A Year Ago Today

 I couldn’t tell you what I was doing, but I am willing to guess that I was cuddling and nursing my newborn the majority of the day. I bet I was struggling to juggle getting Salem to and from school while toting around a newborn baby. Today I have a toddler climbing on off my lap, making monster noises and pushing dump trucks along the floor. 

So wether I liked it or not, Ian turned a year old. At birth he was 8 pounds, 14 ounces and 20 in a half inches long. At his check up he was exactly 23 pounds and 30 inches. Big difference. He still has 6 teeth, though it looks like number 7 will finally be out today, and hopefully number 8 tomorrow. He is not walking, though he will take steps. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed by this. His doctor has continuously told me how advanced his motor skills were so I expected him to be walking by his first birthday. I really hope he is walking by Halloween! The most he has taken was 7 steps to torment his sister, but thats it. He is mimicking sounds like crazy, and just learning non stop. He amazes me everyday. Oh, and he is saying his own name now. I was working at this stage with Salem so I missed so much of her daily development that I feel extra blessed to experience this with him. And that’s all I really have to say. 

His birthday party was a lot of fun. The beginning part of my day was very stressful, but seeing my son laugh and smile, and not cry once all day was the most fulfilling moment of his life thus far. I can genuinely say I know for a fact he was happy. He spent almost the entire day in the pool and I had to make him take a nap while we were eating so that he wouldn’t be a grump for cake and presents. Several people didn’t come without saying a word which really dissappointed me, but that seems to happen at every party. 

His actual birthday I got to spend the majority of the day alone with him. We did nothing but cuddle and play and it was awesome! I did cry a lot though, but I think I did ok. When Scott got home from work, we took him to Yogurtland, something we know for a fact that he likes, and let him crawl around the water fountain and play with his sister after we were done eating. On the way home we stopped at the park and let him go down slides and swing until the sun went down. Again I knew he was happy, and I feel like I did my job as a mom on my baby’s birthday. 

 

And now for pictures. 

Swimming first thing in the morning. 

 The nap I forced him to take. 

His cake to destroy. 

The cake we all got to eat. 

Testing things out. 

Trying to show him the actual cake part was good too. 

There was a lot of sharing going on. 

 He even tried to share with the camera. 

 And then we put ice cream on the cake. 

He was very proud of himself I think. 

I love this messy little hand. 

Thank goodness for the out door shower. 

Opening up his present from his sister. 

These are quite easily his favorite toys. 

This was one of his gifts from my FIL. He sat on it the rest of the time opening presents, and rides it at least twice a day now. 

 Trying out his swing set that my dad got him. 

Playing with toys the morning of his birthday.

 Playing around the fountain outside of Yogurtland. 

He loves that swing!

I am praying that God blesses us with another great year, and another after,  and another after that, and so on!