The terrible 1s?

Whenever we take Nate anywhere, people always say what a HAPPY baby we have, how he must be so photogenic. He's almost always babbling, smiling, waving hi, etc. And it's true -- Nate is easy to entertain. Even if he's crying, we can make him laugh, by tickling him, singing songs, or giving him kisses.

But since his 1st birthday, I've started to notice some interesting behavior. Now, when he's frustrated with something, he'll arch his back and throw his head back, so much that he could smack his head on the floor if we didn't catch it. Luckily for him, we've always been there. And Chuck said he threw his pacifier across the room one day! I'm pretty sure he gets his stubbornness from Chuck. I can say that, because Chuck hasn't written a single blog since Nate was born and so he can't defend himself. Heh heh heh ...

I remember someone telling me when Nate was 3 months old, "Just so you know, the terrible 2s start when they're 1." Of course, 1 seemed so far off, I wasn't concerned - I was worrying about getting him to sleep through the night. But now I think she might be right. He's asserting his independence!

New games we like to play

Race to the toilet
When you hear aggressive crawling that sounds like slap-slap-slap-slap very fast, you can assume that Nate is trying to bust into the bathroom and get his hands in the toilet. It's such a fun game that Nate crawls even faster as you approach and laughs at the prospect of you trying to stop him.

Splishy-splash in the toilet
This is what happens if you lose Race to the toilet.

What happens if I put this food on the floor?
A little experiment that occurs when Nate is no longer hungry or interested in his food. Typically involves Cheerios or peas. Coincidentally, when put on the floor after eating, he will proceed to eat these same items off the floor.

Where's Nate?
Almost always played in the bathtub, Nate will pull the shower curtain in front of his face. You say, "Where's Nate? Where did he go? I miss him!" until he pulls the shower curtain away with a big, toothy grin, and you say, "There you are!" Note that this game never gets old and can go on forever.

You can't find me!
As Nate is driving his car around, you say, "You'll never find me!" and hide in some corner of the house. When he approaches, you jump out and say, "BLAAHHH!!!" really loud. Seriously, the louder the better. And then tickle him.

Scary chase
Also played while Nate is driving his car, you also need to drive your own car at top speed and scream like a crazy person at the top of your lungs. It helps when you spin around really fast like you're totally out of control. You'd think we're terrorizing him, but I've never heard a baby laugh so hard in my whole life.

Tickle zombie
Nate loves to pull on your pant leg until you pick him up. You think that he wants you, but no - he just wants your height. He'll point to something and you're supposed to walk there so he can pull it down and break it. So now when Chuck is holding Nate and he points at something, I'll point at him with one hand, then lift the other, and then come at him like a zombie. A tickle zombie. Again, it sounds like we're torturing him, but this is one of his favorites. For real!

1 big day!

What is this? It tastes good!

I think I like the blue frosting the best ...

Yay! I'm 1 year old today!

When you combine a baby's 1st birthday with his baptism, Easter Sunday, AND a visit from both sets of grandparents and a great-grandma ... it's a big day -- a big weekend, actually. The Vogels and Daleys hadn't seen Nate since Christmas, when he was 8 months, and he's changed a lot! Although he was crawling then, he's gotten much faster, and is now an expert cruiser/bruiser. Nate also had a little bit of separation anxiety this time around - he cried when Mamma Daley went in to get him from his nap, and when Grandpa Vogel surprised him in the kitchen - but once he got used to his grandparents, he was hamming it up like a little social butterfly.

We all got to spend a lot of time together, and Nate enjoyed being the star. He did a great job during the baptism and seemed fascinated by Father. He even smiled and waved at his Grampy, who was taking pictures from the altar. And when he poured water over his head, Nate squirmed a little bit, but didn't cry, even when he got some water in his eyes.

Nate took a LONG 2 1/2 hour nap after his baptism to prep for his big party. It was a good thing too, because he needed a lot of energy to play with all the toys he got as presents! Of course, Nate enjoyed his birthday cake - the first taste of real sugar and lard that he's had in his entire life - and he had a nice sugar buzz for the rest of the night.

And it's official -- Nate is completely weaned off of bottles and is 100% on whole milk in sippy cups. We made the transition right before his 1st birthday and he did great!

Grandma and Grandpa Vogel, please come back to visit again soon!

Almost 1!

Welcoming Nate one year ago.

Nate had his one-year pediatrician appointment today. He weighed in at 24lb. 9oz. (only gaining less than a pound since his nine-month appointment) and measured 30.5 inches long -- in the 75th percentile for both and still perfectly proportioned. His head is still measuring on the big side. I think it was 19.5 inches and in the 97th percentile, but the doctor said that's a good thing because it's starting to curve back to the normal range.

It's hard to believe that in just five more days, my little baby will be a year old! I know every mom says it, but they're right - the year just flew by. And when I look at Nate now, I don't see a baby anymore but a little boy with a big personality. :)

A year ago, it was my due date ... and I wasn't surprised to know that I was going to deliver late. My mom was two weeks late with me (her first), and I suspected that the same would happen for me. Luckily, I only went five days past my due date, but unluckily, my length of labor was about the same: 23 hours. A year ago, I was so apprehensive about childbirth and taking care of a newborn. Would I know when to feed him, how to calm him? Would I ever sleep? I felt so unprepared for motherhood, but when the time came, I was ready. It's amazing to think of how much can change in a year.

The grandparents are all coming in on Thursday to celebrate Nate's birthday weekend. Nate has no idea what is in store for him. So much attention!