Happy 1st Birthday, Brooks!

Happy Birthday to Brooksie Boy!

A favorite activity...bath time!

Chewing on a marker...Definitely a no no!

Modeling his new zebra back pack!

Where has the last year gone?! Brooks turned 1 on November 27th, but it seems like just yesterday, Brooks was a screaming, skinny newborn who had his days and nights mixed up. I can't believe I only slept 15 hours in his first 7 days of life. I thought for sure I was going to die, and he definitely needed to go back where he came from! :) But now, I am so thankful that he is here and he didn't go back! I can't imagine a day without his sweet smile, big blue eyes, super speedy crawl, or his sloppy kisses! He is a loving little boy with a determined spirit. He is a hugger and a holder. He is a mover and a shaker. He is a busy boy with a wild side! He gives us a little excitement, a lot of joy, and more exercise (up and down, over here, over there) than is necessary for any human being!

On Brooks' actual birthday, we didn't do too much. We had just had his party the weekend before, and it was pretty cold outside. We tried to do some fun activities including a bath in the morning, opening presents throughout the day, and eating cupcakes after supper. But, poor Brooks, I procrastinated in getting some blood work done for his 1 year appointment, and had to get it in before Thanksgiving! So on his birthday, he had a blood draw. They had to prick him twice, and I had to hold him down, and he screamed like a wild banshee the whole time. Hopefully he doesn't remember that I did this to him on his very FIRST birthday!

Anyway, Brooks is a happy, little guy. He likes to play and move...fast! He especially likes to take things out of drawers and cabinets. It's a fun phase. Anything will do, toys, DVDs, tupperware containers, glass bowls. If it's in his reach, and it is in a drawer, it's coming out. The best part about this activity is that it seems like he makes decisions about where to put the objects once they come out. He will stand in front of the DVD drawer, pull out DVDs one by one, and stack some in a pile on top of the TV stand, put some in the other drawer, throw some on the floor, and give some to Kylie or me. It's hilarious! He crawls super fast, sometimes with his head down, and sometimes in a bear crawl fashion. He also likes to crawl away from us really fast, especially when it's time to get his nose wiped! He finally got a bunch of boy toys (trucks, trains, cars) for his birthday, and he loves them. He drives them all over the place! He also likes to play with markers, chap stick, pens, shaving cream containers (weird, but it's a battle everyday), anything he's not supposed to have. He seems to be very musical. He loves listening to music, and always laughs, dances and "sings" when any kind of music comes on. Some of his other favorite things are taking baths, eating, his pacifier, following his sister around, and going for rides in the stroller.

Brooks is also persistent and loud, which can be good characteristics unless he isn't happy with something. He let's us know loudly AND frequently when he is unhappy. His least favorite activity in the whole wide world is getting his diaper changed. It is a war every.single.time! You will never see me act sillier than when that child is getting a diaper change. There are songs, strange noises, and even some gymnastics tricks that I have perfected to keep that boy happy during these wars. He still usually wins, and I usually let him get away with a crooked, leaky diaper! :) He also hates getting strapped into anything...the stroller, high chair, and car seat to name a few. Once he is in, he's happy as a clam...I guess he just doesn't like the actual act of strapping. Overall, he's a happy camper, but he has some feisty moments each day!

As for his milestones, he's still making progress, but hasn't made as many big leaps this month as he did last month. He isn't walking yet, but he's getting closer everyday. He cruises like crazy, can walk with the toy stroller and move it around as he pleases, and he can stand in free space on his own for a few seconds. He seems to be resisting learning how to walk, and I think it's because he is so good at getting around on his hands and knees. He seriously crawls almost as fast as Kylie runs! Another gross motor skill that I learned he is capable of is climbing stairs and other low things. We don't have stairs in our apartment, so I was surprised to see him up 5 or 6 stairs at a friend's house recently! I'm glad I don't have to deal with that at home, but it does make visiting others' houses a little extra stressful! Other skills I've noticed is that his pincer grasp is maturing, and he is throwing a ball (and other toys) pretty well. Cognitively, his language skills are progressing as well. I'm pretty sure he is now saying, "ball," (sounds like baa), as well as, "car" and "mama." I'm not positive on any of those, but they seem pretty consistent so I'm counting them! :) He also signs, "more" and he does the universal sign for "up" (both hands straight up in the air directly in front of the person he wants to pick him up). He kisses, hugs, claps, dances, and wiggles on command. He's being stubborn about waving, and pretty much refuses to learn that skill. He mimics a lot of sounds including laughing, coughing, and the "mmmm" sound like one makes when something tastes/smells good. I think he understands what "no" means as well. When he is doing things that he is not supposed to, and/or I tell him "no," he usually looks at me and hesitates before continuing with the behavior! He is definitely growing because he has moved up to 12 month and 12-18 month clothes. He is still wearing size 4 diapers and size 4 shoes. At his 1 year well child check up, he weighed 21 pounds, 11 ounces and was 30 inches long, which is 50th percentile for both! The doctor said, "He's perfect," and I couldn't agree more! :) He is also a teething monster right now. He has 7 teeth fully in, and is currently working on 5, yes FIVE, more. All four of his molars are coming in. It seems really early, but it's really happening...Bring on the chewy foods! His schedule is pretty much the same as last month. He sleeps from about 8pm-7:30am, and naps from about 9:15-10:00/10:30am and again from about 1:30pm-3:30/4:00pm. He has a bottle (I'm hoping to work on switching to a sippy cup soon) of about 5 ounces of whole milk at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, and 7:30pm, and he eats all three meals with us. He is eating mostly table food with a few purees mixed in depending on how hazardous the food is! :)

Brooks is such a fun, loving, wonderful little man! He has brought so much joy to our lives over the past year, and we fall more in love with him every day! We are so blessed! We love you so much, Brooksie Boy!