One plus one makes three: Happy One Year!

The beginning of a new year often brings about inspirations of improving one’s self or making changes for the better. It’s been about three months since I updated this blog and no, my resolution for 2011 is not to update more frequently. It’s to spend more time on the floor playing with my baby who suddenly appears to be a toddler.

So far this winter has brought about a bevy of blessings and joys for us as we watch Devon grow and learn. Looking back over his first year I can now see just how difficult the first six months were. We were learning how on earth to care for this new life while still trying to care for ourselves and each other. Many people remark how fast the time goes when you have a little one. To that I say – it depends on the little one. Those first six months FELT like 6 months. While of course we did have fun exploring this new little person we were doing it by the seat of our pants and often times on fumes. When Devon started to sleep better in August and September only then did I start to understand how people could say the time flew by. And of course now with him spending a solid 12 hours a night in his room (mostly) quiet and waking up happy after 7am we both heartily say ‘wow, how fast the time is going.’

In light of that epiphany I have decided to make the most of this time in our lives and prioritize sitting on the floor, playing peek-a-boo and taking pictures with Devon that both he and his dad and I love to look at. (Remember when you couldn’t see the picture you just took for perhaps several days?? Now he wants to see right away.) So instead of my intended letter a month to Devon, I hope to be able to simply remember the highlights of the last few months maybe four times a year. If you’d like more frequent updates on his adventures that is easy – just come visit us!

Here are the milestones we’ve come across in the last few months:

Clapping – especially while singing and having a diaper change to the tune of Row Row Row Your Boat. This is HI-larious.

Walking – January 16^th, 2011. A few tentative steps and then across the room no problem. Soon Auntie Becca will have him training for his first marathon. We have a video of this on our facebook pages (takes too long on Blogger)

Devonisms – sticking himself through the open window in the french doors,

putting everything behind his head to see what it does (while still holding on to it),

handing his parents scraps of paper or fuzzies from the carpet, opening and closing cupboards with only mild interest as to what is inside, peeking around corners and laughing when he finds someone else there.

Eating – doing almost only finger foods or using a spoon or gooey things by himself is the only way to go these days. He also loves to stick pasta on his fingers. Wish we had a dog right now.

Play – he is a master stacker, sorter, builder and destroyer.

Imitation – he loves to eat what we’re eating and make the faces we’re making.

Holidays – we got to spend a quiet Thanksgiving at home with Grammy Jan and a louder Christmas with Nana and Pops in Grafton. He really enjoyed seeing people and making new friends. Oh, and ripping paper off of gifts.

We also had a very white Christmas and he appears to like the snow!