Hope Still Flies

• He is now 32.5 inches long, and 24 pounds, 12 ounces. (90th and 76th percentile!)
• Clothes are just. Hard. Hard to find shirts that are long enough, so 2T for the most part... shorts seem to be 18 months to 24 months.
• His legs are long enough that he kicks the seat backs in the car, and he likes to put his legs over the side of his seat. But we'll keep him rear facing as long as possible... 2 definitely. Hopefully 3.
• Won't touch vegetables. Force him to take a bite and he spits them out. Sigh. Sneak them into pasta and smoothies. Pray that he's getting all the nutrients he needs. There are days where he really just wants fruit snacks and bread. And I just... go with it. Another great thing about daycare - he'll eat whatever they give him (minus the veggies)
• Loves strawberries. A lot. 
• Thankfully quickly fixed the bottle issue. No more bottles! Whole milk twice a day, coconut milk once a day.
• Sleep has improved... most days. Some nights he's still awake for 2 or 3 hours. It's rough. But last night he slept all the way through. We've been struggling a bit to get him to sleep this past week. I'm hoping it's because he's getting another tooth.
• 9 teeth! That means he's gotten four teeth in the past three month. Geez. Workin on those molars.
• Won't sit still for pictures anymore. Go, go, go.
• He has fallen in love with the Wiggles. And how can I say no when he says "Mo?" and signs for more. And claps when I turn it on. 
• (Sidenote: "Do the Propeller" is his favorite song. His dancing to it is hilarious.)
• Not sure what we would do without Scout for car rides.
• Considering changing him to a toddler bed in the next few months. I'm really afraid he's going to climb out of his crib one of these days...
• Because HE IS A CLIMBER. Up and down stairs. Likes to stand up at the top of his slide. Climb onto tables and bookshelves at daycare. I'm losing years off my life.
• Feeds himself all the time. Uses a fork pretty well. I still help him if I decide he's not eating enough protein.
• Loves, loves, loves being outside. And pushing things around. 
• Still not many words yet. Mama, dada, all done, more... kinda says up, doggy, papa. 
• LOVES slides. He's decided he's big enough for the big swirly ones at playgrounds. 
• He's also tall enough to reach door knobs and the counter on his tip toes. 
• I sorta gave him a haircut a couple weeks ago. Did fine with the clippers, but as soon as I got the scissors out to blend it he was DONE. So it looks funny. Oh well.
• Shy. So shy. He usually warms up to people after awhile, but he's started doing these "shy blinks", where he'll close his eyes for a few seconds and then open them slowly to look at the new person. It's adorable. 

 

• 22 pounds, 31.25 inches! Still tall.
• Hasn't grown as much the past month. Still anywhere from 12 months to 2T in clothes
• Eating what we eat all the time now. I love it. I give him pouches for snacks, or when I don't give him enough fruits/veggies. I'm still working on that.
• Dropped his daytime bottles at daycare. He has one 6.5 oz bottle at bedtime, and then he is STILL waking up at least twice and downing 4.5 oz bottles then. Which brings me to...
• With him so sick/teething/whatever all the time he has trouble sleeping through the night. On his best nights he'll sleep from 7-3, and then again from 3:30-whenever we get up. Hopefully as we get rid of the winter weather and sickness, we can start weaning those nighttime feedings down and he'll sleep through the night. Please. Please. 
• 4 teeth! Working on 5 and 6. His new amber necklace (I accidentally washed the last one) will be here this week.
• Loves reading. My parents, Sarah, Shawn, and Craig came over this past weekend, and he got books as birthday presents. He was so excited with each one, it was adorable. 
• Sticks his tongue out all the time. It's hilairious. 
• Will drink from any little-kid cup. My favorite are those 360 cups that are supposed to help transition to open cups. He loves them too.
• Very, very curious. He likes to be close if he doesn't know what's going on, but explores non-stop. I still can't get him to sit and watch a TV show for anything.
• Lowered his crib all the way down.
• Likes to push Scout's paws, and then just let it sing whatever song. Loves music.
• Gets SO EXCITED every time he sees a dog. Pretty excited when he sees cats, too.
• Gives great hugs and high fives
• Doesn't like me feeding him, though he likes trying to feed me food
• Won't even consider eating baby puffs anymore
• Thinks Michael is the funniest person ever.
• My favorite tiny person.

Dear Thad,

I thought maybe I'd write you a little note as I'm feeling all feelings-y about you turning one?

Sweet boy, as I put you to bed tonight, as I have most nights over the past year, I had to stop for a second. Really, nothing is different - tomorrow's another day. You'll be another day older, just like you were today. It's just that tomorrow you'll officially be one-year-old. I've been calling you a toddler since you started humpty-dumpty-ing around the house at the beginning of January. But tomorrow's you're officially a toddler, and I'm pretty sure I didn't okay that.

The past year has flown by so, so quickly. I've mentioned several times all those horrible, cringy, cliches are true, no matter how much I hate it, but seriously. You've grown and changed right before my eyes, and yet it feels like just yesterday I was hanging out in the labor and delivery room, watching the Oscars with your dad, aniously awaiting your arrival.

But, poof. Here we are. You've gone from this teeny, tiny human that couldn't even see a foot in front of his face, to a slightly-less tiny human that is very close to literally running around the house. Some days I ask myself how we did it, your dad and I? We might be in our mid-twenties but I don't think either of us were fully equipped to handle a baby. (Is anybody?) And yet, as unprepared as I thought I was, turns out I was even less prepared. I'm actually glad no one told me how much secret stuff happens with parenthood. The stress, the confusion, the love... but how do you go about explaining that to someone who hasn't experienced yet?

