One Year Old Superbaby Tricks!

Everyday I ask you to get your hat and shoes

You bring them to me & put your hat on so we can go outside to play

Whistle while you work

Ohh! The talking. We dialogue about everything!

You love to laugh and make Mommy laugh

Sweet one year old parts

Your limbs are stretching out into toddler shapes

You held baby Hana in your arms for the first time!

You love to play toys for her and get her to chase you around the house

Stewed tomatoes and lentils= Yum!

Mumm!

You tried peanut butter for the first time and love it as much as Mommy

You learned how to lick it and avocado off your toast and ask for more topping

The only foods you turn away are bananas and potatoes

Last time in a baby bath tub

Now you take a bath with Mommy or Daddy every night

Washing your feet and toesies

You like to have Mommy turn the water on and off

You try to cuddle with the cats and Hero by laying into them

Trying on Mommy's bracelets

You are almost the length of the stair!

You've become such a bookworm!

You have strong taste preferences for books (always have!)

Your attention span for reading time has increased

You ask for certain books to be read and pet, point,

and grab my finger to pet and point objects on the pages

One of your favorite things is being read to

You soak up all the information and repeat it back to me in different ways

Classic Shadden!

GG liked this trick of yours

Why push one when you can push Ladybug & Panda?!?!!

My squiggly wiggly worm

Mommy still has to wrestle you for diaper changes

You are as long as your diaper changing pad!

Thanks for my finger puppets Auntie Mandy!

This is one of your favorite activities

You like to do the finger puppets and have me do the hand puppets

and take turns

You get so excited and crack up over the puppets

You even do the voices!!!

Thanks for my puzzle Auntie Lori & Uncle Paul!

I can do it all by myself now!

I even know the different animals!

Ta da!

But that's just half the fun!

Somebunny came up with the idea

To throw the bedroom toys downstairs!

& Go after them, of course!

For all those luscious locks

It began before you were born. I would hear, "You're taking pictures of yourself, right?" And sadly answer, "no." Because, I live with animals and a boy who doesn't think, "oh my wife looks so cute right now in her pregnant belly sweater dress and tights-I have to get the camera!" Bless the woman who has one of those. I have no everyday work week attire picture of my growing belly. I have the picture of myself in sweatpants, bikini, or Indian Sari! I wanted to get professional pictures taken and researched tons of different photographers in the area, but ended up asking mom to take a picture on one of her visits instead.

Then, you were born. Everyone told me, "take pictures! They grow so fast!" Bedrest and full time Mommying while Daddy slaved at work and I managed to take some pictures and some videos. Meanwhile you were growing and growing and we were busy living and now as I look over pictures for your baby book, I feel welly. I actually shed some tears when I found your 0-3 months and 3-6 months clothes that were packed away in the closet. I hugged them as if they were your body with tears streaming down my face while you tromped around your room getting into this and that and grabbing the clothes neatly folded and throwing them to all corners of the room and climbing into the bag and box so that it is no longer able to hold clothes like it did before. I thought to myself...they were right. I had no idea. Take pictures! Why didn't I take more pictures?!?!! As if a photo could ever bring your baby skin to life.

When I am taking pictures, I feel like a fanatic. I have my days when I think...we should just "be." No capturing moments for later, just experiencing the pleasure of living it. Here and now baby! So then, when I do pull the camera out, I hear myself saying, "stop taking pictures. You're taking the same thing over and over. Put the camera down." But, I just can't. My hand acts as if it's molded around the camera. Because sometimes, the inevitable happens and out slips, "he really is a star!" and you become your mom. My brother and I first had this moment as we sat watching our little brother perform on stage and we gushed together just like we made fun of our mom because, she was so right, we heard him and turned to one another gushing over, "he really is a star!" So, I contribute this photo oblivion to your nonstop cuteness, the incurable case of Mommyitis, and the fact that you really are a star!!!

Later, I pour over the pictures with any spare bathroom break I have, which in itself is very funny because on my snip of a break away from you, I'm still working on something for you, for us, and I love it. Who would want to watch TV when they have pictures of a superstar baby?!?!! Oh, yes. It's actually just that exciting to me. I actually feel an anticipation rush watching my pictures upload. It puts me in a pickle because I can't throw any away or delete them because, they are you, and...oh! you moved an eyelash in this one! My computer gets way too full and no I have not a single picture "backed up" because we haven't purchased an EHD because we are on a family budget. Put me in a jar, pickle because we're officially in a cycle.

Commence photo marathon because everyday you amaze me. I actually feel like you are in a superhero invincible baby stage. You can do everything! You never get hurt (seriously injured- yes, we have bruises, head bumps, and strawberry knees, but that's the picture of a healthy active toddler boy) and you haven't ever been sick and I have no fears for you about anything because you are always perfectly fine and I somehow feel like you always will be. Lord willing! The rapidity of your comprehension, our conversations, the enjoyment we share, the wonderful new abilities and tricks you have mastered, keep me repeatedly stopping short of a "carefu--l!" to a I take it back, your right-you can do it. Of course you can! You can do anything.

We hit the 1 year marker and well, just for this Mommy heart, the picture show feels like a celebration that we have won something. Something grand and worthy of ribbon tearing pictures-not just of a party, but of who you are in the daily life of the wonderfully, fantastic, one year boy-my baby...the star.