It finally happened; our baby boy turned one year old! These last twelve months have been the happiest, most challenging, most rewarding, and quite literally the best experiences of my life thus far. Simon has changed us in so many ways, and we love him for the joy and light that he has brought into our world. His final month of infanthood was full of endless amounts of learning and developing as he quickly showed us how ready he is to be a toddler. I made an extra effort to document every adventure, new skill, and special moment that happened over the course of Simon's last weeks leading up to his birthday. This sentimental mama is feeling more than ever how emotional it is to watch your child grow so fast right before your eyes. It was very important to me to not miss a single thing before our munchkin suddenly leaves his baby days far behind him (*sniff sniff*).
no longer an infant
first measurements on the height chart
smiles at the doctor's office
Simon's 12-month check up was promptly scheduled one day after his birthday and our boy was in such great spirits during the appointment. His measurements clocked in at 29 1/3 inches tall (50th percentile for height) and 19.6 pounds (25th percentile for weight). Dr. Polly was pleased with all of Simon's milestones and gushed that he is continuing to develop beautifully. We received the go-ahead to allow Simon to have almond milk and got the all-clear to let him eat everything with the exception of waiting one more year to introduce nuts and peanut butter. She recommended adding fluorinated toothpaste to Simon's brushing routine and assured us that we can wait until he is older to schedule his first pediatric dental appointment (by age three). In addition to getting his 12-month booster vaccines, Simon also had his iron level checked, all of which he tolerated like a champ. Eric and I had mixed views on the chicken pox vaccine, which Dr. Polly was happy to hold off on until Simon's 15-month, and even 18-month, check ups if we decide to proceed with the vaccine. I left our pediatrician's office feeling wonderful about Simon's health and statistics as well as secure in knowing that the office's staff supports our feelings to ask questions and make our own decisions about the health care we want for our son. Not everyone is so lucky to have a doctor who is supportive of parents making their own choices, and I feel so happy to have Simon be a patient at this wonderful office.
mastering the sippy cup
spaghetti fan
bathing in the big tub
It seems like Simon grew by leaps and bounds in the weeks leading up to his birthday. As he approached the one-year mark, it was important to me to get him started on drinking from a sippy cup in order to begin the transition from the bottle. I first purchased the
Safe 2-in1 Sippy Cup a couple months ago to introduce it to Simon but didn't work with him on a regular basis on how to use it. I pulled it back out last month to begin using it more routinely and he quickly figured it out in matter of a few short days. He now drinks water throughout the day and even enjoys his sippy cup on his high chair tray during meals. Mealtime has also become more mature (and more messy!) for baby as he is now eating exactly what we eat for dinner. He finally had his first spaghetti experience and it was as hysterical as it was dirty. Simon has also dined on many of Eric's delicious crockpot creations with homemade sauces, stir fry, and other delicacies. Simon notices the different textures of his new meals, but still eats every bite without protest. And speaking of protests, last month I didn't mention that we were having some issues with Simon fussing and crying and not enjoying bath time at all. We realized it was time to transition him from his baby bath to the big bath tub. I had to get in the big bath with him the first time, but the second time Simon bathed solo and loved every minute of it. Bath time is now no longer a problem and he is back to his normal self and seems completely comfortable to splash and crawl around the big tub. I was worried he might be scared, but clearly he was ready for the bigger space that he gets in the bigger tub. Anything that makes our boy happy again makes us happy, too!
car seat shopping
satisfied with our selection
buckled up in Mommy's car
I mentioned
last month that Eric and I were car seat shopping for a convertible car seat. Along with selling several items online that we no longer use
and getting a 25% off coupon via Babies "R" Us'
Great Trade-In event, we were able to purchase Simon's first convertible car seat without having to spend any money out of pocket! The seat we ultimately chose for my car is the
Graco My Size 70, which you may have already heard by now was recently
recalled (less than two weeks after we purchased it!). With everything I purchase,
especially baby items, I always automatically fill out and submit the product registration card so I can be immediately notified in the event of a recall. After carefully reading the announcement and understanding that the seat was recalled because Graco
“identified that food and dried liquids can make some harness buckles progressively more difficult to open over time or become stuck in the latched position,” Eric and I agreed that we feel safe in continuing to use our seat due to the fact that Simon
never has food or drinks in his possession while in the car. In addition, the manufacturer also stated that
“this does not in any way affect the performance of the car seat or the effectiveness of the buckle to restrain the child,” so we feel certain that Simon is still safe while restrained in this car seat during travel. Graco has yet to contact me about sending us a replacement buckle, so I will be contacting them myself since it is possible that my registration information didn't make it into their system before the recall was issued. It can be scary when a product you use is recalled, but it is important as parents to not only be aware of pertinent information such as recalls but to also make sure you understand the facts. We are still satisfied with our car seat purchase and are happy that Simon seems to love his new big boy seat, too. He no longer fusses when we buckle him in like he did with his infant seat and instead greets us with big smiles and an eagerness to set off to wherever we are about to go. We definitely can't complain about that!
