The Little Things - There's Nothing Bigger.

Favorite things about my son's first year of life:

• His left thumb is almost always wrinkled up like a raisin, because of how frequently said thumb is inserted in the mouth.

• His eyes are so very blue.

• He's a good eater.

• He likes to swim already.

• His curls are turning into tiny ringlets. I think of him as always having a lot of hair, but even looking back at his 8 and 9 month pictures, his hair is ridiculously long now. He has little wings on the side.




• He's such a good sleeper. I know how thankful I should be about this. He has slept about 12 hours every night since he was 3 months old. I attribute this to the thumb and his bedtime routine.




• He always smells like Neutrogena Rainbath. I bought a ton of that Johnsons Bedtime Bath and all that stuff. They used Rainbath on him in the hospital, and he smelled SO good, that I went and bought an enormous bottle at Sam's Club when he was a month old. It's still 25% full. The Johnsons Bedtime Bath is still in the linen closet.



• Since he has been born, he's only been really sick one time. When he was seven weeks old. I had to spend the night in the hospital with him. Longest night ever. When I think about all the things that can go wrong for children, I thank God that I have a healthy child.




• He hits all his milestones. He has teeth. He talks. He plays. He walks. He bangs stuff together. He's perfect.



• Watching him walk is like seeing a little tiny drunk zombie. It's priceless.

• When he's sleepy, he likes to curl up on something fuzzy and soft, like his polar bear. Or his back-up polar bear that he got for his birthday in case anything ever happens to the original. (that's the polar bear under him...)

• He's so ticklish. Making him giggle from tickling, it reminds me how happy I am to have him. His giggle is infectious.
  
  
• It appears as if his favorite food is meatloaf of all things. He also really likes pears, noodles, carrots, broccoli, graham crackers and gnocchi.
  

• When we read to him, he follows along and "reads" too.
  
  
• His favorite show, (really the only show he pays much attention to) is Little Einsteins. I know all of the songs. They get stuck in my head at work at 3am. I love how he raises his arms when Rocket blasts off. He loves it.
  
  
• He just learned how to give kisses. It's more of an open-mouth head-butt to the face, but... he's learning. And he gives kisses away on demand, so.
  
• He flirts with random women. He still has stranger anxiety, but if he doesn't get too worried, he is all smiles and shy glances. Already a ladie's man. He's going to give the girls some trouble. (Especially that Lily Dilly)...

• Some days he looks like Clint, some days he looks like me. He's the perfect hybrid.

• His learning to walk has been a crazy adventure.

It's been an awesome year.