I say your dad and I weren't ready, and that's mostly true. We hadn't really put a timeline on having kids, but we (he) didn't think it would happen this early. But as soon as you came into our lives, I couldn't see things happening any other way. I thank God every day he blessed us with you; our beautiful, loving, hilarious baby boy. It's amazing to look at you and see both me and your dad in you (another true cliche, as weird as it sounds). Even with our characteristics, you are still very much you. My Thaddeus. Your own person with your own quirks.

On days when I look at you and can't even handle how big you've gotten, I look for the little things that have been there since you were born. The dimple above your right eyebrow that you get when you furrow your brow. The way you intertwine your hands.

 

The way you look when you get sleepy. Your ticklish hips, feet, and neck. Your squinty eyes when you smile or laugh.

 



The most kissable cheeks in the world. Your ridiculous hair. All these little things that remind me that, yes, you are still my baby boy. That even as you grow, you'll still have little traits that make you, you. And as you grow, I know you'll acquire more and more, as we're already starting to see your personality truly blossom as you assert your independence.

One other thing that hasn't changed, and will never change, is how much your dad loves you, and how much you love him. Yeah, you and I, we have our bond. You prefer to have me calm you down at night, would rather eat the food off my plate... but no one makes you laugh like he does. I love seeing how your guys's relationship grows and changes as you do more than just cry and sleep. He loves ferociously, and I love that I can see that refelction in you already as well. You'll be partners in crime, that's for sure.


 

• Over 21 pounds
• Anywhere between 12 and 24 month clothes. A set of 2T pjs are still big but not swimming. Pulled out some hand-me-down 24 month stuff he fits in. Yikes.
• Eating 3 meals a day, plus snacks. Still getting formula 3-4 times a day for between 15 and 25 ounces. We'll be making the transition to cow's milk (yaaay!) once he turns one.
• Eats whatever we're eating! I've always been horrible about cooking/having fresh fruits and veggies on hand, so he gets pouches of those because he doesn't seem to like the texture of vegetables... but he loves those pouches. Daycare feeds them really awesome meals as well.
• Favorite foods are carbs. All the carbs. He knows which cabinets contain his snacks and we can't open one if he's close.
• Learning more and more cause and effect things. Knows when he hears the garage door it's probably Michael and he'll go see. It's adorable. Says "dada" and "baba" and has started the baby lisp for some things I love it.
• I'm never going to sleep a straight 8 hours again, am I?
• One 1.5-2.5 hour nap at daycare. We try to carry that on the weekends too.
• Loves to dance. Recently started involving his arms like he's trying to fly away. Poor dude has no chance.
• Loves bathtime. SO MUCH. It's adorable how excited he gets when we're filling up the tub.
• We have to keep the gate on the stairs now because he likes to think he can climb by himself
• Loves to clap, blow kisses, is learning to raise his arms for "so big!". Just started putting his hands on the side of his head for "Oh my goodness!"
• Does well with sippy cups and straw cups. Likes to hold his fork while he eats with his other hand
• Likes sitting with his legs crossed, and is starting to like sitting in chairs and on couches.
• So very go go go go. I love it.
• Loves throwing balls. Or anything. Especially on to hard floors where it makes loud noises.
• Likes to help load/unload the dishwasher
• Very much enjoys playing peekaboo around laptops and couches and pretty much anything...
• Tries really hard to put the shapes in the right holes on his sorter and ladybug, but he's not quite there.
• Loves stacking things.
• VERY much loves sitting in his car and pushing all the buttons and putting the ball on the ball track
• I really need to lower his crib all the way down... 

• Over 20 pounds now and my guess is over 30 inches. Recently seemed like he thinned out again.
• 12 and 12-18 month clothes. 18 month onesies for sure. He's just so tall.
• Eating 3 meals a day, plus snacks. Still getting formula 4 times a day for between 20 and 30 ounces. Trying to make his daytime feedings in sippy cups since he's moving up. 
• Pretty much done with purees. While I never minded making them, I'm glad to be done. We keep pouches on hand because we still don't eat enough vegetables and he loves them. Otherwise he's eating table food and I love it. He's great at feeding himself, though using a fork/spoon is still forever away.
• Favorite foods are anything potato (fries, mashed, gnochhi...) and bread. And any pouch food.
• He's understanding more and more now. He'll repeat "All done", and when we say "Uh oh" he'll say the "UH?" part. And he and Michael yell "AH!" to each other every day. If he has something he shouldn't (and isn't eating it), if we hold out our hand he'll usually give it to us.
• Sleep is such an ebb and flow thing. Completely messed up while we were gone for Christmas because he doesn't sleep great in his pack and play. But since we've gotten back he's actually slept through the night (until 4 or so) every night. Then wakes up to eat and goes back to sleep for a bit. Much better than the waking multiple times a night thing.
• Trying to do just one nap at daycare and he actually does pretty well. But at home we're not exciting enough and he usually still takes two naps.
• Puts toys in different spots. Pacifier in his ball ramp. Slippers on the entertainment center. Shoes in boxes. 
• Takes his shoes and places them on top of his feet and looks at us like, "Here! Look at what I did!"
• Obsessed with the TV. Doesn't like watching TV, but sure like's trying to touch it. He likes a new game of instead of touching he'll walk from the entertainment center to the couch
• Speaking of, he can stand for minutes at a time and can walk 10-15 feet. Way prefers to be standing and any time I check-in the daycare cam he's pushing something around the room. Another reason to move up - so he's not running over the babies. 
• Definitey dancing to music now. Any music.
• As much as he likes putting things in weird places, he does okay with putting blocks away. 
• Bath time is HIS FAVORITE. He gets so excited when the tub is filling up.