Super Bowl party
with Mommy's friends: Erica, Molly, Sara, and Michelle
bored by the boring game
We celebrated Simon's first Super Bowl by attending a big party at the home of my friend, Michelle, and her husband, Jay. Simon was decked out in his festive quarterback onesie and new football leg warmers (Daddy wasn't quite a fan, but everyone else thought they were adorable!) and hung out like a little all-star during the noisy and crowded party. As per usual, the boy caught a lot of attention and for the first time in months was comfortable being held by people other than Mommy and Daddy! I was so proud of my little boy for doing well in the arms of many of my friends and also thankful for the opportunity to eat and visit without having to worry about him quickly becoming fussy. He held on strong until it was time to succumb to a nap (who could blame him with such an unexciting game!) and finally nursed and snuggled in my lap for almost an hour. Eric and I are continually grateful that we can bring our son to get-togethers and show off that he is able to hang with everyone. I am also very happy that some of Simon's stranger/separation anxiety (completely normal at around 8-9 months) is beginning to go by the way side. Being a social butterfly is one of the things that Simon does best, and also one of the personality traits that our friends and family love most about him!
ready for a date with Bliss
second time meeting Lila
teaching Bliss to sit
During this last month, Simon got in a lot of play time with his baby friends. We hang out with Bliss the most since her mommy,
Jen, is one of my closest friends. On one gorgeous Saturday, we packed up both babes in my car and had a fun day of thrifting, checking out a
local cloth diaper shop, and having lunch with our wee ones. Both kids were on their best behavior and us mommies had fun scoring some great bargains. Every time we get together, Simon and Bliss show so much interest in each other and it makes me really happy to have them starting a friendship so early in life. To Jen's observation, Bliss tries harder to reach her upcoming milestones such as sitting up and being more social when she is around Simon, possibly because she is with a peer to show her how it's done (she is 6.5 months younger). Simon seems to absolutely adore her and I've caught him trying to share toys with her by handing them to her, and she is so close to grabbing them from him! The boy and I also finally got a second play date scheduled with Lila, daughter of my friend, Nicole. The first time we met Lila was
last summer, but I had failed to get any photos during our outing together. This time, we met up for breakfast on a rainy morning I had off from work and then went back to Nicole's house for play time. Miss Lila is 3.5 months younger than Simon but the two of them were great playmates. They followed each other around and shared toys (one was always interested in whatever the other was holding) and were absolutely adorable together. Ensuring that Simon has good social skills is very important to me, and so far he is doing beautifully all on his own!
happy traveler
fully on the move!
[VIDEO]
baby gone walking
The biggest news that I am so happy to report is that
Simon is walking! It was a process that took Simon a few weeks to master, but it all happened so quickly nonetheless. After figuring out how to stand up completely unassisted and without holding onto anything, he began trying to move his feet. When he didn't immediately topple over (which happened several times, to be expected), he was able to get about two or three steps in before falling. We cheered with lots of excitement and even tried encouraging him by trying to have him walk between us, but when Simon would lose balance he'd simply revert back to crawling to get to his destination and seemed completely satisfied with that mode of transportation. He continued to practice and after about 2 weeks was clearing anywhere from 7-12 steps before going down. Maybe it was because he realized he was getting a better handle of his balance, because it was then that Simon finally began getting back up after falling to try again. The best walking practice to watch was Simon chasing after Eric from behind the couch, around the ottoman and back again. Now, Simon is two-footing it everywhere. He's shown no trepidation about braving the slippery linoleum floor in the kitchen and bathroom and will quickly pick himself up after a spill to keep going. His skills improve more and more each day, and he seems so thrilled with himself to be up on two legs like the rest of us. We are so proud of our big boy and so far no moment has compared to when for the first time, my son walked into my arms to give me a great big hug.
sharing a snack with Cho-Cho
Mommy & Daddy's friends
family of three
If it's even possible, we fall more in love with our son with each day that passes. Simon never fails to show us how smart he is, how much he loves his family, and how interested he is in life and all that surrounds him. We've shared so many wonderful experiences during our first year with Simon as a family of three; such as
celebrating his first big holiday, my first
Mother's Day and Eric's first
Father's Day, introducing Simon
to food, taking our first
family trip, Simon's first
Christmas, and so much more. A part of me feels like it would be so much fun to go back and do it all again, but I am also looking forward to our future. We still have SO MUCH more to experience, teach, and learn with Simon and I really am excited for all of it. I talk every month about how mind-blowing it is to watch your child grow, but nothing has hit me in the heart like my boy turning one year old hit me. This tiny, yet bigger, amazing person is the most amazing part of our lives and we treasure the world that he exists in. It has truly been the best season of our lives watching Simon take his first trip around the sun.
