Rapscallion is a pretty good word to describe you. You are full of mischief and so curious about every tiny detail out there in the world. You’re a little rascal.

The chair is a chair. The chair is not a chair.

I call you rapscallion but one day Daddy translated it over to ‘hip-hop onion’. Then he drew a picture of a hip hop onion. I have it somewhere.

We are the corniest.

We went to the Hall of Science the other day and you were being very precocious with this wooden walker. I was proud.

You are pretty awesome. So awesome that I’m afraid to attempt to have any more babies for fear that we could never produce another quite as amazing as you.
The chances are slim. And you can’t really improve on perfection.

xo
Mommy

You’re almost a year old. Just look at you. I am absolutely dumbfounded. You are the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me. Do you know?

You’ve come a long way (baby). I can’t imagine my world without you and it feels full of so much more possibility and wonder since you arrived.

You are my sunshine,
Mama

Use those legs, baby. That’s what they’re there for.
Stand, squat, lunge, hop, skip, jump, kick, tap, wiggle!
But most importantly, DANCE.

Guess who’s super relaxed in the water?

Yes, that would be you. Swim class is just one of the things we’ve been doing to keep you busy.

I have a feeling you’re going to be keeping ME really busy soon. You stand on your own for about 30 seconds at a time randomly here and there. You’re getting so much more mobile now, and are just a few weeks away from walking.

I predict that very very soon we’ll be playing with more than the swings at the park.

What else do you like?

Sesame Street sometimes.

Your play cupboard in the kitchen.

Being chased, pretending to go night-night, walks, and today - watching big trucks dig up our street.

Nothing is boring, and every day is a new adventure. Look! An empty cardboard box! Let’s play!

I love you, my sweet boy.
Mommy

You might think I’m taking some kind of happy pill over here, what with all the positivity and rainbows all the time. Well, I’m not. And it’s not always sunshine and puppies and children skipping rope. Some days are really hard. Some nights you are on my last nerve by the time your Dada gets home from work.

I love you and I love being your Mom. But every now and then I need a little break. I’ve been trying to take some chunks of time for myself here and there but I always feel guilty. I took a few books out of the library hoping I’d get to read them before they are due. So far, it’s not looking good.

Life is about balance. I’m still trying to find it. I think it’s going to be a while before I have it all figured out. I hope you’ll bear with me.

Love always,
Mommy

Can we talk about how grown up you’re getting and how sad it’s making me?
Your 2 front teeth are almost all the way in and even though it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, it makes me sad.
There is hardly very much baby left in you these days. Where did my baby go?

You’re almost walking, now. You cruise all over the place and never stay still for very long.
You’re very inquisitive and playful and so much fun to be with. I’m really not too eager for you to start walking because that means a lifetime of me chasing you.
The moments I love the most are the few moments each day where I get to steal a hug or a kiss.
I know that eventually you won’t want very many hugs or very many kisses. You’ll probably find me embarrassing and won’t want much to do with me anymore.
So I steal what I can, while I can.

I love you.
Mommy

Bagels.

Not sure about:

The way grass tickles.

I’ve been looking at some recent photos and noticing that I smile much easier these days thanks to a certain baby. There’s no longer anything forced about it.

I’m just so damn proud and in love and happy. I am thankful and feel so lucky I get to experience this.

I’m having a moment. Scuse me.

He has all that room and yet… chooses to curl up in the corner along the short side of the crib.
Because? It’s cozy, it’s right by the door, it’s just that much closer to Mama and Dada.
Smart baby.