Monkey is one!

My sweet Monkey,
I can't believe that it has been a year. You are a delight!

You still have curly blond hair. Those ringlets are so sweet. They have become your trademark. Your eyes are greenish. I'm still not sure what color they will be! Right now, they look a lot like your Daddy's. However, since we're at your grandparents' house right now, I compared you to my baby pictures. You are (nearly) the spitting image of me as a baby!

It took you a long time, but you are finally eating table food. I still give you baby food at least once a day to make sure you're getting enough. You drink out of a sippy cup with ease, though I can't seem to figure out what you like to drink. Let me know when you decide, OK?

You took your first steps before Daddy left, but you are walking all over the place now (and have been for a number of weeks). You point at things all the time, wave, and charm with your four-toothed grin. You are very vocal when you want to be, and pitch a fit when someone takes something from your little fingers.  

You light up when you see Daddy on the computer screen. And your brothers are your favorite people. You call out to them and get louder if they don't respond in a timely fashion. You respond to your name now too. When I say "No!" you usually laugh at me unless I use a very stern voice which always makes you burst into tears.

We are having a little bit of trouble with your night sleeping. I am still not sure why you won't sleep through the night. We've got to work on this! Maybe after the holidays. I've figured out your daytime schedule! I can't believe that you gave up your morning nap so early. Then again, it was very hard to get a good one established. Usually you take a cat nap in the morning and a good afternoon nap.

You are getting over your first major illness. You've had colds and allergy issues before, but this virus really got us! Bull, Gator, Grandmommy, Granddaddy, you and me all got a nasty stomach bug.

We're going to have your birthday party after Christmas so we can celebrate with more of our family. Today, we had a mini-celebration for you! You got a new ride-on toy. Your smile was priceless when we sang to you.

Monkey, I am so glad that you are a part of our family. Your smile lights up the room and your sweet demeanor always encourages me during my hardest days. You have taught me to slow down and really enjoy this stage of your life. You'll be giving your brothers a run for their money soon enough! I am looking forward to seeing you grow over the next few months into a very busy toddler. I love you, sweet baby boy!

Love,

Mommy