Nixon: Twelve Months

Can we just take a moment to marvel at the fact that this little guy is one year old???  I guess he's not so little anymore.  Each day he looks more like a toddler and less like a little baby, which both hurts my heart and makes me so excited for this next stage.

At his twelve month check-up yesterday, he weighed in at 24 lb, 8 oz and measured 30 inches tall, putting him in the 76th percentile for both weight and height.  His head is still in the 99th percentile.  At least it's still on the charts!

What he's been up to lately:

• Walking!  He took his first steps a couple weeks ago, and has been slowly but surely getting better and more confidant.  Crawling is still his method of choice most of the time, but if we stand him up he'll usually take steps until he loses his balance.  
• Speaking of crawling, he occasionally crawls backwards (which is hilarious) and when he's on a mission to get somewhere he'll put his head down and go full speed ahead.  Yes, he sometimes runs into things when he does this. 
• Seven teeth so far, with an eighth one just starting to peek through.  
• He eats three meals a day, but still nurses quite a bit as well.  He isn't showing any interest in stopping anytime soon, and I'm totally okay with that.
• If he doesn't want a particular food, he will deliberately drop each piece off his highchair.
• He's learned how to turn around and slide feet-first off the couch.  This is a huge improvement from his previous head-first attempts.
• He's learned how to shake his head no, but we're still not sure if he understands what it means.  Occasionally he uses it correctly, but mostly he just does it all the time.

Nixon's faves this month:

• Cheese - he would eat cheese all day long if I let him (for the record, I don't).
• The fridge - the inside of the fridge is a magical and mysterious place, and if he hears the door open, he drops what he's doing and power crawls as fast as he can.  If he makes it before I close the door, he stands there staring at everything until I pull him away so we stop wasting energy.  Perhaps he knows the cheese is in there.  
• The dishwasher - not quite as fascinating as the fridge, but still worth thoroughly inspecting and sometimes attempting to climb in to.
• Roughhousing with Daddy - nothing gets more giggles out of him than wrestling on the floor with Daddy.

Happy Birthday Nixon!

Our precious little boy is one year old!  He is such a joy and we are so blessed to be his parents.

We celebrated over the weekend, nothing fancy, just a smash cake and opening presents.  He was more confused by the cake than anything, but by the end he was getting into it and making a huge mess.

Helping Daddy put together the super cool scooter from Aunt Jessica and Uncle Ralph

New toy from Grandma and Grandpa

Christmas {Sledding}

By far, the highlight of Christmas vacation for Nixon (and us) was sledding.  Despite temps that hovered in the teens or even lower, Nixon loved being outside, and we loved seeing the joy on his face.

Yes, Donovan is on skis pushing Nixon - how else would he get going fast enough?

Christmas {Celebrating}

Our Christmas celebration this year was special for many reasons, including being together with both our families for the first time in four years, but most of all because it was little Nixon's first Christmas.  He didn't really understand the meaning of it all, and like most kids his age he was more entertained by the boxes and wrapping paper than the actual gifts, but he had a great time being spoiled and loved on by everyone and we all loved sharing in his joy.

With his stocking - not really sure what to do with it!

Realizing there are toys in there!

Delivering a gift to Aunt Amanda

Hard at work - sometimes it got to the intended person, sometimes it didn't

Pepper jelly from Uncle Hoyt

This plane is cool, but this box is amazing

Checking out his new book

Hard at play

Christmas {Florida}

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!  I'm finally getting around to going through the hundreds of pictures I took during our Christmas travels, so get ready for a few posts recapping everything!

We started with several days in Florida, visiting with Donovan's aunt, uncle, and grandparents.  This was their first time meeting Nixon, so it was extra-special.  We relaxed, took Nixon to the park, and enjoyed time with family.  Nixon had a blast soaking up all the attention and we all appreciated the warm weather before going on to frigid Colorado.

So far, this kid is not a fan of grass

Sand is a little more fun, but he's still skeptical