I AM ONE PEOPLE!!!!

Dear Baby Trip,

Oh my sweet boy, you are one year old today. What a super fun, exciting, exhausting, wonderful, blessed year it has been. Truly I have loved every minute. Never, never did I think I could love like this. I hope we can remember all the sweet, little details of these first hours, day, weeks and months. I want to savor them when I am an old woman and you are having your own first child. I want to watch your heart open to that tiny little being and have it all come rushing back to me again.


Hi, I am One!


I said, I AM ONE!!!!!


This sign even says so.


I am One, and I am super cute.


And now I am working on my Terrible Twos.

This morning we opened some presents and then took a fun drive in your red car where you oohed and ahhed at the ocean view and reached longingly for any doggie that crossed your path.


I will rip it one tiny piece at a time, and you will humor me as I do.


Cruisin in my new car!


Here doggie, doggie, doggie. I won't hurt you...much.

Then we met Dada for pizza, balloons and inappropriate screeching at Pizzaria Delfina, topped off with a little Joe's Ice Cream. It was a fun day, and we are looking forward to your party Sunday. Well, we are dreading all the preparations, but the party will be fun nevertheless.


Everything will be fine as long as no one touches my giant balloon.


Happy Birthday to Me Mama! But don't touch my balloon.


Now bring me my pizza. And don't touch my balloon.


This pizza is yummy (but I did not forget about my balloon).


First I'll have some of Mama's.


Then I will have some of Dada's.

Besides the fact that you turned one today, the big news is that you took your first steps this week. I only had to dangle the cellphone a few feet in front of you to get you let go of the table, and that glowing, electronic carrot was the trick to make it happen. You made it eight steps last night!!! Unfortunately the bruises and scrapes are back in full force, but a few battle wounds just make you look cool.

A few of your favorite things these days:

In the food department, you're loving grapefruit (!), cooked carrots, cheese and throwing all of the aforementioned foods on the floor. Food dropping is preceded by leaning your arm way over the side of the highchair, staring the person feeding you in the eyes, cocking the head with a little swagger as if to dare anyone to stop you and then letting the hand open with a deliberately slow motion, so as to savor the dropping like a slow dive into a cool river on a hot day. Then of course, there is the grunting and crying and forlorn stares at said object lying sadly on the floor until it is retrieved so that we can repeat the whole process. Again. And again. And again.


Humpphh. I dropped it on the floor. Again. Now you pick it up Mama. And then I will drop it....again.

In the toy department, we have a current obsession with mylar balloons. "Ba, ba, ba!!!" we hear a lot. "-loon" hasn't quite worked its way out yet, but no doubting what you mean! When you're eating in the kitchen, you are pointing and calling out for the balloon in the living room. When Safeway is decorated with 876 Valentine's Day balloons, well...all the shoppers know how much you covet them.


This is my "ba!"

You have also figured out how to open the kitchen drawers and cabinets and the kitchen floor is frequently covered in pots (good for banging), containers of sprinkles (good for shaking), muffin tin liners (good for shredding) and Ziplocks full of flour (Lord help me the day you get one of these open).


So many fascinating objects in here!


Hey! Birthday candles! I think we need some of these!

You still really love to feel the wind on your face, and rainy season seems to be a big hit too. When you're out in the elements you hold your face up to the wind and rain, suck in a big old refreshing breath and grin. While inside, nightly visits to the Panda bear humidifier are still a must, so that you can stick your mouth on the smoky air and take a big hit. Weird kid!

Peek-a-boo, baths, playing with your family jewels, cell phones, remotes, the nightlight in your room, pushing the yoga ball with your head or walking behind it and the leftover plastic candy holder jack-o-lantern are all pretty popular too.

Some of your least favorite thing:

Oh the agony that is changing your diaper these days. Laying on your back is apparently incredible uncool, and it is imperative that you sit and then stand immediately upon being laid on the changing table. Where we might be in the diapering, wiping or Destin-ing is of no importance.


I scoff at this new changing table meant to keep me from destroying the items on my dresser. Now I will just destroy the items under the changing table.

Having an electronic device removed form your grubby little hands. Oh, the shrieking! We work hard to stay neutral and redirect you, but it's so hard not to laugh when the temper flairs.

Having your face wiped after meals. I know...Mama hated this too. I have awful memories of your Oma dipping a paper napkin in a cold glass of water at restaurants and wiping my face with it. We us soft washcloths and warm water, but it still feels yucky, no?

And here's a little video of some of the sweetest moments we've shared with you this year. My sweet, sweet boy. What a ride!