Happy Birthday to Our One Year Old!!!

The day has come.  Our baby boy has blessed us with his sweet little self for a whole year!  His babyness is going and I see a toddler more and more every day.  Even though Levi's birthday week was full of lots of emotion for this momma, it is also such a joyful time.  This month specifically Levi seems to have grown so much, not just physically but socially.  He's developing his little personality and we get to witness it!  So fun! 


The month of March was a bit crazy for us.  My birthday was on the 2nd.  No big plans except a babysitter and a night out for Josh and I.

Trying out the little red wagon.  Levi was pretty much swallowed up in it, but anything that gets this little guy outside makes him happy!  He loves to be outside....getting filthy.  : D

"Um...not sure exactly what's going on here, but I'll give you a squinty, little smile."

Levi is constantly on the move....everywhere and into everything!  Rolling on the laundry(with Keller of course), throwing laundry everywhere, dragging it around the house, taking trash out of the trash can, putting things into the trash can(pretty sure we ended up throwing our ipod away not realizing it was in the trash), and so on.  I'm not sure how you even attempt to keep a clean house once you have more than one child.  :/

Joshua turned the big 30 on the 7th.  We had a little get-together with some work buddies and their families. 

Levi got RSV this month.  So sad!  Once we got him going on the breathing treatments, antibiotics, and steroids it went away pretty quickly.  But man, for a few days he was sick.  It does something to you to see your little feeling terrible.  He took his treatments like a champ...once we distracted him with cartoons.  The liquid medicine was another story.  It made him throw up and gag.  Boo.  No fun! 

At least good snuggles came out of this sick time.  Josh also caught something and felt terrible.  I think they did some extra bonding here.  Ever since they were both sick, Levi has been much more attached to his Daddy.  Let me tell you I was taking emergen-C like crazy!  Amazingly, through God's protection, I stayed healthy through it all.

Getting better but not quite himself.

Did I mention he loves to be outside?  He loves to play with wood chips, sticks, dirt, rocks, grass....whatever basically.  He now will go stand at the door and bang on it.  Or try to crawl out the doggie door.  Pretty funny!

Levi says momma, dadda a lot!  Pretty sure he's associating it was me and Josh, but not always so sure.  He jabbers like crazy, but nothing specific.

Levi still wears size four diapers.  He's in 12 month clothes and a few 9 month pants....he's got some short legs.  Ha!

He waves....not on command, just when he feels compelled.

Levi got his front two teeth in this month.....first time I could actually tell he was teething.  That brings him up to 6 total.

I love this face.  He has gotten FAR more demanding this month.  Especially when it comes to food.  He 'yells' and whines....not so attractive.  :D  He wants more cheddar bunnies in this picture.

Oh...diaper changing also brings out the ugly in Levi.

Still best buds with Keller.

Josh's parents came up to celebrate Levi's birthday, and help Josh tear down and put up part of our fence.  It was actually quite chilly here that weekend.  All snuggled up with his Granna watching the boys work.

Opening his first Bday present.  It was a hit!  Oh, and the beanie and sperry's were gifts as well. 

Levi started walking this month....about a week after he turned 11 months.  It's pretty hilarious....hard to describe but pretty funny looking.  He's slowly gaining more balance and confidence which makes him want to go quicker.  But he'll hold his hands up to his body, sticks out his belly and goes for it.  He eventually plops down and starts back over.  So cute!  No big falls yet.

"Is that for me?"

Whatever entertains this little guy in a store works for me.  He actually really liked having these on.  Ha!

Levi can put the food away....seriously!  He eats and eats and eats.  He's officially off formula this month...not that he was really drinking much of it anyway.  He's slowly warming up to whole milk.

He is such a messy eater.  I love this picture.  Levi discovered the 'secret pocket' in his bib.  Perfect for putting food in.  Ha!

