Today I turned one year old. Actually mom says it is in a little bit, since I was born at 10:43 pm. I am celebrating it up in the Tetons - in fact today we were on a very beautiful hike (toward Table Mountain). I also had a birthday celebration a few days ago with lots of family and friends at a park. This included tasting my first cake, though I didn't actually like the chocolate cupcake and spit most of it out (maybe I will grow to like this, we will see).
Life is pretty amazing. Every day you can learn something new. And if you try new things with your body you will probably be able to do something new too. One example from just a week ago (mom says I was 51 weeks old): I was standing at my mirror having fun (moving out of the way and then popping up to say hi to my reflection), and then I decided to move on over to my changing table, but it looked sooo close so I just went for it! About a minute later I was standing at my changing table and mom was just a few steps away holding her arms out and encouraging me, so I went big and took my first few steps! And then five minutes later I tried again into mom's arms, and I took four steps. It was a big thing and yet it was gradual at the same time, just a natural transition that comes from trying new things all of the time (of course encouragement and congratulations makes it fun too).
This month I started doing a bunch of new things. Like I can clap now (sometimes making noise), and I understand 'good job' and clap whenever mom or Appa or Karin say it. I have been waving for a while, but I am getting better at it, and even wave back to strangers that are saying hi (like the other day at Old Faithful).
I like to play a lot. Of course sometimes this is with toys, but most of the time it is with people. Like when Appa or Karin chase me around the living room table - I can move really quickly around it and try to catch them (on occasion I do!). I play by moving my head way to the right and then back up straight, imitating Karin. I like it a bunch when mom chases me around by crawling. I also love laughing. Who doesn't? I suggest everyone try to laugh every day. Another thing that is just plain fun is jumping. On couches or in my crib. I will work on finding other fun places for this. And sometimes the play is with sounds. I like to almost-talk a bunch (with sounds that are hard to imitate), but can almost banter back and forth with 'arhhh'.
I like penguins, and generally animals that like the cold. Mom thinks this is pretty funny since she likes snow-related things so much (maybe it is in the blood?). In the animal book when we get to the page with a polar bear and penguins, I give the penguins a 'kiss' - right now this kind of looks like me tasting them, but mom figured out I am giving them a kiss. Water animals aren't super exciting, so I pass by that page pretty quickly. Of course I still love cats.
This month I spent my first night outside in a tent! It was a little cold, but I think I did pretty well. There was also a fire there, and I really like watching flames. We went on a few hikes and saw pretty mountains and a neat gem of a lake. I even tried tasting pine needles!
I have quite a few teeth (seven as of a few days ago), and two new teeth are coming in as we speak (because of this I have a little fever so I went to bed early tonight). But most of the time these teeth are allowing me to do new things like chomp down on a strawberry (yum!).
As you know, I like water. Splashing in the bath, or running my hands through water in the faucet. But especially when Appa dips my feet into a running river (in Yellowstone) - that makes me smile a lot (see the middle picture below).
Mom says I am a toddler now because I am one year old. A lot of new and beautiful things are sure to be in store for me in the coming year. Thank you mom and Appa and God for my life!
Life is pretty amazing. Every day you can learn something new. And if you try new things with your body you will probably be able to do something new too. One example from just a week ago (mom says I was 51 weeks old): I was standing at my mirror having fun (moving out of the way and then popping up to say hi to my reflection), and then I decided to move on over to my changing table, but it looked sooo close so I just went for it! About a minute later I was standing at my changing table and mom was just a few steps away holding her arms out and encouraging me, so I went big and took my first few steps! And then five minutes later I tried again into mom's arms, and I took four steps. It was a big thing and yet it was gradual at the same time, just a natural transition that comes from trying new things all of the time (of course encouragement and congratulations makes it fun too).
This month I started doing a bunch of new things. Like I can clap now (sometimes making noise), and I understand 'good job' and clap whenever mom or Appa or Karin say it. I have been waving for a while, but I am getting better at it, and even wave back to strangers that are saying hi (like the other day at Old Faithful).
I like to play a lot. Of course sometimes this is with toys, but most of the time it is with people. Like when Appa or Karin chase me around the living room table - I can move really quickly around it and try to catch them (on occasion I do!). I play by moving my head way to the right and then back up straight, imitating Karin. I like it a bunch when mom chases me around by crawling. I also love laughing. Who doesn't? I suggest everyone try to laugh every day. Another thing that is just plain fun is jumping. On couches or in my crib. I will work on finding other fun places for this. And sometimes the play is with sounds. I like to almost-talk a bunch (with sounds that are hard to imitate), but can almost banter back and forth with 'arhhh'.
I like penguins, and generally animals that like the cold. Mom thinks this is pretty funny since she likes snow-related things so much (maybe it is in the blood?). In the animal book when we get to the page with a polar bear and penguins, I give the penguins a 'kiss' - right now this kind of looks like me tasting them, but mom figured out I am giving them a kiss. Water animals aren't super exciting, so I pass by that page pretty quickly. Of course I still love cats.
This month I spent my first night outside in a tent! It was a little cold, but I think I did pretty well. There was also a fire there, and I really like watching flames. We went on a few hikes and saw pretty mountains and a neat gem of a lake. I even tried tasting pine needles!
I have quite a few teeth (seven as of a few days ago), and two new teeth are coming in as we speak (because of this I have a little fever so I went to bed early tonight). But most of the time these teeth are allowing me to do new things like chomp down on a strawberry (yum!).
As you know, I like water. Splashing in the bath, or running my hands through water in the faucet. But especially when Appa dips my feet into a running river (in Yellowstone) - that makes me smile a lot (see the middle picture below).
Mom says I am a toddler now because I am one year old. A lot of new and beautiful things are sure to be in store for me in the coming year. Thank you mom and Appa and God for my life!
