We've all heard parents say "Kids grow up so fast!" So, if you're a parent, you're tracking with me. If you're not a parent yet, just believe us that this is true: your kids really do seem to grow from a tiny baby to a little person in the blink of an eye.
And I know I can't even comprehend it fully. Like I said, I am only almost one year in.
I have tried to be really intentional all year about soaking in every possible moment with Graeme. I know I am not always successful. But I try to put my phone away when I am with him (minus the million pictures I have taken of him), leave the cleaning and housework for when he's asleep (except wiping up drool and crumbs), and get down on the floor to play with him (my jeans all have very faded knees). Now that we are days away from his first birthday, I am even more aware of the need to be present with him and not miss any of his absolute adorableness.
He is learning something new every. day.
The biggest change this past month has probably been his growing vocabulary. I don't have much to go on here, but in my opinion, he's talking a lot for his age. He says:
- Dada
- Mama
- Penny
- Baby
- Ba-ba (bottle or bye-bye)
- Puffs
- Bath
- Mimi
- Me-me (referring to himself when he wants something)
- Thank you
- Love you
- Psst psst (pretends to whisper a secret)
- Puzzle (Pu-pu, but he means puzzle)
- Balloon (sounds like ball sort of)
- Read
- Please (when he feels like it)
- Up
- Elmo
- Pooh
I can't think of anymore right now. If he can't say a word, he is still pretty efficient at communicating what he wants. He knows a lot of things too. Like he knows in the morning we make coffee while Aaron takes Penny outside. He gets very upset if he thinks I started without him. He must be held so he can watch. He knows how to give Penny a treat and loves doing that. He knows the names of meals and is excited for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He likes helping Mimi and Grandy get the mail at their apartment and knows how to work their key remote to open the doors.
He's a pretty smart kid. But we are a little biased.
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| "Up!" |
He loves playing different games now like peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, and "throwing" toys for Penny. He likes for us to chase him around the island in the kitchen while he crawls as fast as he can. He has several little balls that go to various toys and every once in awhile he'll pick one up and motor as fast as he can to the top of the stairs so he can push the ball through the bars of the gate and watch it bounce down the steps. He still loves to read books, and is especially intrigued with his lift-the-flap books right now. He has memorized which way all the flaps flip, which blew our mind. He also still loves his touch-and-feel books and will often bend down to kiss the pages. This is hilarious and we have no idea why he does this.
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| Playing with Penny and his puzzle |
His appetite is still going strong. After many, many sippy cup purchases, we finally found one that he didn't detest and refuse to even consider trying. Of course, it had to be the most expensive sippy cup we had bought so far. Of course. So, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner he has his milk out of a sippy cup that he can drink out of by himself. (This. is. a. life. saver.) He is still having a bottle at bedtime for now. He generally eats whatever we are eating. His favorite foods right now seem to be yogurt (still), the banana bread I made last week that we pull out of the freezer for breakfast some days, and hibachi chicken with vegetables and rice. He is also a puffs addict and requests them after every meal.
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| Such a big boy |
Well, I think that covers all of the major going-ons with Graeme this past month. Words we use to describe him on a daily basis: cute, funny, fun, dramatic, so cute.
We surely love you, Graeme Grayson.
I sat down and addressed the invitations for his birthday party this evening and couldn't believe I was already doing that. Last year at this time I was dying for him to be here and that still seems like just yesterday.
Next time I write one of these monthly posts, he will be one. Wow. Slow down, time.
