We made it! 1 Year old and other stuff!

Where to begin....

So much has been going on and yes, Kevin I am so sorry to have missed your 11mo entry, but you were keeping me busy!  :-)

We found out we were going to move when he was almost 11 months and so between keeping up with him and his sister, packing, cleaning and showing and selling our old house and being sick with a new little sister or brother it went by super fast!  He discovered the joy of eating solid foods - finally.  (Now I'm scared that as he grows bigger I will wake up every morning to find the kitchen bare because little boys should not eat that much food!)  He can crawl with some skill now, but I think he'll just always be this little man that can, but doesn't mind to only move as fast as is absolutely necessary.  I don't know the stats, but he is getting taller, and thinning out and loosing those juicy thigh rolls (much to his aunties' displeasure).  Still only two teeth!  And, if I forgot to tell earlier, he has been clapping his hands for awhile now.  In the speech department he has started using a less 'insistent/impatient' sound when he wants something, and points his little finger where he would like to go or at what he would like to touch/eat.  He continues to love his pacifier...and we get a kick out of him putting it in himself and twisting it the right way round, or popping it out quickly when he thinks there is something yummy to be had.  He also kicks his feet when he wants something you have or is mad and throwing a tantrum.  He does plenty of that...mostly when Kendra takes something away from him.

12 months/1 YEAR OLD!

Well, Kevin popped out ONE top tooth right before his birthday!  It looks goofy, only one top tooth and 2 bottom teeth.  He drools and teethes a lot, but then it is all for show because it takes literally 4 or 5 of those bad episodes and the span of a month or so before anything shows up.
He has his own particular tastes now, of which none surprise me because they are typically "male-ish".  He would eat eggs all day long, sweets (fruit - I don't give him sugar yet), and MEAT!  He favors chicken - which I know is unusual, but he gums it right up.  He also loves spaghetti!  He can hold his own sippy cup now, and prefers to feed himself, unless it is too small/hard to pick up, then he gets upset that it isn't getting to his mouth fast enough and will take a spoon from us.
He loves pushing cars around, dislikes books unless you will let him tear them up, and loves his broom and dustpan.  He likes to knock over his sister's blocks, and tries to imitate her or get her to chase him on her hands and knees.  He also loves to look in drawers/cupboards, put smaller objects in bigger ones and then take them out again, crawl in and out of the pool on our back deck, and pulls himself up to standing now.
He figured out how to crawl up our stairs the second day after we moved into our new house, and it is a game he plays now to go up them and peek through the railing at the top.  One day, I heard him crying and ran to see him on the landing (half way down the flight of stairs).  He had obviously fallen and I asked Kendra what happened.  She explained to me, very apologetically that she just wanted to see him go "down, down, down!" and shrugged her shoulders.  I was about to lecture her about how pushing him down hurt him when she abruptly threw herself down the stairs, which to her surprise hurt and promptly started bawling.  Through her tears she said, I went down, down, down like Kevin!  I don't think she will ever do that again, and as a result, Kevin is afraid to go down, even though he knows to turn around and he calls to me to come get him.  He will lay on his tummy and look over the edge of the top step grinning from ear to ear while you come to fetch him.  He has also learned to come, and when you tell him sternly to stay downstairs he will slowly slide down the bottom step or two and sort of plop onto the floor, deflated that you ruined his fun!  :-)
When we moved in, we knew it was going to be hard on the kids so we put them together in the same room for the first time ever (except for trips).  The first week I really thought it was a big mistake.  They  either kept each other awake, or one would wake the other and they weren't on the same nap schedule and it was just stressful.  But, now, they like it and neither one seems to hear the other in the night or while they are going to sleep.  I think we finally are back on our routine...and no more late nights to bed because neither child seems to be able to go to sleep.  One thing that Kevin has done now, which we are trying to teach him not to do is play with the blinds near his bed.  He has to stand up and reach over to just barely grab them (not the strings).  Then he bangs them on the window.  After punishing him for it a few times, he would hear you come in when he's doing it and he will lay down lickity-split and CLOSE HIS EYES!  Like he wasn't the one you just heard making a racket and not sleeping like he is supposed to be!  It is SOOO stinkin' cute.  And funny.  I can hardly stand it.  How does he know to close his eyes too?  Hilarious and naughty...not an easy combination but...it just makes him even more lovable!  I think the crib is going to change locations, it is so hard to not laugh when he does it and I'm supposed to NOT be reinforcing the behavior.  (Also he loves to laugh - at anything you laugh at, or if he is doing something naughty, or if you are trying to be serious and can't hold back your smile.  It is sort of a cross between a giggle and a coo and it is irresistible.)
Tonight, in the bathtub he tooted, which made bubbles.  He shrieked in utter delight and then giggled.  All boy!
One more thing that is cute is that he is (or appears to be) very sweet to his little cousin half his age.  She talks and reaches for him and is super excited when he goes over to say hello, but he just looks at her and then leans his head in really close for a "kiss".  Sometimes he reaches his hand over and pats her, pretty gently compared to some of his other "pats".

Saying goodbye to our old house - and barely tolerating the sister squeeze!

Enjoying cookies with grandpa on our new deck!

The birthday boy with Mama & Papa

All the cousins!

4th of July we went to the "wooz" with Mama Julie & Papa Kim

Our handsome little man - 1 Year old plus a haircut & only one top tooth (loves him some spaghetti!)

Kendra at 1 Year old (no haircut!)  Do you think they look alike?  :-)