ONE!!!

A year of joy, sleepless nights (for the first few months), contentment, laughter, smiles, sister love, snuggles, arm muscle building, busy-busy days, & love. Our first year with this sweet boy has already passed. Judah... it went much too fast, but at the same time it seems like forever ago that you were a tiny little peanut. The first months are a blur - I tried to treasure your "itty-bitty" stage but my memories are a foggy since I didn't get much sleep. I can vividly remember running the vacuum to try to get you to stop screaming & patting your back for an hour to get you to take a nap! After those first couple of crazy months we got your reflux worked out & your sleeping got so much better when we gave in & put you on your tummy. Once you got some rest you were an easy baby! You have brought so much laughter into our house. Your sisters think everything you do is the smartest, cutest, & funniest - and we agree! God has used you already over this past year... He has helped us to rely on Him every day for patience & energy, He has given us a new compassion for babies in other places who aren't able to have all the resources you do, He has taught us to appreciate chaos because it means we have a house full of vibrant, healthy children. We know that God has amazing plans for your life & we feel blessed to get to witness His work in you!

This past month you were busy, busy, busy. You are into something every time I turn my back - Bitsie's food, the potty, chewing crayons, climbing on the fireplace hearth, & chewing Bitsie's rawhides. You still put almost everything in your mouth but do hand me small things that you pick up & will spit stuff out if I ask you to. You can crawl at lightning speed and can stand alone - but choose not to. If you realize you are standing you slowly lower yourself to the ground. Guess you will walk when you are good & ready. You can say a few words - but your favorite by far is BALL - over & over & over. You can sign more & all done, point to things we ask you to, and seem to understand lots of what we say. You are such a smartie!

likes: playing with any ball available, taking a bath, being outside - especially if we will let you down in the grass & dirt, peek-a-boo, lift the flap or musical books, dancing & waving your arms around to any music, feeding Bitsie your food at mealtimes, & your Daddy! You want him to hold you at every opportunity, and will go to just about any dad or grandpa to be held.

dislikes: having to be still for a diaper or clothes change, being taken from Daddy

eating: still nursing 4 times per day, liking cow's milk from a sippi cup, & most any food

sleeping: 2 naps per day, bed at 7:30 to 8, sleeping through until around 6:30am. Hopefully you'll keep 2 naps for a while longer.

12 month stats: 25 pounds (80% percentile) 32 1/4 inches (98%) - tall boy! 18 to 24 month clothes, size 6 shoe