Favorite foods: avocado, blueberries, cheese, black beans, eggs, hot dog, burger, french fries, fruit smoothies, oranges, cheddar bunnies

He loves his water still....if it's out of a straw.

There is nothing he hates, but sometimes he might like and other times notta.

Somebody's ONE!  Not so easy to get him to smile any more. 

Stats:
Weight: 21 pounds (23 %)
Heighth: 30.25 inches(60 %)

That's right...we took Levi to McDonalds for his Bday. 

Love you son!  You have blessed us more than you can imagine this past year.  Lord, how can I ever thank you enough for blessing us with Levi?  We are humbled and so very grateful to enjoy his little life!

More birthday party pics to come!

Oh my...Levi is 11 months old!

Wow!  Here we are again.  Levi is getting ever so close to that one year mark.  Yikes!  I'm not sure I'm ready for that.  And yet at the same time each month has been so very fun, including this last one.  I see 'little boy' in my sweet baby's face more and more often it seems. 

We finally broke out the little red wagon Levi got for Christmas.  So fun!  He looks tiny in this giant thing, but loved riding in it.  We just need some more kids to pile in with him.  : D

 

Levi really just kept wanting to stand in it.  Eek!  Little too unsafe for this momma.

Just swinging with Dad.  Levi loves to be moving that's for sure.

Going on a date for my 29th birthday!

Levi has still been such a great sleeper.  He takes about 1 and 1/2 hour naps twice a day.  Can we just keep this up for a while?  :D

He still loves his paci!  He sucks on one and holds the others.

I love how he still sucks his bottom lip completely in sometimes.

He gets this concerned look on his little face when he feels uncomfortable(like when we plop him down on the not so soft grass) or he's upset.

Levi's still be little walking buddy.  But he has discovered that I am behind him and he wants to see me the whole time.  Ha!

Meals on Wheels with our friends!

Levi still isn't walking, but he does like pushing things around and 'coasting' along whatever.

Levi still loves his books!  Or at least pulling them ALL off the shelves.  But really, he does like to be read to most of the time.  He's gotten rather good at knowing how to open all the flaps for his flap books.  And now he wants to do the page turning or book holding.

So last month I was all concerned about his eating....or at least the amount of formula he was getting.  It quickly changed, and he is now taking 4 5-6 oz bottles just about every day.  He usually eats table food like a champ as well.  He likes just about everything I give him...even though he might not want it one day, so often he'll take it the next.  His staples still consist of: cheese, bread, tortilla, avocado, black beans, blueberries, bananas, any fruit really, yogurt.  Veggies have become a bit of a problem.  :/  Not too fond of them.

Oh, he now HATES his bib.  He rips it off either instantly or at some point in the feeding.  I don't even bother with one now....and we just have a filthy baby.  Ha!

Once he discovered he can actually get IN Keller's bed, it's a common occurance now.  Poor Keller.

Levi is a 'talker.'  He makes all kinds of noises, but nothing super clear.

My mom came and stayed with us....yay!  So fun to have her here!  Levi loved it too.

Levi finally discovered splashing....serious splashing!  He even gets all mad/sad when I take him out of the bath.

Time for haircut number two.  Mom and I tackled his hair again!

So sweet!

At least it is entertainment while I cook right?
But he also gets into every other drawer and cabinet in the kitchen.  I feel like I pick up the same things over and over and over and .................

What a mess!
Levi got his fourth tooth this month.....the other eye tooth.  His top two teeth look really close to coming in as well.

He loves toting around his new lunch box.  I couldn't resist....so cute!

I have no idea how much he's weighing these days....guess we'll see at his one month appt.

Levi is 10 months old!

So...I am definitely a bit late posting this.  Levi turned ten months on the 27th.  This month was fun, but a blur.  We were on the go constantly!  I had to look back at Levi's 9 month post to even remember how he has changed this month.  Is that terrible?!  Anyway...here we are: 10 months!


