My "baby" is a "toddler!"

Happy first birthday to this little cutie!

He had a bit of a cold on photo shoot day and may not have been in the mood so I only took a few (not-so-great) pics but after 11 months of the sticker-on-the-onesie pics, I wasn't going to drop the ball now!

This guy loves balls and trucks and cars.  He pushes cars around and actually says "Vroom!" (or something kinda like it).  He's constantly playing with balls - he'll pick one up and play with it, tossing it up in the air repeatedly.  He loves dogs - every time we're in Lucy's room, he heads straight to her dollhouse and grabs the toy dogs.  He's getting good at barking like a doggy, too!  He loves real dogs, too, but hasn't quite grasped the concept of being gentle with them...luckily his dog friends Shadow and Charlie are pretty good sports...He still loves "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and likes peek-a-boo and other sing-along songs like "The Wheels on the Bus."  He still loves baths and is a splashing machine.  He got a new pool from Grandma & Grandpa for his birthday and I'm sure he'll love splashing around in there!

Sweet Maxyboy turned 1 on Saturday, May 16.  Lucy and I made him cupcakes and then all four of us went to the zoo to celebrate.

 

Lucy helped him blow out the candle
but he handled eating his cupcake - in record time! - all by himself!



Zoo fun!  Lucy's not the only one who likes giraffes!

After the zoo, Max got to open some birthday gifts...Lucy got him a pair of flip flops!  She was so excited to get him a gift and came up with the idea on her own.  He seemed to like them!

We told Lucy Max's birthday is also "big sister day" and she got a gift for being such a great big sis this year.  Max surprised her with two Disney read-along storybooks.  Max got a sprinkler and a car from mom and dad.



"Vroom!"



He loved his gift from Ms. Shelly and her family - a soccer ball, a musical microphone, and a stuffed turtle (that Lucy quickly confiscated...)

I took off work on the following Tuesday to take Max on his birthday date.  We had a fun morning together and I even got to hold my sleeping baby for his morning nap: 

I love these sweet moments!

Next we went to the library.  Max loves playing there and roams around as if he owns the place!

Unfortunately we had to go to the doctor next for his 1 year check-up featuring several immunizations...he was pretty tough about them, though, and he loved seeing Dr. Brokaw.

We went home to eat lunch but then we headed back out to finish our date - we went to Totter's Otterville to play, play, play...but the shots had knocked him out pretty good...



More sweet baby snuggles!

 I drove around for quite awhile, then I transferred the sleepyhead to his stroller, then I got him out and carried him around...finally I gently woke him up and he was good to go and ready to explore!

He loved splashing at the water table...at one point, he filled a bucket and turned and poured it right on my foot...and since I was wearing socks and gym shoes, I enjoyed a soggy foot the rest of the day! 

Wild man!



He walked over to this chair and kept pointing
and making sounds at me until I put him in...
what a big boy!

That was the day he really started walking...he'd been standing up from a seated position without holding onto anything for a few days and he had been standing well on his own for longer stretches and had even taken a couple of steps here and there.  But on May 19 (at 1 year and 3 days old), he really became a walker.  He's very proud of himself and of course Dave and I are proud, too, but Lucy...well she just can't get enough!  She points it out and applauds him every time he walks a good stretch...such a proud big sis!

He also finally got his third tooth.  The day before his 1 year doctor visit, he wasn't himself and even had a low-grade fever.  That night, I noticed he had gotten one of his top "fang" teeth!  With Lucy, we didn't really go through "teething."  One day she had no teeth, and the next she had two.  A few weeks later, she had two more.  We just kind of discovered them in her mouth.  Apparently this isn't typical...Max has had a much rougher go - lots of drool and sore gums and the low grade fever and irritability...poor guy...
With his ear infection history, we were a little worried there was more to these symptoms but Dr. Brokaw said his ears looked perfect and confirmed that what Max was going through seemed like teething issues...

12 month stats:
Weight - 23.88 pounds (66%)
Height - 30 inches (57%)

I am proud to say that I exclusively nursed Max for a year and then some (with a little bit of formula supplementing early on) but I am even more excited to say that I am no longer pumping!  Hallelujah!  Freedom!  I'm still nursing him on the weekends and in the evenings but no more pumping is definitely cause for celebration...and I seamlessly switched him to Vitamin D milk during the weekdays.  With Lucy I had to mix the Vitamin D with breast milk and had to introduce it little by little (1/3 Vitamin D, 2/3 breast milk, then 1/2 and 1/2 and so on...) but this guy had no problem with the straight switch!


We had Max's first birthday party at Daddy's school on Sunday, May 24 and it was a huge success.  He loved every minute of his party and stayed awake for the whole thing!

I bought his shirt online (an owl next to a "1" holding a birthday balloon), the talented GranJan made his cake, and Auntie Donna made the fruity owl (and I made the birthday banner).

  

Max had fun with Lilee and other friends!



Fun with cousins Alli and P!





