A full year of Johnny

Johnny,

Today is your birthday! You are 1 year old! Happy Birthday Baby! Having a Halloween birthday is kind of amazing...a little crazy...a little overwhelming...a little extra special! With the help of friends, we sang you a big Happy Birthday out in the street as kids were trick or treating and bouncing at the party we went to. Daddy had to go to school, but he promises to make it up to you tomorrow and next year! This year has gone by faster than your sister's first year. You are so very different from the little guy who laid in the bassinet next to me 365 days ago. I am so proud of you and I am thankful for you every day!

Developmentally you are doing fine. There are some things that you aren't doing and some things that you are. You aren't technically crawling, but you definitely scootch your way around the floor in a series of lunges, army pull "crawling", rolling, and sitting bounces to get what you want. You are starting to pull onto very stable things to try and get to your knees. You clap and put your arms in the air to say "yay". You say "mama", "dada", "buh" (for bye-bye), and sort of say "yay". You sign more and milk sometimes, repeat the sign for "thank you" if we make you do it, and have started waving hello or goodbye sometimes as well.

You take 3 bottles a day, usually between 7 & 8 ounces and have been slowly working whole milk into that. You have gotten some breast milk every day! Yayyayayay! And we never had to buy a single ounce of formula due to donations of extra cans from friends and the doctor's office! I am very proud of that! You eat solids twice a day and may be ready for the third meal. If we feed you breakfast now, it really throws off your eating for the rest of the day so we will slowly work that in. I am working with you on drinking from a straw (it's good oral development) and you have great mouth closure, but you won't hold the liquid in your mouth. I bet if I gave you something sweet to drink and not just water then you would drink it up. You have tried lots of new foods this month, from tastes of ice cream, chicken nuggets and fries, to quesadillas, and pasta. You either like solid food or thickened pureed food, not the purees with chunks of stuff in them. Except for the puree with orzo, you love that one! Your favorite purees are chicken, zucchini, and orzo or vegetable (broccoli and green beans) medley. You like fruit purees too of course!

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You have some funny new habits. You will close your eyes and squint whenever you see the flash for a camera. It's pretty cute and it makes me laugh, but it means I have to trick you to get a good picture! You have also started having a mind of your own and will show definite frustration and even anger at something being taken away or physically being out of reach. You will whine and flap your arms around while reaching for whatever is unattainable. Hopefully that will fuel you to get moving more! You love facing your sisters in the car, they will make faces at you, blow raspberries at you, or simply talk to you and you will laugh and laugh at them. That of course makes them laugh, which makes you laugh, and we all laugh in a continuous cycle. You are also letting your "y" chromosome shine more and more, every time we put you on the ground outside you will sit happily and dig in dirt or grab grass and other bits of nature. You love being in the dirt and getting dirty. You often sleep (1 hr nap, 3 hr nap, 12 hours at night) folded over like a clam and always face the door when we come to get you from your crib. We are working on you keeping your glasses on, but can't make it too much of a game, otherwise you will reach for them just to see us tickle you and rough house with you. You love being held upside down and will giggle as I swing you back and forth (gently of course). You also love reaching for my hair, any necklace, or anything else you can play with. I love introducing you to people or taking you to people we know, you make them feel good by reaching for them and snuggling into them for a hug!

What can I say Johnny? You are amazing and more wonderful than I ever could have imagined. Even knowing about that extra chromosome didn't tell me anything about how my heart would burst for you every day or how much I would miss you when you are sleeping. I love you so much and I am grateful that your extra chromosome gives me just a little bit more to love.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy