One Year Old

My little Benjamin is one year old. Still my baby boy, but not for long. What a year its been! Its really stereotypical to say things like "time flies" or "I can't believe he is already a year!" or "he is growing up so fast." These are stereotypes because they are true. But I try to avoid them because they don't really do justice to the situation of the passage of time, the growing and changing of my child. Time does move fast. It is amazing that it has already been a year. I feel like saying "I can't believe it" implies that I somehow let time slip away. I did not. I enjoyed this year immensely. I embraced it and tried to relish in every minute of it that I could. It still passes fast, because that is life. I am sure next year will pass faster. That is how life works - beautiful and transient.

Can you tell that I am writing this at night? I am getting all poetic.

The point is. Happy Birthday Benjamin! How you have grown, and how I have loved seeing you grow! It has been an incredible journey and I look forward to continuing it with you!

At One Year Old - you are....
Walking, trying to learn to run!
Still unsure about strangers, especially when Mom & Dad are not around!
Saying "DA DA DA" and blowing raspberries a lot!
Tackling the cats and climbing on the dog.
Obsessed with  teddy bears, which you hug, books, which you sometimes let us read, DVDs which you like us to open for you (just the cases), anything with wheels which you can make "vroom vroom" noises for.
Still no where near sleeping through the night
Eating everything we eat. You love pizza, olives, and of course anything sweet. You like pretty much all food.
Not a good napper, unless it is in the car or stroller or on top of one of us or nestled near one of us.
A big fan of milk in a sippy cup.
Still breastfeeding.
Just starting to switch to size 4 diapers.
Just starting to switch, perhaps a bit late, to 18m clothes.
Climbing stairs like a champ and (usually) turning around to come down safely backwards.
Pretty healthy, except a chronic runny nose an dry skin.
Fond of daycare. You get excited a lot of times when we drop you off.
Fascinated by other kids, especially older ones that can do things you cannot.
A pointer! You like to point at everything, like the decorations in the daycare room.
Not a big fan of changing tables, which make you stay still.
Giving good hugs.
Picking your nose.
Cutting your seventh tooth.
Learning to use a spoon.
Fighting bedtime frequently.
Climbing anything that looks climbable. (boxes, couch cushions, etc).
Good at taking DVDs out of the PS3 and DVD player.
Pretty good at listening when we use our "danger" voices to stop you from doing something.
Pretty re-directable.
Not "into everything" the way I hear other babies are.

More on how his party went later, but just wanted to jot these notes first.

Happy Birthday Little Man!