12 Month Update on our Little Man

And just like that, we have a one-year-old.

Ladies and gents, I don’t know whether to smile, ugly cry, or gasp, so I guess I’ll just do all three. It’s funny because there were many times when the newborn phase crawled – moments I didn’t think we’d ever make it to this point (I’m being super dramatic, but those beginning months are the hardest!), but here we are with a toddler.

When I say toddler out loud, I don’t even believe it. He doesn’t look big enough to be a toddler! He’s still chunky and happy, and always wants to snuggle with me. He’s still a baby, people!!

Side note, in case you’re wondering where in the world I’ve been. Let me give you a little summary… within the past three weeks, we hosted two big parties (both with 40 plus guests), are continuing to paint and maintain our house, and we recently caught a mouse. YES A MOUSE. I hate thinking about it, so that’s all I’m going to say. Oh, the perks of living in an old home. Please don’t judge.

Anyway, here are some updates on our little boy.

Taking His Time

While we thought Emory would be walking by now, he’s still taking his sweet time and is perfectly content with crawling everywhere. I’m glad he’s taking his time, but I am anxious to see his little feet patter around our house. I’m sure he’ll be doing a lot of chasing after his sister.

Got Milk?

After 365 days of nursing, Emory has now transitioned to whole milk. It’s bittersweet. I was ready to be done with breastfeeding, but at the same time, it was something he needed me for and something that helped us bond, so stopping kind of made me sad. During my last couple of days of nursing him, I was able to reflect on how much love and time goes into feeding your child (breast or bottle) and it’s such a great aspect of motherhood. Love to all you mamas!

Mommy & Me Time

While Emory’s big sis is in preschool I’m looking forward to some one-on-one time with him! I’ve made a point to have dates with Peyton, but haven’t had a ton of one-on-one time with Emory. I mean, I have dragged him antiquing with me a bunch of times, but that doesn’t count. I’m looking forward to spending time focusing on him. I’m hoping to sign us up for a class or two and attend story time together.

One of My Favorite Stages

I forgot how much I love this stage. It’s the coolest thing seeing my children learn so much in a short amount of time. Emory has picked up many words and seems to understand what we’re telling him. It’s the best seeing his eyes light up when he sees something new or witness his big smile when he accomplishes something. The interactions between him and his sister just keep getting better too. Although, he’s not afraid to start grabbing toys from her and get angry if she does the same. Cue the drama.

Birthday Fun

We celebrated Emory’s birthday at the Shedd Aquarium as a family. He loved being in my husband’s arms and looking at the fish. It was so cute. We also celebrated with family over the weekend and had a barnyard bash for him. All the pictures from this post are from the party. I plan on posting about it soon.

I think that’s it for now. I know I’m missing stuff, but as you can tell, my two babes keep me busy, so my head is all over the place! And while I’m still in denial that we have a one-year-old, I know these next couple of months are going to be magical watching him grow and learn more.