lately

His cup has the exact same smoothie in it, but it always tastes better from Mama's glass

He was having tons of fun unwrapping the rolls of wrapping paper, until he realized he had trapped himself in the closet

Snacks, check.  Water bottle, check.  Hat and sunnies, check.  Ready for a run walk!

Helping out with the chores.  Just kidding, he's really making a big mess but he has a blast so I let him splash around.

Stopping to smell the flowers. 

Nixon: Fifteen Months

Fifteen months!  Nixon continues to be a busy, inquisitive, bright little toddler.  He is happiest when he's outside, picking up leaves and poking the dirt.  His little mind is soaking everything up and it seems like each day he's showing off some new skill he's learned (the latest one is opening flip-top bottles...no more letting him pull the condiments out of the fridge).

Things Nixon has been loving/learning/doing this month:

• We're entering the climbing phase.  Anything he can get his little leg up on (which isn't much...yet) he's on top of.
• When asked, he can show you where his ears, tummy, and tongue are, although most of the time he'll stick his tongue out in response to all three.  It must be more fun than patting his tummy.
• Every time we walk by the front door, we have to wave to Mrs. Birdie, who built a nest just outside the door.  Maybe there will be some baby birdies to wave to soon.
• He's finally starting to enjoy books apart from bedtime, although I'm not sure if he enjoys being read to or just likes turning the pages.

Asheville + Nixon Goes Camping

Over Easter weekend, we took advantage of Donovan having a couple days off and spent the weekend in Asheville.  We split our time between relaxing in a hotel downtown and one night camping.  Nixon absolutely loved our time out in the woods.  He explored, found sticks, ate dirt, and sat in leaves to his little heart's content.  Sleeping in the tent was not as much of a hit, so much so that we actually called it quits after one night instead of staying for two like we planned.  But, now we know how to be better prepared for next time, and for his first time camping I'd call it a success.

Nixon: 14 Months

Here we are at fourteen months already!  Nixon keeps becoming more of a little boy and less of a baby.  He is constantly on the move and hardly ever slows down, except to eat and nap.  He's got "Mama" and "Dada" down, but no other words yet.  He does "talk" allllll day long though, so I think he's close!  He's still extremely curious and loves helping me around the house, such as turning the vacuum on and off, handing me plates one-by-one from the dishwasher, or watching me cook (the mixer is his favorite).

We've been slooooowly transitioning him from co-sleeping to his crib (which is turning out to be just as hard for me as it is for him) and we have a long ways to go, but I know he'll make the switch when he's ready.  From day one his motto has been "co-sleep or no sleep" and I don't think he's ready to let go of that quite yet.  He's also transitioning from two naps to one.  After a few weeks of fighting naps, I finally gave in and tried dropping the morning nap.  And success!  He still takes a short nap in the morning if he's extra tired, but most days he just goes down right after lunch.  Someday we'll get this sleep thing figured out.

Things Nixon has been loving/learning/doing this month:

• Being chased, although he loves the being caught part the most, so most of the time he turns around or stops and waits until you catch him.  All while laughing hysterically.
• He totally gets the concept of peek-a-boo and "where's Nixon?" and will hide behind things and then peek out with an adorable smile. 
• Now that he's walking, he loves playing outside.  He mostly just walks around and pokes the bushes and picks up leaves, but we have been working on throwing a ball and he is actually getting pretty good at it.  
• Close on the heels of the sippy cup victory of last month, comes victory over the straw cup.  So many drinking options!!

While I was putting the groceries away, he reached into the fridge and helped himself to an apple

Nixon: Thirteen Months

Yes, I realize I'm a bit late posting Nixon's thirteen-month update.  I'll blame it on the fact that I spend all my time chasing after the thirteen-month-old in question and rarely have time to sit down anymore.  This child is BUSY.  He is walking everywhere and getting into everything and exploring anything that he possibly can.  This is such a fun stage he's in right now and I love seeing what new shenanigans he gets into every day.

Things Nixon has been loving/learning/doing this month:

• He has completely embraced walking, and now that he's able to stand up without pulling up on something, he rarely ever crawls.  I fully expect him to start sprinting any day. 
• After months of trying, he has finally mastered the sippy cup.  He only had a bottle a handful of times, which I'm guessing is why it was so tricky for him. 
• He's discovered how to throw things in the trash.  I have to watch him carefully lest his toys, sippy, or random kitchen utensil end up tossed.
• The dishwasher continues to fascinate him and he loves helping me empty it.  And yes, I have to be quick or plates will end up on the floor (so far nothing has broken, so I guess our system is working)

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