How do you measure a year in the life?

So here I am, a whole year old. Mom and Dad tried to deny it, but they found themselves saying things like, "our toddler," and "well, when he was a baby, he --" No denying I'm growing up! I hardly ever crawl anymore, I eat what Mom and Dad eat, and I'm trying my hardest to talk. Right now I can handle "Momma," "Papa," "Dog," "Book," and "Juice."

So it's been a pretty crazy month! We got all bundled up and went to get a Christmas tree from Uncle Scott and Aunt Becky. Here's a rare shot of the whole family together:



I got to ride in a little sled through the snow, and we found a great tree! Dad put lights on it, and more lights, and then some lights, and it looked awesome when we were done.



Then Nana and Granddaddy, Aunt Sissy and Uncle Ray, Tia Andee and Tio Francisco and cousin Isabel all came to visit for Christmas! I got so many special presents: clothes, blocks, books, and puzzles. As you can see, we were all pretty impressed with this one.


Even though Isabel brought a stomach plague unto our house, we still found time to have fun as a family. Here we are at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, after the gastrointestinal pyrotechnics had passed.


After that, we went to Tucson to see Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Grandma, Tessa, and Auntie Erin. Grandpa hung up a swing for me to swing in, and they got me my first horse! I also got the kind of quality spoiling you can only get from a Grandma.



In Arizona, I doubled the amount of food that I eat, but I still run around so much that the doctor says I need to gain some weight. Dad muttered something about how the doctor never tells him that. I don't think I look underweight -- how do I look from the back?


So here we are, a year into this crazy experiment. Mom and Dad are relieved they've managed to keep me alive and healthy, and that I'm such a mellow, happy baby -- er, toddler. They tell me every day how adorable, smart, and strong I am, and how much they love me, and I think they mean it! Of course, then they warn me not to peak early . . . anyway, they say I'm the best thing to ever happen to them, and I'd have to say I feel the same about them. Thanks for reading these posts all year, folks, and we'll try to post more often in year two.

As always,

Watch this space!