1 Year Photos

I took Ian last Tuesday to get his one year pictures made. It started out kind of rocky in the fact that he didn't want to be in any pictures by himself. He eventually warmed up, and was so photogenic, that it was hard for me to narrow it down to a few poses to purchase. Luckily, a cd with every picture that was taken was also included in the package, so I have lots to share. I realize, looking at this photo session, that he is becoming less of a baby and more of a toddler every day. The time really does fly!

Leaning in to give kisses.

Ian is getting good at recognizing different body parts, so he had to make sure to point out the bear's nose.

Happy Birthday

I am about 2 weeks late on posting birthday pictures, but we have been sick around our house and only the essential things have gotten done. I had an ear and sinus infection last week, and Ian is currently on antibiotics for a near-double-ear infection thanks to drainage that started on his birthday. That's right, Ian woke up as a one year old not feeling well. He didn't want anything to do with his cake, but he did enjoy opening presents. We had a small party at our house, and it was nice to get together with friends and family for such a happy occasion. For his 1 year check-up, Ian weighed 22 lbs 6 oz (90th percentile) and was 29.5 inches long (50th percentile). Despite his runny nose (which the doctor figured was allergies), he got a clean bill of health, and it is still hard for me to believe that he is a year old already. Ian has grown and changed so much in the last 12 months, and has taught me more about myself than I ever could have imagined. He brings joy to my life every day, and I am incredibly blessed to have him in my life. Happy birthday little man!

Playing in the box from his swing set. Isn't the best gift ever the box that the toy comes in?

Bound and determined to figure out how a shovel works.

Birthday boy.

My version of a Very Hungry Caterpillar birthday cake.

Triston and Colt sizing each other up.

Enjoying a birthday lunch of cantaloupe, turkey, bread, and cheese.

Triston and Ian. Future best friends and partners in crime.

A rare smile caught on camera.

Enjoying a birthday balloon. He is still playing with this balloon today!

Opening gifts. He loved ripping the paper off the presents.

Trying out his new swing set (and loving it!!).

Playing with a new toy with Aunt Nelli, while Triston is investigating a different toy.

This pretty much sums up the whole birthday cake experience. Since he wouldn't even try cake on his birthday, I offered him some the next day when it was just the 2 of us. He tried it, but he just wasn't feeling good and wanted to make sure that I knew how he was feeling. :(

A surprise birthday gift came yesterday from our dear friends Javier and Joni who live in Lubbock. Ian loved these foam blocks, and especially liked dumping them out and then putting them back into the container.

On the Move

Until last Monday, Ian was content to sit in one place on the floor and play with whatever was around him. He had no desire to crawl toward anything that was placed out of his reach, and I fully anticipated him walking before he ever crawled. But, that has all changed now, and he has perfected the art of belly crawling. I am amazed at how quickly he can move his body across the floor to investigate his world. Ian had 2 more top teeth come through last Saturday, so he has a grand total of 6 now. I have included a video of him walking with the "mail cart," and one of him crawling. I love the look of excitement he gets on his face as he is practicing his gross motor skills, as well as his sporadic laughs and bursts of "dialogue."
With all the toys he has to play with, these are his new favorites. Now that he can get to them whenever he wants, they seem to clang together ALL THE TIME!! :)

Mommy was one step ahead of this little man when I already had the outlets covered. I look at every room using a whole new set of eyes now.

The Many Faces of Ian

It has been a very long time since I have posted any new pictures, and I apologize. I have been busy planning someone's first birthday party and decorating his room. We have also been enjoying time outside in the beautiful weather. Ian's personality comes through more every day, and I am reminded that he has a mind of his own. I can hardly believe that this little boy is no longer a baby! Crawling towards the stairs with a look of achievement.

Ian enjoys bunching blankets up around him when they are all spread out. This is the face he gives me when he is getting riled up with laughter. Do I detect a mischievous glint in his eyes?

You can see all 4 of his teeth really well in this picture.

Does anyone else think he has had it with picture time? When he gets frustrated he either pats his head with both hands or pulls his hair...hopefully he'll grow out of this or else he might start going bald early.

Sticking his tongue out and blowing spit everywhere. It's cute now, but it won't be when he is doing it in defiance.

A baby gate will be installed shortly to keep this little man from scaling the stairs when I'm not looking.

What do you get when your little boy needs to wear size 18 month clothes to fit around his thighs and belly, but his legs are still needing to fit into the length of a size 12 months? Capri pants for boys. :)

Playing with his musical table...Ian loves this toy!

Ian loves giving hugs. You can see the look of pure joy on his sweet face as he brings the bear close to him. He is such a loving child.

Being silly rolling around on the floor.

Pulling Up

Ian has started pulling up on furniture (it is still slow going though...when you've got that much weight to haul up off the floor it takes lots of practice) and wants to stand and hold on to me whenever I am sitting close enough for him to touch. He can take a few steps at a time while holding on to something, and it is exciting to see him get stronger and braver every day. Ian's fourth tooth came through last Wednesday, so he'll soon have 2 top teeth in pictures. Looking handsome in an outfit Grammie and PaPa (Phil's Australian grandparents) bought for him when he was first born.

This boy loves balls and loves to throw ANYTHING he gets his hands on. I just happened to get several pictures of him throwing various balls (it looks like he is defying the law of gravity); maybe he's trying to figure out what sport he feels most comfortable with.

Holding on to the coffee table first thing in the morning.

Winding up...and looking quite serious about it.

Throwing the ball to me.

I think we have a future Red Raider quarterback on our hands. He's a natural!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tonight Ian had spaghetti for the first time. I have been pureeing food I cook for myself to expose Ian to a wider variety of foods (and that just means I am one step closer to not having to purchase baby food). He has done well sampling new flavors and textures, and didn't make too many faces after a few spoonfuls of spaghetti. Ian then became fixated on trying to pick up a tiny piece of spaghetti that was on his tray. I then put some on his tray to see how he would do feeding himself. He ate almost the whole serving that I had prepared! Mind you, it took him about 30 minutes, but he was content and did a good job getting the food into his mouth, even though I had pureed it too much for finger food. Next time, I'll just cut it up and see how it goes. It's amazing to me that this little man can be feeding himself food already! We'll work on table manners some other day.

When he gets something on his hand that he is finished playing/eating/exploring with, he flings his arm up and down or side to side to get it off. Of course, by the time I can get a hold of his fast-moving arm, the food particle has already gone flying to the floor (the dogs are quick learners and hover under Ian when he is eating...they usually spend meal times outside because that is just one too many bodies in a small space).

His other top tooth has almost cut through...he'll have a different smile in a few days!

Sharing with Chester.

Toothy Grin

Here is the first picture of my little boy's teeth! It's nearly impossible to snap a picture when you can see his teeth, but MomMom was able to do it last night. He was being a silly boy and showing off his new smile at the same time!