1 Year Old

I couldn't help but use this picture of Ryan for his "1 Year Old" floor shot. What a ham he is turning out to be! Our happy little boy is now a big 1-year-old and I can hardly believe it! He is a joy and blessing and we are honored to have him as our son.

At his 12-month checkup, he weighed in at 25 lbs. 8 oz. which is the 90th percentile! His height is 29-3/4" which about the 40th percentile. Everything looked great and he didn't even cry when they stuck his finger for a blood sample! After his appointment we stopped in at the Community Health Services to schedule immunizations and for help making sure his now-facing-forward carseat was installed properly. He thinks he's pretty big stuff facing forward now!

Ryan has not taken any steps and only stands on his own for a few seconds if he claps or is holding something. Otherwise he prefers to sit and then crawl to wherever he wants to go. He is expert at pulling himself up and walking along furniture and we don't think it'll be too long before his first steps happen. He also loves opening drawers and cupboards and I let him play in the Tupperware cupboard to keep him entertained in the kitchen.

Ryan's favorite toys continue to be throwing balls. He loves playing catch, putting a ball in a hoop or basket, or just throwing everything he picks up (ball or not) as far as he can. He is great at looking at books, especially touch-and-feel and peek-a-boo books. He likes music, playing piano, and even dances to the electronic music on the Incrediblock, bouncing his knees and shaking his bum. He also likes crawling in and out of things like his old bathtub and cardboard boxes.

He is, at you can tell at first glance, a pretty solid eater. He has tried many things and can even use a fork or spoon if you help him scoop or poke to load it. He can also hold his own sippy cup at meals. He tends to be a bit of a mess-pot, but aren't all kids at this age? He is able to chew just about anything, thanks to an almost-full mouth of teeth. He has 4 teeth on the bottom and 8 teeth on top! His top molar and incisors came through in the last few weeks and his bottom incisors show signs of coming through any day. He seems to be pretty far ahead of the "teeth chart" but thankfully they don't seem to bother him immensely besides feeling the sudden urge to bite something once in a while, which may or may not be your shoulder or leg.

Verbally, he has a few semi-recognizable words. He uses "Da" for Dad, sometimes in conjunction with "Hi Da!" He can wave and say "buh-bye" and has started to say this any time you pick him up. He also says "Ba" for ball and exclaims "Ooooh!" when he throws it. He has a version of "Ba" for bear and can also say "Puppy" in reference to either a real dog or a picture of one.  He is master of "uh-oh" which he says everytime he throws things off his highchair tray, which is often.

Ryan usually has a smile for people, can sometimes give high-fives or point, but sometimes puts on a bashful act, burying his head in my shoulder. But, usually he'll turn right around in his own game of "peek-a-boo".

We've had a fun first year and praise God for the health and happiness he's granted so far!