February 2016 – Peanut Smiles

Happy 1 sweet boy!!!!! This past year has been a big year of transition for us big guy but you have forced us to grow together, built up our patience and multiplied the love Daddy and I are able to give by at least 10!

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We celebrated your birthday four days ago on the weekend with a theme of ‘A Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and it was so fun! I was searching on Etsy for a cute birthday shirt and randomly came across Eric Carl’s Hungry Caterpillar and knew I had to do it. The theme was too perfect for you as you are a hungry little William and eat just about anything and everything in sight.

The party was held on the Sunday before your actual birthday (it fell on a Thursday this year) from 11-2, right in between your two naps. All four of your Grandparents came and also were joined by Great-Grandma T and Great Grandma and Grandpa Sampson, your Aunts and Uncles: Joe, Sheila, Dustin, Greg, Teresa, Beca, Travis and Raelynn and your cousins Ashley and Coco.

For decorations, I didn’t go too crazy. We had light and dark green balloons going up and down the stairs mimicking the way a caterpillar moves with a red balloon at the foot of the staircase. I made a Happy Birthday William sign, hung some streamers and made a caterpillar birthday collage with a photo of you from each month over the past year.

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I also had the book on display next to all of the food the caterpillar eats in the book. I was able to find everything but a plum and an ice cream cone (as that would melt) but had: Apples, pears, strawberries, oranges, chocolate cake, pickles, swiss cheese, salami, lollipops, cherry pie, sausage, cupcake and a slice of watermelon.

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I also found a cute post on pinterest that had created a caterpillar out of cupcakes and a cake, which I attempted to replicate. I would give myself a B on it–could have been better but could have also been much worse.

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I also decorated your smash cake but decorating it with a little caterpillar, sun and some grass.

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Overall the day was so fun and it was so fun celebrating you sweet guy. Although you have had cake and frosting many many times before, you were pretty tired and didn’t get into the whole ‘smashing’ the cake thing. We took a picture of mama and dada with you and the cake right before we sang and as I put the cake back on the table to put the candle in you about lost your mind that I was taking it away from you.

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However, when I put it in front of you to eat, you very delicately took off little pieces of frosting. Eventually, I cut the cake up to let you know it was in there and you stuck your fingers in a little, but for the most part, just had a few pieces of frosting and then were done.

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For your actual birthday, I went to Cub before you woke up and got you a donut for breakfast before school and then had a fun little celebration at home after dinner with some ice cream and sprinkles.

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William, you are such a sweet little boy and love to give hugs and snuggles to anyone that will take them. You love to laugh, make your sister laugh and have the most magical smile with eyes that twinkle and get to people hearts. There isn’t anyone that doesn’t love you and comment on what a great smile you have and how it rarely disappears from your face. I love you more than words could ever express and am so greatfull to be your mom.

Happy 1 William and can’t wait to see all the fun we’ll have in the next year.

Love,

Mama

My dear sweet William,

Happy 1-years old! You make me giddy with excitement. I really don’t know how else to explain it, but every time i see you, I just about burst out of my skin because you are so stinking cute. No joke, even if I just walk around the corner. The way you light up when we make eye contact could turn me into puddle. I just can’t get enough of you. You are a true mama’s boy and I 100% completely underestimated how awesome that really is. Please don’t change.

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Yearly stats:

Weight: 22 lbs (76%)
Height: 30.63″ (61%)
Head: 18.5 cm (74%)

Favorite moments:

You achieved the big milestone of walking this month! You had been so close for several weeks and at the beginning of the month you transitioned to the older infants classroom at daycare and within a week started taking tiny baby steps 2-3 at a time. The following week (on Valentine’s Day) you took off and actually walked the same distance and in the same location that Lexi did for the first time. You were so darn proud of yourself when you did this, you just didn’t want to stop and for the most part haven’t. Occasionally, you will crawl but for the most part, you walk everywhere. I know I’m your mom, but it is the sweetest little walk. You have a wide stance and arms extended in front or to your sides and waddle around. You absolutely refuse to hold anyones hands, I’m not sure if it is for balance or independence yet.

Earlier in the month the four of us were all upstairs getting ready for bed. Daddy was in the rocking chair with Lexi reading books and you were playing. I walked into your doorway and you raced over to me, pulled yourself up on my legs and begged, ‘Mamamama’ with your arms held up. I picked you up and you pointed to the chair and signed milk. So sweet and exciting to see your little brain making connections like that!

At the beginning of the month, we got a pretty decent sized snowstorm. Daddy and Lexi were outside clearing the driveway and playing and you climbed up onto the step stool and stood at the front window and banged on the window and watched in jealousy the entire time. You just can’t wait to be big enough to be out there with them. Next year bud!

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Your favorites:

Wrestling and rough-housing. You love to pile into tickle feasts or just wrestle with mommy and daddy.
Balls
The little people horses (and really all of the animals)
Cars, you love to push them around and make ‘Vrroomm’ sounds. You also love to play with your race track
Eating anything in sight–specifically stuff that is on my plate. Even if you have the same thing, you want to eat it from my plate.
Smiling and laughing. Whenever you have a sub at daycare, we get the comment, he is so cute and so smiley. He just never stops smiling.
Playing chase with Lexi. You love to laugh at her and she gets your going pretty good!
Opening cupboards and drawers and taking everything out of them. You also really like to climb and sit in chairs.
Crawl up and down stairs. You’ve been going up stairs for awhile now, but have recently learned to climb down them on your belly.

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Other interesting things about the month:

You got another tooth (bottom right) for a total of 8. With that came a little cold which led to an ear infection.
Talking is few and far between. You can say ‘Mamamamama’ and ‘Dadada’ but don’t do it consistently or on command. You also say ‘Ba’ which means Ball
At the beginning of the month, you transitioned to the Older Infants classroom at school. Overall you did great! You took your first nap on a cot and eat at the table with the other kids. The only real hangup has been bottles. You refuse to take a bottle or a sippy cup from anyone in that room, even Mrs. Margaret whom you used to take bottles for all of the time in your old classroom. For the first couple of weeks, I came down and sat with you in the classroom and gave you your bottle. Even then it was sort of debatable on if you would take it. Outside of the bottle/sippy situation, you’re loving your new classroom and playing with the kids, singing songs, reading books and going for lots of walks!
As a result of your new classroom, you’ve started to show more interest in books. You bring them to me and plop yourself down in my lap and will sit there for maybe a page or two before you insist on starting to flip the pages yourself. You’re favorite book is the animal book. You love to look at all of the different pictures and hear the sounds they make.
As you have developed your walking skills, you’ve started to walk in the bathtub. You’ve been pulling yourself up to standing in the bath for many months now, but you’ve now become a little more adventurous but not quite stable. You probably fall 3 times every time you take a bath, even when I’m sitting right there. You’ll be a tough cookie with all the times you’ve banged your head and even gone under water. Ironically, it hasn’t scared you at all. You lie right down on your back with now hesitation and love the water coming up around your face.

Oh sweet buddy boo! There is something so magical about you that I’m not sure how to explain but everyone who meets you feels it and trys to articulate it but just can’t. We love everything about you and can’t get enough of you. Happy 1st Birthday! We can’t wait to experience all the fun the next year will bring!

Love,

Mama

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