crack up by munching on your ribs- your dad is really good at that.  We also try to make you snuggle with us, but you're not always down.

You LOVE books!  You finally decided you could sit still and listen to us read.  You'll lean back onto me, point to things on the pages for me to tell you what they are, and you're great at turning the pages.

Several times a day you'll pick out a book and bring it to me for me to read you.  We read your books to you over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.



You LOVE your monkey lovey.  It's like a sleep drug.  If you find him on the floor, you'll lay down and snuggle right there.  The only time you suck your thumb is when you have monkey- monkey and your thumb go hand in hand.  After nap, you throw all your snuggly friends, and now your socks too if you're wearing them, down onto the floor.  You think it's really funny.  You love it if we throw them back into the crib so you can throw them out again- it's a great game that makes you squeal with delight.

I thought it would be fun to Facetime you the other day while we were apart.  Bad idea.  Turns out it's better if you forget about me when I'm gone :)

You always have something in your hands and mouth.  You found a box of markers and carried a few with you at all times for awhile...until we decided it was too dangerous and hid them.  Can't risk a top coming off and how fun that would be to you.  Sorry.

You love to climb the stairs, especially when I'm chasing after you to get you to come down.  You love how noisy it is when your hands slap each stair, and that's why you'll bring some loud plastic toy along for extra effect to bang against each hardwood step.  You usually babble loudly too while climbing...or crawling, or pushing your walker.  You're actually loud almost always, except when we're on a walk.

You started clapping your hands in the car on my birthday.  Thank you for that.  You clap a lot, wave bye bye, and recently you've started pointing to everything, which is so cute and funny.  When I go into your room after a nap, you lean your whole body towards your tiny index finger pointing at me.   You say "dee" ("see") when you're pointing at things.  You're so close to saying so many things.

Whenever you hear a bird, dog, train, car, or any other interesting noise, you freeze and look at me for explanation.  I love teaching you about all the interesting noises we hear.  You are so smart!

You give me lots of hugs, and when I say "Arthur, can I have a kiss?" you will lean your sweet little cheek towards my lips!

You will be walking soon- your current record of steps taken alone before falling is 7.  You often will grab my finger and walk around, occasionally looking up and examining my hand to find a better finger to grasp.  You love wooing strangers at the store and seeing friends.  You like to Skype with the family.  You like testing out your voice in places with interesting acoustics, like a public restroom, a tunnel under a road on the greenway, or a parking deck.  You'll yell louder and louder and smile as you listen to the echo.  Real neat, son.

You are a ball of energy, and a bit mischievous already.  You are buckets of fun and I'm pumped about this next year with ya!  Can't wait for that blonde hair to keep coming in.