Lucy got a few more "big sister day" gifts -
a new dress from Mom & Dad,
a couple more storybooks from Max,
and a princess box and a necklace making kit from Aunt Karen & Uncle Pat



He love-love-LOVED his new bike from Uncle Jeff, Auntie Ema and cousin Lukey!



He was so interested in his gifts and opening them!

New blocks from Mom & Dad - just like the ones at the library!

He finally pooped out at the end of the party and snoozed away while we cleaned up.

Thanks to everyone for celebrating our babyguy with us and making him (and us!) feel so happy and special!

The rest of the photos were taken and edited by my beautiful and talented friend Stacy who, along with her equally talented husband Nick, also made a video slide show to play at Max's party.

Mother's Day weekend, etc.

Feeling thankful for this little lady who made me a mama four years ago:

And totally loving life with this guy who has carved his own place into my heart:

We've had some fun times in the past week or so...hooray for the Spring weather!

It's fun watching Max experience and enjoy the things that baby Lucy did and loved at his age - playing on her swing set and going down the slide, going for a wagon ride (and cracking up when it started to rain and mom started running down the street, pulling a wagon full of crazy kids), riding in the pink car, playing in the backyard...good times!

We got to see Llama llama at the library again this year...Lucy wasn't as shy and nervous as last year but she still preferred having Daddy in the picture with her - and Max!

Paint & Bake Ceramics visited the library that day, too, and kids were invited to paint a tile - and they let Max paint one, too!  That reminds me...I need to stop in there and pick up their masterpieces...

 

Lucy is such a good artist!
And Max did well, too!



Mother's Day weekend brought a lot of fun, too. 

I was invited to Lucy's school on Friday morning for "Muffins with Mom" - so cute!  Lucy was loving life having me at school with her.  Kids got a mini muffin and moms got a bigger muffin - but after Lucy finished hers, she had an idea: "Let's share yours!"

On Saturday morning Lucy had practice for her dance recital but before the big show, the kids and I had time for a quick trip to the park for a picnic!



They each had a Lunchable and as you can see, Max was a big fan! 



Soon it was time for Lucy's performance on the "big stage!"

I hadn't given much thought to Max and whether he should go and by the time I tried to find him a friend during the show, it was too late - so my decision was made for me!  Max came to her show...and he loved it!!  He was completely captivated by all of the pretty little dancers...he sat on my lap for the entire first half of the show and just took it all in.  After intermission, he did require snacks to remain interested but he was such a good boy!

And this girl?

She was amazing!  She did so well up there...she danced to two songs and for the first one, she did look a little lost up there - no smiles - but she did the choreography with her classmates.  I went backstage at intermission and reminded her to smile and reminded her where we were sitting (I'd shown her our seats at rehearsal) and she told me she was having fun.

During her second number, she was much more animated - and she spotted us...her face lit up and she gave us a little wave...so cute!  This year she even got to participate in the finale unlike last year.  What a successful dance recital (and since she's still in the "baby show," it was only about an hour and a half which was perfect for her fans (Mom, Dad, Max, Grandma and Great Grandma).

After the dance recital, we left Max with Grandma and the three of us went to celebrate the new Mr. and Mrs. Beiting at my cousin Josh's wedding reception!  Lucy was still in full dancer make-up and looking lovely in a dress our friends Zoee and Lilee gave her:

Our girl had the time of her life hanging out with friends, eating tons of candy and dinner and cupcakes, and dancing like crazy!  It was her first wedding and she loved it!

On Sunday morning I woke up to gifts from my sweeties - Lucy had made me some things at school - a cute card, a "Mommy" painting, an "All About My Mom" sheet and a hilarious cookbook made with her classmates.

I love this!!  I must be doing something right if the hugs, kisses and "I love yous" are what come to mind when she thinks of me!!

So will I be turning 45 next Friday??



Her class also put together a cookbook...each child apparently got to submit a recipe for a food item of their choice.

Each child has a page in the book and it features a picture of them in an apron and chef's hat along with their recipe.  It sounds like the kids just dictated their recipe to Ms. Julie and one page is funnier than the last...

Lucy's recipe:

Cookies:  I need a little help baking the cookies.  We had to put it into a bowl and then put water in it and then stir it and then put it in my Easy Bake Oven.  We needed a little wrench so we could get it out.  Mommy just used one of our dish thingys.  We tried to pull it out and we couldn't really get it out.  We got 'em out.  We let it cool off and then I ate it.

(So I bought Lucy and Easy Bake Oven at a consignment sale...I thought it came with everything needed but once we got started, I realized it was missing the tool ("little wrench") needed to put the pan in and take the pan out (I have since purchased one)).

Daddy, Lucy and Max had also made me some very special gifts which I can't wait to display in the garden (once we get our flowers planted):

Next we went to brunch at the Syndicate with Grandma & Troy and Great Grandma.  They even had a little petting zoo set up for the kids!  Lucy and Max got to meet several bunnies and turtles, a duck and a chick, a Guinea pig, two chickens and a rooster!

We fished the day with dinner and playing at GranJan & Grandpa's house.

I am one lucky mama!