Bryson: One Year

 

Weight: Your 12-month appointment was on 7/5.  At the appointment, you weighed 24.5 pounds.

Height:  On 7/5/13, you were 30.5 inches long.

Eating Habits: You, sir, make this parenting thing easy *knock on wood*.  I had been very concerned about ditching the bottle, but you did it by yourself.  You began playing with the bottle more than drinking it, so I started putting your formula in your favorite sippy cups.  You still wouldn't drink it, so we switched to milk and you chugged it.  You weaned yourself off bottles and formula right after turning 11 months.

You're so funny about food.  You won't eat certain things if they're in small baby-sized pieces.  You're great about not biting off more than you can chew... except bananas.  You would shove a whole banana in your mouth if we'd let you.

Favorite Foods: There's not really much that you don't like.  I think if you had to choose anything, you'd eat a banana.  You also really like pasta with tomato sauce.  You eat grilled cheese sandwiches, homemade chicken nuggets, yogurt, waffles with peanut butter, ravioli and chicken often.  You also discovered that you LOVE baked beans this month.  They end up all over your face because you pop them in your mouth by the handful.


Least Favorite Foods:  You've lost your affinity for blueberries and sweet potatoes along the way.  When I try to give you sweet potato, you make a face when it squishes in your fingers.  You don't like anything vinegary, like coleslaw, and refuse to eat anything green that isn't mixed into a sauce.  I'm sneaky, though, and hide broccoli or green beans in your pasta.  Bwahahaha.

Milestones: You have EIGHT teeth now!  One popped up overnight on May 30.  I didn't see it when we brushed your teeth before bed, but the next morning when we brushed them, there it was!

You've started brushing your own teeth!  I actually brush them first and you love it, but after we're done, you want a turn.  You put the toothbrush in your mouth and shake your head "no."  It's hilarious, but shows that you understand how it's done, you smart little cookie!







Favorite Things: 
You love to play tug-of-war with Jenna.  She's great with you and usually doesn't pull too hard.  I'm always so afraid you're going to tug as hard as you can and she's going to let go and send you flying.  Somehow you always end up doing it near the ceramic tile floor.

You love to play "Where's Bryson."  You do it frequently with your bath towel or blankets we use in the living room or in your crib.  You've even done it with the blankets on the dog beds (eww) and just your fingers.  You cover your eyes and we say "Wheeeeere's Bryson?"  You pull whatever is covering your eyes down and we exclaim, "There him is!"  You LOVE it and will do it forever.  We were in the Jeep for 5 hours on the way to the beach and I sat in the back with you for awhile.  We played it for at least 30 minutes. Your hiding place was behind the head rest on your car seat.

You have picked up this new face that we're pretty sure Aunt Christa taught you.  You do it ALL. THE. TIME.  It's funny until you do it when you get in trouble.  Okay, I'm lying.  It's funny then too, but we can't laugh then.  We've tried to get you to stop doing it, so when you make the face, we grin like idiots.  All that's done is change how you do the face.  Now you make it, then immediately grin really big, showing all your teeth.  You're a little nut!

Not-So-Favorite Things: You're going through separation anxiety again.   Fortunately, you're fine when I drop you off at daycare.  You've only cried twice when I've left you.  At home, it's a different story.  You can be playing contentedly, but if you catch us walking out of the room, you go to pieces.  You even do it sometimes when one of us is still with you.  You're really bad about abandoning Daddy in the floor to follow me from room to room.  You do it to me sometimes too, especially if Daddy is just getting home.  You have to follow him to our room when he changes clothes and always to the bathroom.  haha

You've also started wanting to be held more.  If we're holding you and try to put you down, you stiffen your legs so they won't bend for you to sit on the ground.  Both of these make getting things done pretty difficult.  I'm a sucker, though, and love the extra cuddles.

The bubbles weren't really working.

Other Bryson News: On Monday, June 3, you got tubes put in your ears.  You didn't get to eat anything after you went to sleep the night before until about 9:30 AM, but it didn't really faze you.  What did bother you, though, was the nurse trying to take your vitals.  She had to distract you with bubbles.  From the time I handed you over to the nurse to the time you were back in our room was 22 minutes, so obviously it wasn't invasive, but I'm not a fan of you going through that stuff.  You handled it like a champ, so we got a free day of playing when we got home.

We went to the beach on Thursday, May 30.  You absolutely LOVED it.  When we got to Florida, our room wasn't ready, so we went grocery shopping.  When we got back, our room was ready, so we checked in and went in to unpack and change clothes.   You went straight to the balcony door to look outside. You kept turning around to look at us like you were asking if we were seeing this too.  I loved watching the wonder on your face.



We went down to the beach quickly and you showed us you're a beach bum like us immediately.  You've never really liked wind blowing on your face, but as soon as the ocean breeze hit you, you lit up and started clapping.  At first, you weren't too sure about the water hitting your feet, but it didn't last long because you started slapping and kicking the waves as they rolled in.  Each wave made you laugh, which of course, cracked us up.  You loved to get out deeper in the water and let the waves hit you and Daddy.  You were immediately enamored with the sand, as you can tell by the bottom right picture.  You hadn't been sitting there for more than 10 seconds when I took that picture.  As per typical Bryson fashion, you had lots of snacks on the beach.  All that fun in the sun made you hungry!

Before we left on our trip, I was worried that you would either skip naps and be over-tired or we would spend the whole day in the hotel room.  Neither happened.  You took naps at your normal time and were perfectly content doing so on the lounge chair or a blanket on the sand.

Daddy and I started a tradition on our first beach trip together.  On the last night, we take a walk on the beach and pick up shells.  At first, we were going to choose just one, but I can't narrow it down.  We have a vase full of shells from our trips, even from our honeymoon in Jamaica.  On the last night of our first trip as a family, we went shell hunting.  You dug up a perfect shell with your toes, so we kept it as your shell.  I even labeled it with a Sharpie, so years from now when you go through my treasure box, you will find your very first shell!  (Yes, I'm a sap and potentially a hoarder)

You and I like to play a game where we make silly faces.  We do it all the time, but when we go out to eat, especially if it's just the two of us, we have to play.  Both of us will lower our heads and look up at each other then crack up laughing.  I have a hard time getting a picture because you crack yourself up so quickly, but I was able to get one picture.  I laugh every time I see it.  You're so silly!


You are such a joy and incredible blessing, my little stinky Stinkbug.  My life was forever changed when you entered it and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Your Daddy and I love you more than you can possibly ever imagine.

Love always, Mommy