dear little prince | twelve months | one year
dear little prince,
you gave me a lot of stink face in our twelve month photo shoot. and with good reason. i have similar sentiments about all this turning one business. sheesh.
just like that, you have been ushered out of the baby phase and swiftly into toddlerhood. and now, we begin to count in years. not days or weeks or months. years. and if this past year is any indication of how time goes, you will be sixteen years old in the blink of an eye.
speaking of blinking...you have perfected the flirty blink-wink. slow and charming. paired with a sweet smirk. you are trouble, mister. oh, and if your mama and papa happen to take our eyes off of you for a second, you take full advantage and move swiftly from charmer to mischievous sneak. you hide behind the curtains. you yank the cookbooks from the shelves. you try to snatch your sister's water cup. you splash in the dogs' water bowl. you pounce on charlie. you zoom your cars all around the house. you tackle your sister. you dig in the plants. you open and close the kitchen cabinets. and sometimes, you climb on in. you are playful and curious and fearless.
and when you are done being a ball of energy, you are done. you grab your blanket and dramatically plop yourself on the floor and spread out with a sigh. that's my cue to ask you if you are ready to sleep. and with that, you pop up and nod your head yes. a big emphatic happy YES. i love that you know your limits. that you enjoy your rest and that you love to recharge and have your quiet time in your man cave. you love your cool, dark room. and p.s. you are not sure about all this summertime heat. being warm sure irks you. but what you do love? splashing around in the water to cool off. oh man. you are such a water baby.
the one year mark is an amazing one. it is marked with clinginess and teething and some frustration as you are discovering the relationship to the world around you. you exhibit kick-fits when you don't get your way. you protest when we make you do something that's not your cup of tea. the strong will is definitely making itself known. and we are doing our best to help you navigate all the new things in your life and adapt to change and increased mobility and huge mental leaps. you are developing new things all over the place! adding words to your vocabulary. babbling away. standing on your own. taking teeny steps (only when your sister is playing with you and you don't think we are watching). sprouting teeth. making connections. drinking from a big boy cup (and dropping your bedtime feeding). it's a tough job, being a one year old. but you are doing marvelously, little man. getting through the tough stuff with aplomb and barreling into the independence of toddlerhood. you want to do pretty much everything on your own. except for when you absolutely MUST not be on your own. those times when you just want to cuddle or put your arm around my shoulder and read a book. flipping the pages and mimicking as you go. what a complicated time. and what an incredible time.
you are a force, that's for sure. and you are also such a hoot. you make exaggerated expressions to elicit a laugh. you crack jokes. you bop your head and dance. your playtime is crazy and always entertaining. and giving bear hugs is your favorite. you also love to throw things. you have a solid pitch. and you make loud explosion sounds when you "bomb" things, dropping objects from high above your head, to the ground. such a boy. and such fun.
and you are one smart cookie. and such attitude. it is so amazing to see those wheels turning. you are always searching for something new to discover. and grabbing and swatting and inspecting. you are always learning and you are always astonishing with you wit and skills. you have the funniest growl as you play. and you squeal when you are happy. you have a robust vocabulary that is a mix of real-deal words and sound effects. you say papa and mama and ceecee (sissy - elinor) and ball and dah-ee (doggie) and hi and up and yeah-yeah (how you say yes and agree with things, usually accompanied by a nod of approval). you also communicate with sound effects for: uh oh and thank you and night-night. and you ramble away in your own delightful language. so chatty! and you love to point at things to show us your world and tell us where to go and what to do.
you have brought us so much joy. such levity. and all kinds of toy car filled messes. we are delighted and honored and thrilled and overwhelmed by the blessing of your life. we thank God that He chose us to be your family. you are such a treasure. so strong and fierce and determined. so happy and content and darling. we can't wait to see how you are used by God for His mighty work.
happy birthday! xo.
your mama + papa + sissy
and for a little stroll down memory lane