1st Birthday!

From This...

To This....

My little boy is 1 year old!!!

For his b-day bash we opened presents--wooden blocks in a wagon and a little red potty--and then had strawberry shortcake. Ryan HATED the strawberries, liked the cake, and LOVED the whipped cream. :)

On one hand I can't believe it's already been a year that Ryan has been part of our lives, and on the other it seems like we never had a life before him. What a sweet little boy he is. I love the pitter patter of his hands and knees crawling after me down the hall while he says "Mama Mama!" and the huge grins and hugs he gives me. He fills our house with tons of light and laughter.

What does this 1-yr-old do?

Smiles. Laughs. Jabbers. Splashes. Throws balls. Bangs blocks. Pulls everything off shelves. Opens baby-proofed cupboards. Eats anything that's not food (especially shoes). Sometimes eats food--always if it's meat, pretty much never if it's fruit. Naps once-in-a-while. Sleeps at night. Signs "milk" and "more". Says "Mama" and "good". Brushes his teeth with his flexible banana toothbrush (seen above). Walks while you hold onto his hands. Climbs up any stairs he can find. Reads books (Favorite--Moo, Ba, La La La). Copies all Dad's crazy noises and runs away laughing hysterically while Dad chases him. And today? Peed in the potty. Doesn't know it, of course, but that will come.