Russell,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You are officially 1 years old! We can hardly STAND it! You are so full of personality and are such a special part of our family!
You weigh in at 21 lbs 2 oz and are 29 in. long!
You are cruising! You have mastered the army crawl and have now added scooting on your bottom, with one leg crossed in and the other out to scoot with, to your moving tricks! Our favorite trick of your is your splits! when you go from a sitting position to your tummy you will spread your legs out in the Chinese splits and then just roll your body forward till you're on your tummy. It is the funniest thing! You also still LOVE your walker and can cruise like crazy in that. Unfortunately, rugs and carpet borders get you every time! Moving serves you well though because you are very SOCIAL and just have to be where the kids are and joining in the fun. If only you could keep up though! You've started to climb on things and will stand when we pick you up instead of pulling your legs up in a sitting position. Slowly but surely, you're figuring out what to do with those legs of yours!
You are the BEST eater we have ever had. You will eat anything we put in front of you! Your recent favorite is pizza - well any carb really, if we'er being honest - and blueberries, you practically inhale them. You are super great at feeding yourself too! You have learned the art of screaming/screeching when you don't have food fast enough or you have run out, or when you don't get what you want in general. We'll have to work on that buddy! You LOVE suckers! It's one of your favorite treats! You do just fine eating even without any teeth. You still just have you two little bottom front teeth. but your 4 upper teeth are all SO close to coming in and your left incisor just barely cut through a few days ago!
You love playing with toys and putting things in your mouth. You have a favorite, iIt's Mr. Bear. Thomas's big brown stuffed bear! You LOVE that little thing and hug it and try to eat it and it's just SO cute. You aren't so patient with reading stories anymore, you would rather just play with the pages and put them in your mouth. You have learned how to wave and smile at just about anything! You love to play with shoes, particularly Thomas's cowboy boots! It's your shoe of choice for sure and you have a habit of licking the bottom of them! Gross!
You are still a great sleeper at night and take a solid morning nap, but you lately you have been refusing to take your afternoon nap. We don't really know why. Nothing is different except that Mommy is weaning nursing you and you're not thrilled about it. You just sit in your crib and cry and then talk to yourself and play (sometimes for an hour) until Mom just gives up and gets you out.
You are still a great sleeper at night and take a solid morning nap, but you lately you have been refusing to take your afternoon nap. We don't really know why. Nothing is different except that Mommy is weaning nursing you and you're not thrilled about it. You just sit in your crib and cry and then talk to yourself and play (sometimes for an hour) until Mom just gives up and gets you out.
You ADORE your Daddy! Daddy's boy for sure. You often prefer him over Mommy, which just tugs at her heart strings a little, but she loves that you love your Daddy. You LOVE playing with Abby and are learning to hold your own with your brother - especially when he takes your toys or snacks. You fit right in and we have loved watching you grow this past year. (Mom has only shed a few tears that you are 1 already!)
Thomas at 18 mo. and you at 11 mo. wearing the same outfit!
