It's Fun to be One!

12 MONTHS 

 (Probably a good thing we're done with the sheep pics, they are nearly impossible to do these days!)

The day that has been bum-rushing me since the minute I laid eyes on our little man is here, Tristan Maximus is ONE YEAR OLD! "It goes so fast" is what everyone tells you (often) and it could not be more true. It feels like we blinked and our 7lb 7oz, cone-headed, fragile little baby turned into a beefy (I don't know his exact weight, I loaned our baby scale to a friend and our doctor's appointment isn't until next week, but my arms tell me he's heavy!), round-headed, independent little boy. While I certainly miss those days of newborn snuggles and early-month coos, I am amazed at how much more fun each day gets with this dude. He could not be more perfect and we could not love him more than we already do...yet we'll do just that tomorrow, and every day thereafter. :-) 

Words simply cannot describe the love I have for this little human being and the joy he brings the lives of everyone he's around. So, instead I'll fill you in on what he's up to these days and let the pictures do the talking. 

It's fun to be one!!

AT ONE YEAR, TRISTAN...

...has the most infectious, contagious giggle.

...is a huge fan of his fursiblings.

...sleeps through the night (long time coming here!)

...has WILD hair that can't be tamed!

...chatterboxes all the time!

...loves to play outside.

...runs around the house like crazy. 

...gives the best hugs. :)

...HATES being in the car seat/car. 

...loves music and dancing!

...builds with blocks and gets a kick out of knocking them over.

...smiles in his sleep. :-)

...is very smart (according to his very biased parents).

...has a wonderful disposition and a happy personality.

...prefers to be barefoot and takes his socks & shoes off every chance he can. 

...loves playing on stairs of all kinds.

...is a curious character.

...thinks chalk is a tasty snack.

...is built kind of like a fire hydrant, the height genes haven't kicked in just yet. The belly though!!

...shows lots of emotions in his AMAZING expressions. Very meme-worthy face!

...still isn't a fan of diaper changes, I imagine this will continue to get worse.

...has at least 5 teeth, they pretty much all showed up at once!

...finds Baby Einstein shows entertaining (a great distraction when need be!)

...loves his stuffed animals. And balls. And blocks. And empty bowls/boxes/cans/etc. ;)

...drinks from sippy cups, feeds himself with a spoon (not cleanly though) and still loves beans!

...is THE. BEST. KID. EVER. 

I could go on and on about all his wonderful characteristics, but I already feel like I'm repeating a lot from the past couple months and missing a bunch that I just can't think of right now. We love this boy to the moon and back (and to the moon and back again) and cannot wait to see what is in store for us in the next year of life!

Happy birthday, Tristan, we love you more than you'll ever know! Thanks for the incredible year of love, laughter and entertainment!

11 months!

How did we get here!?

I'm in shock, denial and disbelief that my little baby boy is 11 months old and that this is the last monthly update I'll do before he loses a digit and turns the BIG 1! The only thing keeping me from crumbling into a hot mess of tears is the fact that Tristan gets cuter, more entertaining and more amazing every single day.

I guess that's the universe's way of showing parents the silver lining of our babies growing up so quickly. And to say they grow up quickly is a major understatement.

(He's as shocked as we are!)

I'm trying to find the pause button on life, but I'm not getting anywhere! Instead, Tristan is growing up and advancing at lightning speed. I think this may be one of the biggest jumps yet.

In addition to being our monthly photo prop.,sheepy (or lamby, depending on the day) is also Tristan's favorite snuggle buddy. They sure make a cute pair. :) 

And now just some snapshots of our little smiley ray of sunshine:

I wish I had time to post 1,000 more pictures of his adorableness!! (I know most of these are the same picture with a different outfit, but these are the easiest to quickly grab from the 9,000+ on my phone. Note to self: sort pictures.)

AND NOW...

AT ELEVEN MONTHS, TRISTAN...

...is full-on walking (and practically running).
 

...sleeps through the night (although I'm still very hesitant to say that out loud for fear of the jinx).
 

...figured out how to use remotes and knows to point them at what he's using (TV, ceiling fan).
 

...is not a fan of the car seat, too restrictive for this busy boy!

 

...is a world-class snacker. Favorites include Goldfish, Nilla Wafers, apples and Puffs.
 

...loves to play outside! 
 

...still isn't a fan of diaper changes (once again, too restrictive). 
 

...has a great appetite for baked beans, potato salad, and yogurt.

...enjoys playing with blocks and gets a big kick out of knocking them over.

...loves playing with balls and putting them into things.

...knows how to go down steps, and wants to practice this skill often!

...gets enthralled with Baby Einstein's Old MacDonald, especially the piggies in the mud!

...mimics actions of those around him. 

...is destructive! Isabel Blooms are not as solid as one would think. ;-)

...is obsessed with coffee cups and the Keurig noise.

...gives THE GREATEST hugs EVER.
 

...still laughs and smiles ALL THE TIME, including in his sleep.
 

...loves hearing his own voice, especially in the tub (must be good acoustics in there)!

 

 

...can open and close a door for 30 minutes straight, it's very entertaining!
 

...can find his nose.

 

 

...still has only two teeth! We keep wondering when they'll have kids. :)

...is the cutest sleeper in the whole wide world!

 

 

...drinks out of a sippy cup, but prefers to drink through a straw.
 

...is very GQ with his model style.

 

 

...shakes his groove thang with head rocking and booty dropping.
 

...makes the world a better place.
 

...is our best accomplishment to date.


...is loved more than he could ever possibly know.