Thursday, August 19, 2010

Twelve big months = ONE!

Today, my big little lovey man, today you are one!

ONE BIG YEAR OLD! ONE!

This is you at breakfast this morning. With yogurt on your face. And on your PJs. Which you have clearly grown out of.

A year ago when you arrived you were itty bitty. Big for a newborn, but itty bitty in our world.

I remember when they pulled you out. I couldn't feel or see what was going on, but as soon as your head peeked out, you wailed.

You. Had. Arrived. HELLO!

Immediately, four of the doctors and nurses exclaimed on your size and told me that I was very happy you hadn't come out of my vagina. Apparently you had a big head, even then.

This story will horrify you when you're older.

They pulled you out, and your dad got all choked up, and he leaned down with huge tears in his big brown eyes and whispered, "He's perfect."
And you were. And you are.

Now! One whole entire year later! Now you sleep through the night and take two naps a day. But when you are awake, you are AWAKE, boy howdy!

You are in constant motion. You have to explore everything.

And when you're sitting, you're bang blam blam blamming things on the floor.

Some people might think a truck is a toy to be pushed. See the wheels? See how it goes? Forward and back? Oooh, the wheels!

You, on the other hand, think a truck is to be picked up, examined, and then BANG BLAMMED down on the floor. Repeatedly.

You have a very sweet disposition, but you've also been teething, and that makes you really crabby. You now have six teeth, although mostly you just show the two bottom ones. You bite when provoked.

And by provoked I mean when anything is in or too near your mouth. Or when anything looks particularly intriguing. Like my toes.

You say "Mama" regularly, and I'm pretty sure Mama means me. But it also means, "I want," and "I'm not very happy with this situation." There's a lot of "Mamamamamamamama!" going on.

You say "Dada" and I think that just means Dad. There's no extra messages there.

A couple days ago you started saying "Hi!" and last night when I got home and said, "Hi!" you said, "Hi!" right back. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a fluke.

You adore garlic. You like eggs cooked with garlic, pasta with garlic, avocados mashed with garlic. Sometimes when I'm patting you to go to sleep the garlic wafts up at me.

Truly, I hope that you're not "the boy who smells like garlic" once you're at school. I was the girl with the orange mustache, and it wasn't easy. I guess we've got time.

You've got an extremely strong personality, and when you're mad about something - like being picked up for dinner when you want to keep playing - you are furious. You bang on the tray, you throw the spoon on the floor, you glare.

The thing you don't know is that you've met your match, little friend. I love you, but let me just tell you now: in these situations, Mama is going to win.

I know you're frustrated because you're on the verge of walking and talking and there are so many things you want to say! and do! And you can't quite say! and do! them yet! But you will, sweetheart, you will.

The past month has been huge for you: You took a big car trip for your great-grandfather's 95th birthday. You threw up on me. You sat on the beach and you hated it, although you still ate some sand. You've tried all kinds of new foods. You've met lots of new people. You're more mobile and more talkative than ever.

I'm so excited to hear what you have to say. You're so chit-chatty and when those turn into real words, oh, we're going to have fun.

We love you more than sunshine, and we feel so lucky to have you in our lives.

Love,

Mama

28 comments:

  1. Congratulations! He sounds awesome. And sounds like he's doing his job right on schedule. :)

    (I always think that the 1st birthday party--if there is one--should be at least as much about the parents, particularly the mommy, as the baby. Everyone should celebrate having made it a whole year. :) )

    Much happiness to you all!

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  2. Oh, yay! Happiest of Happy Birthdays to J!

    *beam*

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  3. Happy birthday to little J! I think I started reading your blog shortly after you got pregnant, and I can't believe he's 1 already!

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  4. The garlic thing made me literally GUFFAW in the middle of my cubicle at work. Oops!

    Happy birthday, kiddo!

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  5. Love the too-small PJs. He's a cutie. Happy birthday, Big J!

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  6. Happy Birthday, Jordan! Callll me.
    Love, Sabine

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  7. Gulp. Big lump in my throat. so cute.

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  8. Karen - Ah, thanks! He is awesome, he really is. Tonight is cupcakes and presents (Betty got him a wagon!) and Nick coming home from work early. Low key and lovely. :)

    Dagny - Thank you, lovely friend!

    Tia - I can't believe it, either! A whole year!

    Tabitha - It's true. If it's bland, he's not interested. Add garlic, he's intrigued.

    Wendy - I didn't realize they were quite that small till I saw the picture. Oops!

    Sabine - I love you, even though you slept through our first date. Let's definitely have another one soon!

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  9. SarahLeighRabbit - Love you!

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  10. I can't believe it's been a year! Happy birthday to Jordan!

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  11. It's actually strange to think the first tummy pic was 18 months ago. Time flies. One year down, 17 to go.

    Happy B-day J. In that picture he kinda looks like, "If only my pants weren't so short I could take over the world! Curses! And those other mama uses when I bite her!"

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  12. Happy Birthday Jordan! What an eventful and memorable year for all of you, I hope your family enjoys the celebration tonight :)

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  13. Happy birthday to Jordan and congrats to you on a beautiful, bright baby, I mean toddler, boy. I hope you enjoy your cupcakes and presents. It goes so fast, doesn't it (at least now that there is sleeping through the night?)

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  14. Happy Birthday J.
    GaL

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  15. Happy 1st Birthday, Big J!!! Amazing, that it's already been a year.

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  16. From one garlic lover to another..Happy Birthday Jordan! Can't wait for what comes next. :)

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  17. Happy Birthday Big J!!!! You were so little and now your Soooo fast! Big hugs from your internet family (especially your cyber Aunt Lynn in ND)

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  18. Hillary - Thank you!

    Lisa - I know! I know!

    FoggyDew - Holy cow! That feels like a lifetime ago!

    I know, poor little man and the too-short pants.

    HKW - Thank you, my friend. Can't wait for you to meet him!

    AngelJam - It flies! And the sleeping through the night is the best thing ever, no?

    GaL - Thank you!

    Susan H - Thank you! It shocks me to realize, it really does.

    kayare - I will make sure he knows he's in good company with this one. :)

    Lynn - Oh, so sweet! Thank youi!

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  19. Happy Happy Birthday Jordan. I cant believe a year has passed by already.
    And Well Done to you Lisa and Nick, you have made it through the first year may they get easier and more adventurous and funner each year. :-)

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  20. Go-Betty - I find it extraordinary. We made it! Thanks for the good wishes! :)

    stacy - Thank you!

    LJ - Thank you!

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  21. wow! a whole year old! happy birthday to your little man. i love his capris jammies.

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  22. Happy 1st birthday, beautiful baby Big J!!!
    He likes garlic? He is an extraordinary boy!

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  23. Happy Birthday! How exciting!

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  24. Happy Birthday! I love that he is almost exactly one week apart from Baby Z! He walked 5 steps exactly one week after his one year old birthday so WATCH OUT!

    Congrats, baby! Keep growing!

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