March Fourth Seven Thirty Six AM

I know all seven of you followers have been obsessively checking my blog for a one year update on
Silas. Well, your waiting is over...

Everyone tells me how fast kids grow up but no one tells me how to stop the clock!  Right now, not kidding, I love Silas just like this.  He's responsive and sweet. He's funny and charming. He's cute and cuddly. He has a schedule (and let me tell you, this schedule has given me my life back!) and I can read him like a picture book. I love this kid to pieces and this love swells my heart on a daily basis. It's a crazy sort of love that is addicting.

then

 

I have been blessed to stay home with my little man and soak up every moment with him this past year.  Amazing and exhausting all in one big whiplash.

Stats:

Height: 32 inches (95%)

Weight: 24.5lbs (75%)

Some of his favorite things include:

-Blankie: Who else but Auntie Gwennie made that for him. He loves to rub the crocheted boarder in his face as he falls asleep.

-Duck. He doesn't necessarily love this duck but the one word he does say is duck. It's more of a mix between duck, quack and dad. We wave the duck in his face saying, "Duck! Silas, can you say duck?!" And he smiles and stares and once in a while we'll here something that sort of sounds like Duck and we cheer.

-Cords. Computer cord. Camera cord. Phone charger cords. Any sort of dangerous cord he loves!

-Bottle. Silas and I are both dreading giving this thing up!  It is so easy and convenient for everyone. Before nap. Before bed. Snuggle time in the morning. Car rides. Bottle, we will miss you!

-Toothbrush.  He obviously doesn't brush his own teeth, but he likes it when we do it for him. He mainly likes walking around with the toothbrush in his mouth!

-Aveeno baby lotion. Lotion back rubs seem to be the cure to just about anything.

Some of his least favorite things:

-Car seat. I dread car rides even if it's to the grocery store.  It's hit or miss. Sometimes he'll sit back there and babble to me or be really quite. And when he's really quite I get nervous because I feel like it's too good to be true. More often than not he cries and wines and if he could talk I think he would say, "I want to move, get me out of these straps, lady!" Now that he's one we have gotten the okay to put him forward facing. Maybe it will make all the difference.

-Diaper changes. I'm getting really good at changing them while he's standng.

Changing clothes: Same as above

He naps twice a day eats most things I put in front of him.  from age 8 to 17 Joe ate a rotation of spaghetti, McDonald's hamburgers, pizza and cereal. that's it. I'm hoping that this open to any food thing sticks with around with Silas.

He says duck, momma and dadda. If I say, "Go get your dadda!" he runs to joe or looks at him with a grin. He mostly speaks in his own little language giving us serious lectures or just telling us stories.  I took him to Punch Pizza with me to meet a friend for lunch the other day and Silas stood in the aisle with one of his arms in the air and started to babble with his deep raspy voice and a serious look on his face.  One of the ladies dining thanked him for the lecture.

Now more than ever Silas' sense of humor is shining.  He thinks funny things are funny. Like if I wear a silly hat or bunny ears, he laughs. If we talk in a silly voice or walk funny, he gets it and that is so much fun.  It's like I can interact with him through humor, too.

It's been especially fun to see Joe connect with Silas more now that he's a little more little kid-ish and less infant like. They wrestle after dinner and share protein shakes at night, it's great.  Foreshading, maybe?!

 Silas hasn't really struggled with separation anxiety.  That I am thankful for.  Maybe 2 times I've left him at the gym or church nursery and he was crying.  Usually he's so excited to play with new toys and be somewhere different than our livng room to even care if I am around or not.

His temper as become more evident as the months pass.  He gets frustrated if things get stuck or if he can't get somewhere he wants to due to a closed door, gate or car seat straps.  Sometimes his face will get all red and he'll make a loud frustrated grunt and tense up.  It's somewhere in between cute and irritating for us to watch.

now

I can't believe how much can happen in such a short time. He went from a smashed wrinkly tiny baby to this handsome little man!

Joe and I are both really loving this stage. I wouldn't say Silas was a super difficult baby, he didn't have colic and we never had to resort to driving him to get him to sleep, but I would definitely not put him in the easy category.  He was always wiggling (still is) and his content times seemed to be less than his fussy times.  Silas is still on the go every moment he's awake, but he is definitely more content which makes life much less stressful.

And lastly, the milk allergy.  I talked to Dr H about our situation and she suggested trying milk again and if he gets sick we know for sure it's the milk. Honestly, I'm scared to do that! She also suggested Lactaid milk, as long as it's fortified with vitamin D. Rice milk is good, but there isn't enough fat in it. Soy milk would work too, but the chiro informed me that it has an estrogen base and he wouldn't suggest putting a boy on soy for any length of time. And then there is goat milk. Dr H doesn't recommend that goat milk and I forget why. I'm leaning towards Lactaid milk at this point. It will probably be just as expensive for us as formula which is a bummer, but definitely not the end of the world and surely better than a sick kiddo.

There you have it, Silas at twelve months!  And if you're not sick of seeing his face plastered all over this blog stay tuned for more pictures, videos and shrines :-)