Twelve Months

Say it ain't so!!!  That has been my mantra for the last few weeks.  It is very hard for me to believe that our sweet baby boy is one year old already!  It is very hard for me to believe that he is not still a tiny baby and that we just took the last of his monthly pictures!  I have the photographic evidence to show that he has posed for 12 consecutive months...

 

but it is still so hard to believe!

 

Wow.  At one year, Everett is starting to walk!  He still uses crawling as his main mode of transportation though.  He is not convinced that all of that work (balance, concentration, etc) is necessary when he can get from point A to point B in short order, and with little effort, on the floor.  He is talking like a champ - the doctor was very impressed.  But, I am convinced that he thinks that constant chatter is the norm and required since Emily is modeling it at.all.times.  His active vocabulary is: ball, Daddy, Mama, bye-bye, birdie, and hi.  (He also has a definite "Emily" and "lemon" though they sound nothing like Emily or lemon at this time.)  On the other hand, I am constantly surprised by his receptive vocabulary.  He has, in recent days, followed commands and reacted appropriately to things I didn't expect him to know - making it clear that he is very in tune with what is going on around him.  I expect him to be just like his sister - never missing a beat and very smart.  I am already tired.

Everett loves birds, balls, books, food, his family, exploring outside, and is enjoying new freedoms that come with age.  He is transitioning to dairy slowly and, so far, likes the new addition to his diet.  He nurses three times a day (morning, afternoon, evening) and eats three meals a day.  He is threatening to drop to one nap but I am trying to hold him off until Emily is out of school for the summer.  At his doctor's visit on Monday (the 7th) he weighed 24lbs. 8oz. (75%) was 31 inches tall (90%).  His head circumference is 19 1/4" which puts him in the 97th percentile - something anyone who tries to get shirts over his head already knows.

Everett, you are the sweetest and happiest little boy on the planet.  You make every day a delight and your Mama, Daddy, and big sister adore you!