We did it! We survived the first year. It’s so hard to believe, but our little man turned one year old.
i don't smile on command anymore
We’ve had a fun month getting ready for his big birthday and taking in the end of summer. Which has come to an abrupt end. Abruptly (heh).
you have to work really hard to get one
He’s always very busy making people laugh. He loves to fake a laugh to get your attention and make you laugh. Then comes his real giggles.
that is so not funny, mom. not gonna get a smile.
He’s been picking up the phone on one of his toys and holding it to his ear. Scott and I can’t figure out how he knows how to do this. He’s never seen a real phone handset. But he does it, so we play telephone often.
i think i'm done here.
He also loves to push little cars around and go “zhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh zhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh zhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”. Not sure where he learned that either? Amazing when little kids learn stuff they haven’t really been exposed to.
oh, look outside! let's go play. no more pictures.
He’s obsessed with closing doors. I think he got this because I’m always asking him to help me close doors around the house. Usually to unsafe places. If he feels like he’s helping he’s less likely to throw himself on the floor in a fit about me closing the door. When I’m getting his bath ready, he’ll hold on to the bathtub (if he lets go, he might have to get a diaper change and those are never a happy time for CJ) while reaching as far as he can to close the bathroom door. I guess he likes his privacy. He also goes into his room to play and will shut the door. Already locking mama out.
did you really put me back in this chair? i said no smiles.
Yes, that’s right. You saw me mention a tantrum above. I thought those were reserved for bratty two year olds? Apparently my kid is advanced in the tantrum department. Woweeeeee. Don’t close a drawer, door, or cabinet he is interested in exploring if you don’t want to hear about it. He’ll sit down on the floor and rest his face on the ground while screaming like some mean person kicked a bunch of puppies. D.R.A.M.A.
alright, i'll come get the camera from you.
Thankfully, he can be distracted easily out of a tantrum on most days. Because he needs to explore everything. He’s into everything. And he never stops moving. Sometimes, he’ll just spin around in circles on the floor while grunting. It’s so bizarre. What they say about boys is so true. They’re busy. And destructive. Nothing is allowed to be in it’s place in our house. Drawers are unloaded at least 3 times a day. All papers and books are wiped off every surface (he’s our junk mail manager). Toys are dumped upside down and emptied before moving on to the next one. He’s a hurricane!
no? fine. i'll just turn around.
He’s definitely getting more words. Buh Bye is his current favorite. If anyone opens our door or garage he starts waving and saying buh bye. He sometimes says “uhplan” instead of “bah” for airplane. He still repeats a lot of words really well, but tends to stop repeating them after too many times.
and climb on my cool chair.
He’s not the most vigorous eater in the bunch. He’d much rather be playing and running around. Thankfully, he had some good reserves of chub to keep him sustained (hehe). He still loves broccoli and spinach. His favorite food is mac and cheese or any kind of pasta. He’ll tolerate some meat. My fail safe is goat’s milk cheddar cheese. Even when he gets tired of it, he’ll still have a few bites. Lately, he’s become obsessed with plain greek yogurt mixed with a little bit of cinnamon.
one more picture. but you still can't make me laugh.
Twelve Month Stats
height: 30 3/4″ (90%)
weight: 22lbs, 11.5oz (50%)
head: 48.5″ (95%)
we got a charlie brown on our hands, folks!
10 teeth (yikes, two molars have come in!)
speed crawler and cruiser
standing well on his own, but not really interested in taking those first steps
This year has been the most insane year of my life. I have a feeling, I’ll say that every year from here on out. Who knew this little man would change my world so much? He makes me cry sometimes, but he makes me smile more often. Most of all, he makes me so very proud. It’s so fun to watch him grow and change and interact with other people. He’s so trusting and innocent and curious and kind. I pray he continues to be curious, sweet, and of course, always dancing.
month by month - carter joe's first year
Thank you for the best year, little guy. I love you, mama.