It seems like once Levi discovered table food....and his hands as utensils, he never looked back.  I think there was actually a week or so in there that he hesitated on table foods.  But since then he loves just about anything I put in front of him.  He shovels it in his mouth as fast as he can get it there.  His pincer grasp is getting better, but he still uses his whole hand to shove food in.  I definitely still have to pick up dropped food(from his bib and chair) and replace it on the tray quite a bit. 

Favorite foods: black beans, peaches, cheese, broccoli, eggs

It's kind of pathetic actually.  He eats these foods at least once a day just about. He just LOVES them! 

So...as grateful as I am that Levi is a pro at eating table food already, he has pretty much decided formula is for the birds.  Literally...the stinker will hardly drink any formala!!!  I can maybe get 10 oz down him a day....tops!  He LOVES water....but don't even think you can fool this one into drinking formala mixed in anything, or in any other cup.  Too smart for that!  :D  I'm going to try mixing in formala with whole milk later today and see if he takes that.
 

I just love this guy!  He is such a sweety!  He just roams around the house doing his own thing most of the time.  He just entertains himself with toys, pulling up-shuffling-sitting down over and over again, pulling anything he can reach off everything, climbing on Keller, etc.

Favorite toy: anything that makes noise(If he can get two noise toys going at the same time he's really happy!  He bounces his little body any time he hears any form of music or beat.  He might be the musical one out of this family.  Ha!)
 

I'm still squeezing him into 9 month clothes, but he fits into 12 mo clothes more comfortably.

Still wearing size 4 diapers.

Here are his stats for his 9 month appt(1 1/2 months ago now):
height: 29.5 inches (83%)
wieght: 18.12 lbs (19%)
head: 17.75 cm (40%)

I have no idea how much he's grown since then, but let's just say he's still a lightweight.  Ha.  He basically just won't eat unless he's good and ready.  He's just my skinny minny.
 

Did I aleady say how much he LOVES this water cup with a straw!?
 

Time for another hair cut. At least his hair grows like crazy even if he doesn't.  :D

Levi just got in his third tooth this month.  He has his two bottom ones and I was waiting for two top ones.  And then some random side tooth comes through the other day.  I think the eye tooth...is that what one is called?
 

Every day Levi gets braver and braver letting go of things and just standing.  But no attemp to walk on his own without holding on to something yet.
 

Levi loves to play under the table for some reason.  Thankfully no big bruises yet.

He loves to play games much more now like chase and peek-a-boo.

He still loves to be read to.  He went through a phase of flip books, but now just seems entertained with whatever I read him.

No distinct words yet, but Levi "talks and talks" with lots of dada, mama, baba, gaga, vava and so on.  He says it with such intensity or just quietly to himself over and over.  So cute!
 

One of our trips this January was to Pagosa Springs, CO with Josh's very big family.  It was lots of fun!  This day we went on a beautiful train ride in Durango.
 

I love watching Levi light up every time Josh comes home from work.  Blesses me every time.
 

We finally got to bundle Levi up real good.  It was freezing!  It never gets that cold down in San Angelo.
 

 

Josh's cousin's daughter, Kinley helped a lot with Levi.  She carried him everywhere and entertained him the whole trip.  So grateful for her help!
 

This is a rare and sweet moment for this momma.  Levi always just sleeps in his bed, but apparently too tired to care here.  I love my independent little bitty, but that also comes with not much snuggling.  Treasuring these moments.
 

Levi got pulled around the house in a baby sled.  He loved it!
 

Snow!!!

I was more worried about Levi getting sunburned here than cold.  It was rather toasty.
 

Levi loved his first sledding experience.  He'd move his body to make the sled move forward and then smile.
 

 

I was busy enjoying the sledding hill myself.  It definitely brought the kid out in me.  Ha!  Until I fell off and realized I'm not a kid anymore.  Hurts much more than it used to. :D
 

A little friendly racing.
 

I sure love these two a lot!