Second Son Is One!

Second Son enjoying his birthday cake, a banana cake made by his godmother and decorated in orange and blue in honor of his grandparents.

I can hardly believe it. Second Son is one. One year old. His birthday was last weekend and I'm still mulling it over in my mind. Readers of this blog know there were days when "He will grow up." was my mantra. Or perhaps something like "Please, God, get us to one!" (Those who don't know the story can read more in my previous post.)

Trying to grab the camera instead of staying still for a picture.

And now we are here and it is simply delightful. It's hard to imagine a better time than right now, with my four lovely children and the business of summer -- play groups, summer theater, swimming lessons...and unbearable heat. (Thank God for air conditioning!)

Second Son is crawling and cruising. He's beginning to learn he can let go of furniture and hold two things in his chubby hands. Soon he'll figure out his feet can keep moving, too, though he needs to practice the art of balancing a bit more.

He can, though, climb up onto the futon. He thinks it's even more fun to climb up onto the toddler bed. During a recent linen change, I caught him climbing through and over all the slats that hold up the mattress.

He loves swimming and the water. He doesn't like it when there are too many other people around or if it's too close to nap time, though, so he hasn't had as much fun this summer as he might have otherwise. Hopefully next year we'll make it to the pool more often and he will still enjoy it.

He doesn't say any words, but jabbers a lot, and signs only a little. He'll screech to get our attention and then stare at what he wants (generally something someone else is eating -- he thinks it must be yummy if we're eating it) or he'll sign all done. He shakes his hands and his head like a crazy baby. He also "signs" hot by blowing.

He insists on a sippy cup of water at every meal (and between meals when he can get it). He'll take a drink or two then throw it on the floor, to the delight of his brother and sisters. They encourage him. He's still nursing, but only four to six times a day. I'm contemplating weaning him because he bites a little.

He eats just about anything except mashed potatoes and pepperoni. He especially loves green beans and goldfish crackers. His recent meal adventures included sloppy joes and samosas. (Oh, they were delightful!) He has only four teeth but manages to mash most things with his gums.

He loves his brother and sisters. They can make him laugh like no one else. They can also make him cry, but they don't do that too often. I love his laugh. Everyone loves his laugh. There's something about a baby's laugh that makes grown people do very silly things, just to hear it again.

When he sees something he likes or we do something he wants, he'll clap his hands and cheer for us. ("Ahhhhhhhhhh.")

You can read more of Second Son on his eleven month post. It sums up twelve months quite nicely as well.

Second Son napping in his godfather's arms during his birthday party.