Shots

Yesterday morning was Colton's one year well check with his pediatrician (whom I adore). Maybe it's just me but does anyone else feel like you are reporting in to the pediatrician as if your child is on loan from them? It's like I'm seeking her approval that I'm doing ok raising my child. As if she is the owner of my child? It's weird and I'm not sure why I feel that way. However, it is always such a wonderful feeling to leave the doctor with a clean bill of health and a reassurance that I'm doing something right. Colton was charming for the most part until the dreaded shots. Sadie has always been such an angel with shots. She hasn't cried for any shots since before she turned two. And even when she was a baby, I don't remember things being all that bad. She cried, but recovered quickly. Colton on the other hand was not having it. And to his credit, he did have to sit through six shots all preceded by a finger prick with a blood draw. The finger prick was more of an annoyance to him. But the shots, oh the shots. It was sad. And I'm usually pretty tough because I know the shots are to protect them. But his little face was so so sad. He screamed - a scream like I have never before heard. And the alligator tears were flowing down his squishy cheeks! The little dot band-aids the nurse kept putting on got rubbed right off. And I came out of it with my own battle wounds (dots of blood) all over my shirt. After the nurse finished ALL SIX shots, I snuggled Colton, gave him his paci and his doggie and he started calming down. Meanwhile the nurse was getting regular size band-aids ready to replace all the others that had fallen off. Every time she came closer to replace a bandaid, he looked at her and wailed. So sad! Colton wouldn't so much as look at the sweet nurse without wailing. After I finally got him dressed, packed in the stroller, rain cover on (it was pouring), stroller down the stairs and a few blocks toward home, he fell fast asleep for almost 2 hours! Sleeping through lunch! That is unheard of from my little short napper and never-miss-a-meal little beefer! I of course spoiled him the rest of the day.

For the record, at one year my little big guy's stats:

Weight: 24lb 1oz (69th percentile)
Height: 30.25 inches (65th percentile)
Head Circumference: 47.5cm (80th percentile)

Ice Cream

There was a time a while back when Brett and Sadie would lay on our bed and talk - talk about their day, their hopes and dreams, or really just about anything. It was their thing, their time. It has since evolved. Now, they love to have dessert together.  It's their new thing. I'm generally not invited. And I'm ok with that. Because it's their special time. Last night, they served up ice cream, with milk of course. They sat their chairs off of the carpet ready to watch a General Conference talk (as we try to do most nights). When I looked over, this is what I saw:

Like father, like daughter. I love them.

After Sadie finished her ice cream, she turned and asked me if she could have more. I of course said 'no' especially given the large quantity Brett had served her.  She responded that she was still hungry and then asked, 'Mom, can I have some carrots then?' To which I quickly replied 'Of course!' (I frequently offer vegetables when she tells me she is hungry at times that I think she shouldn't be). She turned around to Brett and enthusiastically said, 'Daddy, mom said that I can have CARROTS!' And then turned to me as she ran in the kitchen and shouted, 'THANKS mom for letting me have carrots!' I love her and her love of vegetables and her ability to be easily pleased.

Speaking of being easily pleased...

A week ago for Family Home Evening, we drew up our Christmas lists as our main activity. My main purpose in doing so was to get Sadie a few more ideas. Whenever anyone would ask her what she wanted for Christmas she would say, 'a princess Barbie.' I'm not opposed to that, but she already has one or two and I think there are a lot of other things that she would enjoy more. So, we looked online for some ideas. She was excited about every. single. one. Brett concluded, 'So pretty much we've learned that Sadie would be happy with anything for Christmas!'

I love my Sadie!

All in a years time

In the past 12 months, Colton...

- Slept a total of 4,859 hours and 16 minutes (that's 1,803 naps or night-time periods of sleep)
- Had 1,909 diapers changed (623 of those being messy)
- Took 120 bottles drinking a total of 3.7 gallons
- Nursed 1,749 times for a total of 347 hours and 41 minutes (and I wonder why I never got anything done)
- Mommy pumped 98 times totaling 14 hours and 58 minutes which produced 3.6 gallons (TMI?)

Note: This is only as accurate as mom, dad and caretakers were diligent. A few chunks of time when mommy worked freelance projects or mommy and daddy went to Paris for 8 days are spottily recorded.

Now that you've read your useless, but fascinating, facts of the day (brought to you courtesy of the BabyConnect app)...

I don't recall time passing this quickly with Sadie, but my oh my has the year just flown by. It seems like yesterday we were bringing Colton home and I was adjusting to life with two. Maybe it seems like yesterday because I am still  trying to adjust to life with two. The second time around it took me about 9 months to get to the point where I felt like I had it more or less together and could get all three of us ready and out the door in a reasonable amount of time. I digress.

Colton is the sweetest little one-year-old. He loves to tackle mommy and give her lots of snuggles. He lights up the minute he sees Sadie. She can get him to giggle like no one else. He knows how to say his nickname 'gugus' as well as 'dada' and occasionally 'mama.' He is working on saying Sadie. Colton loves to play with blocks, give hugs to his stuffed doggie, clap, practice walking, dance and get in to anything and everything he can. His favorite is to work on his newly acquired climbing skill - he climbs on to the big chair then sits back and relaxes with a big grin on his face. He is very ticklish and loves when 'spiders' crawl up his legs all the way to tickle his chest. He is a trooper being dragged all over the city to drop Sadie at school, pick her back up, watch her dance class, run errands with mom, etc. He really is a good little guy and we can't imagine life without him.

In the first year, we have a tradition of monthly photo shoots complete with cupcakes and candles (in the amount of the number of months completed). With Colton we tried to have him debut his new tricks in each monthly photo. Can you tell what he had learned to do each month?

Today we celebrated with our family of four. Colton treated us to an extra hour of sleep this morning. We all greeted him at 7:30 with a rousing rendition of 'Happy Birthday' followed by his favorite breakfast of yogurt and Trader Joes Os. After a long nap, he awoke to a cake smash shoot. For the past twelve months we've put small cupcakes in front of him for our pictures and have been in close proximity so as to save him from eating them. Today when we set him down and told him to have at it, he didn't even care that it was there. After much prodding and a few tastes given to him by daddy, Colton dove in and didn't look back. Sadie waited patiently for her turn to dive in. Presents, a few hours in Central Park and then back home for dinner, dancing around the apartment to Christmas music and bed. All in all the perfect birthday for a little guy.

And now, what you really care about...