My Big Birthday Boy

I have been putting off posting for a long time. Seemingly every day that I put it off, there is something else I have to remember to report! Today is Cash's first birthday. I meet today with mixed emotions. Of course I am grateful for a year of milestones, health and happiness but it is definitely bittersweet. Having Cash has totally rocked my world, as I'm sure having a baby does to everyone. I know my feelings aren't unique or special in some way from the way other mother's feel about their baby, but I think every mother feels like their relationship with their baby is unique and special. In a way, it is. No one in this world has loved, or will love your baby quite like you. Watching him grow from a ball of cells...


to a baby...

to a toddler...
Cash is 1 today. Its funny to think back on his milestones, and how excited we were when he started a new one. When he first started rolling over, I could have sat there for hours and watched him roll back and forth. Now his "tricks" are a little more entertaining. :)

Currently, Cash's new obsession is clapping. He loves it. We were watching Jeopardy (his all-time fav), and when the audience would clap, he would clap. He is walking very fast with his walker. He can stand for long periods of time if he wants to, but he usually doesn't want to. Lazy boy! On January 11th, Cash took his first step. He did it three times that day in fact. He is still eating baby food about 4 times a day, and breastfeeding 3 to 5 times. We started him on almond milk because he is allergic to cow's milk, and he likes it but its really low in calories. Cash went from being 75th percentile in weight, to 25th or just slightly below. The pediatrician said it was due to the lack of dairy in his diet. I have been trying to "fatten him up" with avocado and a little bit of olive oil mixed in with his food. He loves to eat cut up food off of my plate at restaurants, but doesn't like to eat it at home. He's becoming very picky. :) I'm trying to teach him to say "all done" or at least a hand gesture, because his way of letting me know he's done now is just simply spitting. Its lovely. He has also began to test his limits with us recently. Screaming, growling, throwing tantrums etc. Lots of fun! Sometimes its hard not to laugh when he growls at the waitress for taking away the loaf of bread that he apparently had plans to eat. Don't worry, we are disciplining him.

He can say, "Dada" which sometimes is shortened to "Dad", "Mama", "Dog" and a new one..."Bible" although it sounds like "Babu". Yes, he's very Godly. :) He is also starting to say, "No" and "Bath". He loves to play with Moe, and pull his ears. I don't know if this comes from his love for Moe, or just his love for the taste, but Cash loves to eat dog food. He will try to sneak over to Moe's bowl and grab a handful without me noticing, which always ends up with me spotting him, chasing him across the kitchen floor as he tries to escape an impending swat, and me scraping the food out of his mouth, and delivering that swat. He is so strong willed that he usually yells at me, and tries to make another run for the bowl, which ends in another few swats. We repeat this cycle until he gets the picture. He loves to clap and give high fives, which provides endless hours of entertainment for Colt and I and our families. He likes to click his tongue to hear the sound it makes, and he also imitates what you're doing with your mouth (especially when someone is chewing gum). His favorite game is "sneak up" where we will quietly creep up on a seemingly unsuspecting family member. Recently he has become a pro at climbing up and down the stairs to the podium at church. We don't have any stairs at our house, so you can imagine my surprise when he climbed right up them at church!

He is such a sweet boy, and loves to cuddle. He is a sucker for butterfly kisses, and is starting to get the hang of Eskimo kisses too. He is in a size 18 months for most clothes, and a size 4 shoe. We have been stocking up on size 4 and 5 shoes, just in case he decides to start walking anytime soon. Fingers crossed!

This year with Cash has been amazing. Its cliche to say (that rhymes), but its hard to imagine him not being in our lives now. He is such a source of joy and laughter for us. Watching him do something (usually when its a naughty thing) and hear Colt say, "That is SO you," is so surreal but cool. Its hard to imagine he is the same little baby that kept me awake when I was 22 weeks pregnant in Vero Beach with all of his late night kicking. I have a lot of nicknames for him. They are the type that aren't thought out ahead of time, but somehow just come about. One of my nicknames for him is, "heart and soul boy" because that's what he is. My heart and soul.

This entire post I have been trying to find words to express how much we love Cash, and how enamoured with him we are, but there are no words. If you are a parent, you know just what I am talking about. I just love him. Love love love love love him. Thank you for a wonderful year, Cashy boy!